Coaching Revolutions Shropshire Championship 4-Up 2023

One of the most keenly anticipated events of the Shropshire calendar saw 16 teams of four test themselves over 50 kilometres in a rare format as Shropshire Cycling Clubs Association presented The Coaching Revolutions Shropshire Championship 4-Up. Organisers were sweating over the availability of the popular first choice course starting adjacent to The Lamb at Edgmond and taking in Crudgington, Shawbirch and Hodnet because of uncertainty over the start date for construction of the new Crudgington roundabout, but thankfully all went well, with even threatened storms largely staying away – until bizarrely brief and torrential hail hit the finish line just two seconds after the final team finished.

Won overall by a visiting Wigan Wheelers/Tactic Sport RT combined team in 1 hour 5 minutes and 37 seconds; team spokesman Matt Morris was jubilant to have won the event and enjoyed the hospitality of The Lamb post race – one of the reasons why the event is a season highlight. He commented: “A great event, thanks to the organisers and the marshals out on course, hopefully we will be back next year”.

The best placed all-Shropshire team was a combined Wrekinsport/Revolutions Racing squad with Dean Callister joining Wrekinsport members Tomos Hales, Ben Southgate and Adam Mumford. They stopped the watch on 1:07:04 to take the runner-up spot in a hotly anticipated head-to-head with a strong Paramount squad. Getting the benefit of drafting and encouraging each other on produces significantly faster times than a solo rider could normally produce, with Hales giving generous praise to his team mate: “The 4-Up is one of the best events of the year and I really enjoyed it this year. We bolstered the Wrekinsport team with the inclusion of Dean who did the main share of the work. Adam and Ben did well to stay in at that speed and we kept together very well – thanks to everyone who helped out to put this event on”. Callister added: “A top event as always, one not to miss, so I was pleased to be able to join the Wrekinsport lads. Well done to the whole team as everyone played their part to get us a decent time on the day. I really enjoyed it – thanks to everyone involved”. 16 year-old Southgate meanwhile got some idea of life at the sharp end of the field and enjoyed his morning, stating: “We gave it our all and got a really good time, now back to training”

Taking the John Farr 4-Up Trophy for fastest Shropshire team all from the same club were Paramount CRT A comprising Mason Durant, Simon Romei, Chris Riley and Rob McGregor – but that straight head-to-head was sadly lost after McGregor crashed out after hitting a sunken drain less than two miles in, breaking two ribs and his scapula. After a two minute stop the team continued without McGregor as a 3-Up, a quite different level of effort being required, and the closeness of their time to the Wrekinsport/Revolutions Racing one shows how critical that stop was, crossing the line in 1:09:17. Spokeman Chris Riley summed up how memorable the ride became and the thrill of winning the Trophy: “Paramount has taken a real shine to this race, and to win the John Farr Trophy is fantastic for our club. Sadly we lost a key rider to a crash early on. After a roadside discussion, we continued as three. The dynamic of a triplet is quite different, but my two team mates produced a display of firepower that will remain etched in my thoughts for years to come – thanks to all the Paramount riders and supporters, and most of all the SCCA for promoting this strangely seductive event”.

Paramount weren’t finished with the Trophy haul there as their Women’s squad comprising Hayley Wells, Thea Osmund-Smith, Caitlin Burke and Jayne Powell beating the holders Wrekinsport Women by 4:47 with a fabulous effort of 1:24:36 – despite a couple of issues that only made them all the more determined. A slight slip at Shawbirch saw Osmund-Smith immediately up and unharmed, with Spokeswoman Wells describing how much the team wanted victory: “On the start line we are all raring to go. Team determination was sky high, and was never lost despite what felt like a rollercoaster of a ride after some incidents along the way. After an “off” and a loss of a water bottle about a third of the way in, this really put the pressure on, but this was not going to dampen the spirits of the team. We used that to focus and drive us on to a solid win. Delighted that two all female teams entered this year, and we hope this will inspire other female teams to take on the challenge in 2024. Always such a brilliant event, with great support – thank you as always to the organisers and marshals”.

One of governing body CTT’s objectives in 2023 is to promote road bikes in time trials, and this was certainly successful with four complete squads eschewing time trial bikes in a format that encourages riders who otherwise never enter time trials or who spend more time road racing. Standout performance came from Bridgnorth A comprising Tim Beardmore, Chris Childs, Jason Meyer and Tom Herbert who were just 1:09 off the podium slots in a strong 1:10:26 – and made all the more impressive by incorporating the race into a club run from Bridgnorth!