on 31st August 2021
“Rob, King of Abberleys”
63 year old Rob O’Connor riding for the Coventry based elite cycling team of “Team Jewson–M.I.Racing–Polypipe–McCann–7 formation”, turned back the clocks and repeated his 2018 victory in the classic 3 Day Tour of the Abberleys stage race – the biggest multi stage race on the U.K.Veteran calendar.
The event held on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire borders is very hilly, and attracts riders from all over the U.K. This is the 4th time a member of Team M.I.Racing have won this classic event other winners were Mick Ives and the late Phil Cooke.
Rob’s ride was all about consistency. He was 2nd, just 10 seconds behind Time Trial specialist Nick Giles on stage 1 – a 3 mile time trial. 3rd on Stage 3, a hilly road stage. 5th on stage 3 another road stage and the winner of stage 4, an extremely hilly stage, resulting in Rob taking Overall victory. His biggest victory of the season!
Next weekend he will be very busy. On Saturday he competes in the BMCR National Circuit Championships on the tight Shrewsbury circuit, along with several other team mates and on Sunday morning he will be in action in the BMCR National Time Trial Championships organised by Team M.I.Racing at Napton S.Warks.
The Teams oldest competitor 75 yr old Mick Allen was in top form again winning the over 70 section in the Rutland C.C. Open 10 ml Time Trial held at Hatfield Woodhouse near Doncaster, by over 2 1/2 minutes with a time of 24 minutes 9 seconds.
Nearer home more success for Kirby Bennett a former National Champion at Mountain Bike and Cyclo Cross when he won the 60+ race at the latest event in the Wibtoft Evening Mountain Bike series, but still not fully recovered from his accident in the National Championships a few weeks ago. Tim Stowe finished 7th and Pete Busby finished 10th in the 50+ race.
New Team member Rae Cochrane, who lives near Cambridge won the Ashwell Summer Cyclo Cross series, for riders 60+ 3rd in Race 1, 4th in race 2, 1st in race 3 and 2nd in race 4, giving him the overall victory. Rae only turned to cycling a few years ago he is best know as the Flat Race Jockey who won the Derby, the Oaks, and the 1,000 Guineas, , was Champion Jockey and rode over 2,000 winners. A super star in his own right and now a member of Team M.I.Racing.