on 15th September 2024
The changing season also means a change from the domestic road racing and time trial seasons to the cyclocross season. The team is very lucky to have many talented, multi-discipline riders. This is what continues to make MI Racing such a special team. MI Racing are one of the very few teams that is able to race all through the year. So, good luck to all those riders that are starting their autumn/winter racing seasons. The team look forward to many race victories.
The Hill Climbing season is also now underway and one of the most popular events with our team riders is the Burton Dassett and Edge Hill double header. This was the last event in 2023 that Mick was able to support in person. This year’s event is once again being organised by our friends from the Coventry Cycling Club and takes place on Saturday 5th October 2024. Approximate timings are 11:00am for Burton Dassett and 12:00 for Edge Hill. The race forms part of a Midlands Hill Climb series organised by a local rider Paolo Coppo and last year the event attracted a lot of riders from far and wide. If this is the case again this year, start times may alter slightly to allow for the greater number of riders. Held on a Saturday, it means that many of our teams powerful CX, MTB and road riders may be able to race! Please race the event if at all possible. If you don’t fancy riding but are able to assist Barry Harden with time keeping duties or pushing off then please let me know as soon as possible. It would be great to see as many MI Racing members there as possible. The ‘Enta’ trophy will be up for grabs again this year for the fastest rider from MI Racing – a trophy well worth the few minutes pain and suffering!
Racing results
Marvellous Mick does it again!
The ever versatile, Derbyshire based veteran rider Michael Allen has done it again for the top Midlands based cycling team – Team Enable-MI Racing-Townsend Vehicle Hire. Competing in the British Masters Cycle Racing national track championships held at the Geraint Thomas velodrome in Newport, Wales, Allen won the pursuit and scratch races in the 75-79 age category. Another superb performance by one of the teams most successful riders.
The team’s mountain bike riders have brought the Friday Night Summer Series of races to a very successful conclusion. The series, held between May and August, and celebrating its 33rd year, comprised 15 rounds of racing at various locations around the Midlands. Lindsay Newman won the ladies veteran category and Ryan Henry won the mens veteran category. Cannock based rider Nick Popham won the Grand Veteran age category. Jefferson Tear-Verweij finished 4th in the under 23 age category Other team riders who competed in the series were Pete Busby and team sponsor Garry Townsend.
Cyclocross racing has begun for the 2024-2025 season and it was back to familiar ways in the West Midlands league with team riders dominating the top places in many of the age categories. Round one of the West Midlands league held in Ullenhall, Solihull, saw heavy morning rain make for tough early conditions. As the day went on the rain gave way to sunny and warm conditions that dried out the course and made for very tough racing in the heat of the day. Wrexham based rider and last year’s league champion Nick Whitley rode away from the rest of the field for a convincing victory in the veteran 50-59 age category race. Whitley finished 38 seconds ahead of the second placed rider. Also in the same category, Kenilworth based Darren Atkins took third place, Nick Popham finished 5th, Christian Morgan 19th and Andy Jackson 46th. In the veteran 60+ age category Mark Garrett finished in 10th place. In the ladies race Lynsey Whitley finished in 7th place in the 40-49 age category. In the combined Junior/Senior/veteran 40-49 age category race Jefferson Tear-Verweij finished in an excellent 14th place overall and took 2nd place in the junior category. Colin Miller finished in 4th place in the veteran 40-49 race while Warwick based Tom Bradley finished in 19th place in the senior race.
Further north, Mold based sisters Holly and Layla Bradbrook raced in round one of the North West cyclocross league held at Rawtenstall. Unseasonal, very wet and muddy conditions made for really tough early season racing but Layla the current junior Welsh Cross Country mountain bike champion, rode to an excellent 1st place in the under 23 age category with older sister Holly coming home in 9th place.
The time trial racing season is drawing to a close and Nuneaton based rider David Mead has continued his brilliant run of race victories. Racing the Coalville Wheelers 19.8 mile TT on the 28th August, Mead clocked a rapid time of 42 minutes and 23 seconds to take his 11th straight open competition win of the season. Teammate and recent signing to the team Michael Wills finished in 10th place in a time of 51:17. Derbyshire based Michael Allen clocked 1 hour and 36 seconds on his road bike to finish in 16th place.
Saturday the 31st August and Sunday 1st September saw a number of the teams riders competing in the RTTC national 10 mile championships held at Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. The event attracted almost 200 riders and many of the top riders from around the UK were present. Windy conditions over the two days made for tough riding on parts of the 10 mile course. On the Saturday, David Mead rode an excellent time of 19 minutes 21 seconds to finish in 22nd place overall and his performance was good enough to finish a brilliant second in the veteran 45-49 age category. Riding in the 55-59 age category, Nuneaton based Simon Law finished in 5th place and Coventry based Andy Jackson in 16th place. In the veteran 60-64 age category, Leamington based Mark Wise finished in 5th place. Teammate Michael Wills rode to a 4th place finish in the veteran 65-69 age category. On the Sunday the team’s top female rider, Leamington based Diana Egerton-Warburton raced to 31st position overall and managed a superb 2nd place in the 45-49 age category race.
Also on Sunday 1st September, the team’s latest signing, Worcester based Luke Allen, rode the Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club 10 mile open event on the popular K11/10T course between Rugby and Coventry. Allen, riding his first open event for the team, won the road bike category in a time of 21 minutes and 59 seconds. At the same event Warwick based Tom Bradley finished in 18th place, Mark Wise in 19th place and Greg Ashley in 27th place.
Out on the road, young Hinkley based rider, Oliver Searle won his second road race of the season. Racing in the East Midlands Road Race League event at Six Hills, east of Loughborough, Searle proved unstoppable after attacking on the opening lap and beating the rest of the field by almost 1 minute. Rugby based rider Rob O’Connor, fresh from his British Cycling national championship win in Devon, won the final race in the 2024 Stallard series of races. Held at the Darley Moor circuit near Ashbourne, warm and dry conditions made for some excellent racing with O’Connor taking the win after a photo finish sprint to the line.