on 28th September 2024
O’Connor wins again
Rugby based Rob O’Connor, riding for the top Midlands based cycling team – Team Enable MI Racing Townsend Vehicle Hire – finished off his racing season in fine style on 22 September by winning the Kenilworth Wheelers British Masters Road Race. In appalling wet conditions O’Connor had enough left in his legs at the end of the 76km race to win the uphill sprint to the finish. The race was held on a 12.7km loop in the Warwickshire countryside, taking in the villages of Snitterfield, Bearley and Wolverton. O’Connor is the current British Cycling national masters road race champion.
The Time Trial season is nearing its conclusion and the team’s riders have continued to maintain some excellent form. Recent signing Michael Wills raced in the Cambridge Cycling Club 25 mile time trial held on a revised F2C/25 course near Cambourne. Road works on the normal course meant that last minute course alterations introduced eight roundabouts. This made for a tough and unpredictable course but the Leicestershire based veteran rider produced an excellent time of 58 minutes and 28 seconds to finish in 64th place overall in a field of 150 riders.
Michael Wills (photographer unknown)
The Kettering Cycling Club 10 mile open time trial event held on 21 September was well attended by team riders and it was Nuneaton based fast man David Mead that once again clocked the fastest time of the day of 21 minutes and 30 seconds. Mead has entered 16 open events this season and the Kettering race was his 14th win of the season. It was a close-run race between the top 3 riders with just 9 seconds separating first to third. Teammate Mark Wise finished in 7th place overall in a time of 22 minutes 58 seconds while Zoe Shepherd and Greg Ashley, competing in the road bike team event, finished in 3rd place in that category in a time of 26 minutes and 9 seconds. Shepherd and Ashley also picked up the most improved team award against their pre-race predicted time.
David Mead racing to victory at the Kettering CC Time Trial (photographer unknown)
In the special Rugby Racing Cycling Club ‘Flyer’ event held on the popular K10/12B time trial course, another of the team’s new signings Luke Allen finished in 3rd place in a time of 56 minutes and 1 second. The 25 mile event, held in celebration of former Rugby Racing member Ralph Dougherty, was a road bike only event and certificates and medals were given out to riders that beat the one hour mark. Worcester based Allen was shortly followed by his Hinckley teammate Oliver Searle in the time of 57 minutes and 6 seconds. Teammate Mark Wise finished in 9th place on the day in a time of 1:02:47.
The cyclocross season in now well underway but the early, unseasonably wet and muddy conditions have not proved to be any obstacle for the team’s riders. It has taken just three rounds of the West Midlands League for a familiar look to appear at the top of the results listings. In the veteran 50-59 category race held at Baggeridge Park in Halesowen, it was a team 1-2-3 with Wrexham based rider Nick Whitley taking the honours ahead of Kenilworth’s Darren Atkins and Cannock’s Nick Popham. In the same category, and riding his first race of the season, Alan Buxcey finished in 53rd place despite suffering a mechanical issue half way round the first lap and having to run to the pits area for a bike change. In the 60+ age category race Coventry’s Pete Busby finished in 3rd place with teammate Mark Garrett not far behind in 9th. In the Ladies 40-49 age category race Lindsey Whitley finished in 6th place. In the men’s senior race Thomas Bradley finished in 18th place. In the veteran 40-49 race Colin Miller finished in 5th place.
Nick Whitley in action at Baggeridge (photo courtesy of Thomas Bradley)
Further north, Mold based sisters Holly and Layla Bradbrook competed in round three of the North West Cyclocross League held at Wythenshawe. Layla finished 4th overall but took first place in the under 23 category, while older sister Holly finished 12th overall and finished third in the under 23 category. Layla is the current Welsh junior cross country mountain bike champion.
Layla Bradbrook clearly enjoying the rain and mud (photo courtesy of Adam Gee photography)