on 25th July 2023
“Stowe so near.”
A Wellesbourne member of “Team Enable – M.I. Racing – McCann,” was so near to winning another British Mountain Bike Championship on Sunday at Bradford. 66-year-old Tim Stowe, a former top Motocross rider, finished a close 2nd to the reigning champion and former World Masters Cyclo Cross rider, Pete Harris, in the hotly contested race for riders 60 years and over. Stowe won the first-ever Veteran Downhill National Championship over 25 years ago and has ridden for Team M.I. Racing ever since. Tim recently won the BMCR National Championship.
Welsh Mountain Bike Champion, Nick Whitley, competed in the Gran Fondo final qualifying event in the Isle of Man – Weather conditions were so bad that the event had to be shortened. Nick has already qualified for the World Championships in Scotland in 2 weeks’ time.
Hinckley-based team member Malc Moore is another rider who has been associated with the M.I. Race Team for a long time and before that with the Coventry Olympic C.C., both run by former Professional rider and Multi-World Masters Champion, Mick Ives. On Sunday, Malc won his age category in the Worcester St. John’s hilly Time Trial held at Welland near Malvern, Worcestershire. Like so many other events at the weekend, it was held in terrible wet and windy conditions.
The Team’s Time Trial riders have also been having a winning time. In the Leamington Open 10-mile event held at Dunchurch, nr Rugby, Mark Wise recorded the team’s fastest time – 21 mins 08 secs, which was exceptional, considering the very strong wind blowing across the course. Comeback rider and current BMCR National Champion, now recovered from injuries and riding his first event in 12 months, Ben Rooney, recorded a time of 23 mins exactly. The ever-improving Andy Oliver was just behind Ben in 23-04. These 3 performances were enough to win yet another overall team prize. Other members riding were Andy Jackson 23-32 and Veteran Lady, Didi Egerton-Warburton, with 23-54.
Another Team victory was won in the Ross-on-Wye 25-mile Time Trial, with Simon Law recording 53 mins 35 secs. Simon was supported by Mark Wise and Didi Egerton-Warburton. Simon was also 3rd on standard.
Mid-week, Simon Law finished 4th fastest overall in the Rugby Evening 10-mile race with a time of 21 mins 20 secs. Mark Wise and Andy Jackson finished first and second respectively in the midweek, Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club and Coventry CC 10-mile time trial event held at Gaydon.
A very busy week for members of the Coventry-based Elite Cycle Race Team, with a lot more racing to come in events all over the U.K. in the coming weeks.