on 19th June 2024
Newman and Whitley take national podium silvers for Team Enable-MI Racing-Townsend Vehicle Hire.
The brilliant racing results keep rolling in for riders from the top Midlands based cycling team.
At the British Masters Cycling Racing National Mountain Bike Championships held at Wibtoft on the 15th June the team’s top cyclocross riders Nick Whitley and Lindsay Newman showed their versatile skills round the Leicestershire mountain bike course. Shortly before the race started, a thunderstorm made the course very muddy and slippery. Whitley fished 4th overall and took the silver medal in the open 50 to 54 age category. Newman finished 24th overall and took the silver medal in the women’s 50 to 54 age category. In the same race Nick Popham finished 8th overall, also taking 4th place in the open 50-54 age category.
Nick Whitley (photo courtesy of David Hastings of www.dhphoto.co.uk)
The Midlands Friday Night Summer Series of mountain bike races has continued with round 6 taking place at Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire and round 7 at Wibtoft, Leicestershire. In round 6 Ryan Henry finished 3rd in the Veterans category. Lindsay Newman finished 2nd in the women’s race. Nick Popham and Darren Atkins finished 2nd and 5th respectively in the Grand Veterans category. In the under 23 race Jefferson Tear-Verweij finished in 2nd place. In round 7, on a fast and windswept course, it was a return to the top spots for the team’s riders with Ryan Henry winning the veterans race and Nick Popham and Darren Atkins coming 1st and 2nd in the Grand Veterans race. Jefferson Tear-Verweij finished in 3rd place in the under 23 race. Team sponsor Garry Townsend (Townsend Vehicle Hire) raced in the Super Grand Veterans race but he unfortunately suffered a mechanical and was unable to finish the race. The series now takes a break before round 8 near Kettering on the 28th June.
Round 4 of the British Cycling cross country mountain bike championship took place at Woody’s Bike Park, Fowey, Cornwall. Junior rider and current Welsh national mountain bike champion Layla Bradbrook finished in 10th place on a course described as being “full of long climbs and fun descents”.
Layla Bradbrook in action in Cornwall (photographer unknown)
Road racing has continued with Hinckley based rider Oliver Searle riding in the Wyre Forest cat 3/4 road race. In extremely challenging conditions due to strong winds, Searle finished in the bunch after completing seven laps of the relatively flat course between Martley and Lower Broadheath. Rugby based rider Rob O’Connor, fresh from his recent success in the BMCR criterium championships, raced to another podium place by finishing a brilliant 3rd place in the BMCR road race held near Solihull.
Created back in 2009, the summer series of midweek circuit races held at Litherland, Merseyside has attracted the attention of two of the teams northern based riders, Nick Whitley and Lynsey Jones. Racing in the latest two rounds of the series, Nick and Lynsey both finished 2nd in their respective categories and then last week Nick finished in 4th place and Lynsey an excellent 2nd place once again.
With his fifth consecutive open time trail win, Nuneaton based fast man David Mead is certainly living up to his reputation as one of the most prolific veteran time trial riders in the country. Competing in the Melton Olympic 10 mile event on the A3/10 course near Nottingham, Mead was the only rider to break the 20 minute barrier in very windy conditions. Mead clocked a time of 19:24 to take the win by over 30 seconds. Teammate Simon Law from Nuneaton had an excellent ride to finish in 9th place overall, clocking a course best time of 21:03. Teammate Mark Wise from Leamington Spa clocked 23:39 to finish in 26th place.
Simon Law (photo courtesy of David Hastings of www.dhphoto.co.uk)
The team’s oldest active racer, Derbyshire based Michael Allen, has been producing some excellent results in recent Veterans Time Trial Association races. Events on the F2/A10 course near Cambourne on the 5th and 12th of June have seen Allen clock some brilliant age adjusted times to finish in 3rd place overall in both races. On the 5th June, Allen clocked a time of 24:00 (age adjusted 18:45) and on the 12th June he went even faster, clocking 23:49 (age adjusted 18:37)
In memory of the team’s founder, Mick Ives who sadly passed away early this year, Coventry Olympic Group Sportive (COGS) – the non-racing side of the team – will be running the 2024 Mick Ives Myton Ride on the 25th August. Choices of Epic, Challenge, Leisure and Family sportive rides will take riders into the Warwickshire countryside from the start and finish point at Baginton. All proceeds from the ride will be donated to Myton Hospice where Mick was so well cared for during the last few weeks of his life. Entry details can be found on the British Cycling website.
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