on 22nd October 2012
Team Jewson M.I.Racing Thule, once again provided the winner of the Midland Cyclo Cross event at the weekend, organised by Solihull C.C., Nr Elmdon, Birmingham BUT with a difference.
Kenilworth’s Darren Atkins, was in a class of his own starting 1 minute behind the Senior race, Darren had already dropped all of the Veteran’s over 40 class field, by the end of the first lap, and had closed the 1 minute, on half of the senior field as well. He continued to excel over the very muddy and slippery conditions, to make it look so easy, catching the leading senior at ¾ distance, and riding clear for a fantastic victory, making his younger rivals look second class. Normally Atkins would be scrapping it out with his former British Champion team mate Steve Knight, but such was the performance he gave that this time Knight who rode strongly to take 2nd place veteran, finished 3 ½ mins behind Atkins, Jewson team mates Lorenzo Buratti finished in 7th place and Phil Blacker, suffering with a heavy cold in 10th place. In 2 weeks time Atkins defends his British Trophy series lead at Ipswich, and on this form, it will take a brilliant performance by other riders to stop him winning again.
In the race for Veteran riders 50 and over Peter Busby (Coventry) riding his first ever Cyclo Cross race finished a brilliant 11th, not far behind his new team mate Phil Roach 6th (Rugby), who was using the race as a training race, with “bigger fish to fry” this season, having already won Rd 1 of the National Trophy series for 50+ last weekend,, and ahead of Tim Stowe 14th (Wellesbourne) who was forced to stop to removed a jammed chain, during the closing stages of the race.
Down at Camarthen in S.Wales Mark James was back to his best, when he rode a special Floodlite Cyclo Cross race finishing 4th overall and 1st Veteran James has been selected to represent Wales in the forthcoming Inter Regional Championships.