Ludlow CC 10
Storm Hannah was the real winner of Round 4 of the Friction Hydraulics Series as two-thirds of the field were either no shows or declined their start – which included all female and Junior competitors. With a severe gusting cross headwind touching 45mph it was left to the brave to hurl themselves down the normally fast 1.8 mile Brimfield hill ski slope start in the Ludlow CC 10 and hope for the best.
With just 10 riders electing to start anyone finishing was guaranteed big points – with Bryn Davies shading out Hafren CC team mate Ian Nisbett by just three seconds in a solid time of 21 minutes 29 seconds. That pairing gobbled up the lion’s share of the points on offer, with Davies elevating himself into the Overall Series lead and Hafren CC taking over at the head of the Top Club Award standings, making their efforts supremely worthwhile.
Davies didn’t have an easy ride however, having to fight the bike for control on a course that swings around, with local riders definitely having an advantage knowing where to steel themselves against the powerful gusts. Davies commented: “I was pleased to take the Overall win, although had a little help from Hannah there! A good ride by Ian and only three seconds the difference making it a one two for Hafren CC. Conditions were challenging with gusty wind snatching at the bars causing a few twitchy moments. I had to ease up the pace towards the end after a particularly close encounter with the verge. Well done to those that rode and to Ludlow CC for hosting the event“.
Perhaps surprisingly Nisbett set a personal best 21:32, knocking 15 seconds off his previous benchmark showing the strength of his ride in spite of the difficult conditions. Nisbett elevated himself into third place in the Overall Championship just five points behind the pre-race leader Victor Chetta, but despite that personal best Nisbett was not happy with his ride: “The strong winds made for a pretty horrible and very nervous ride. I was happy to get it finished and get home in one piece. My ride itself was quite poor, and way down on my normal 10 mile power. Not sure if that was a result of recent illness, or just sheer terror – but somehow, in the context of the race I ended up with a decent time. Close thing for the win, but it was great to achieve a Hafren 1-2. Well done to everyone who braved the event“.
Making his debut in the 2019 Friction Series Chris Halford was hoping to get in some solid experience of the Brimfield course, which will be used later in the year for the Coaching Revolutions Shropshire Championship 10. However conditions put paid to that despite a fine effort of 21:39 meaning the Wrekinsport rider took third spot. He stated: “I was really disappointed, I couldn’t get into time trial position due to the wind. I struggled to stay upright on the tops. Well done to all who got round safely“.
The same three riders also made up the top three places in the Friction Veteran’s Series, though the positions were altered when the age-related standards were applied – and the finish couldn’t have been closer. Nisbett took the win in +4:59, with Davies a second back in +4:58 and Halford just off the pace on +4:57. This lifted Nisbett up to the runner-up spot in the Veteran’s Championship and sealed a champagne afternoon for Davies as he also took over the lead of this Series to reward his bravery.
Result
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series – Round 4
| Pos’n | Forename | Surname | Club | Cat | Time | Points |
| 1 | Bryn | Davies | Hafren CC | V | 21:29 | 60 |
| 2 | Ian | Nisbett | Hafren CC | V | 21:32 | 55 |
| 3 | Chris | Halford | Wrekinsport CC | V | 21:39 | 50 |
| 4 | Stephen | Minton | Ludlow Brewery RT | V | 22:28 | 45 |
| 5 | James | Griffiths | Clee Cycles | V | 22:35 | 40 |
| 6 | Chris | Davies | Ludlow Brewery RT | V | 22:48 | 35 |
| 7 | William | Baugh | Ludlow CC | V | 23:25 | 30 |
| 8 | Adam | Mumford | Wrekinsport CC | S | 24:01 | 25 |
| 9 | James | Smith | Ludlow CC | V | 24:41 | 20 |
| 10 | David | Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 24:53 | 15 |
| Dean | Dovey | Nova Raiders | V | DNS-A | ||
| Deborah | Hutson-Lumb | Nova Raiders | WV | DNS | ||
| Jacob | Sparrow | Clee Cycles | S | DNS | ||
| Andy | Maxwell | Nova Raiders | S | DNS | ||
| Dean | Callister | Nova Raiders | S | DNS | ||
| Ed | Middleton | Nova Raiders | S | DNS | ||
| Mark | Stocks | Newport Shropshire CC | V | DNS | ||
| Richard | Smith | Wrekinsport CC | V | DNS | ||
| Andrew | Rose | Nova Raiders | V | DNS | ||
| Les | Boughey | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | DNS | ||
| Kieran | Morris | SCCA Private Member | S | DNS | ||
| Steven | Ford | Nova Raiders | V | DNS |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship – Round 4
| Vets Pos’n | Forename | Surname | Club | Cat | Vet +/- | Vets Points |
| 1 | Ian | Nisbett | Hafren CC | V | +4:59 | 60 |
| 2 | Bryn | Davies | Hafren CC | V | +4:58 | 55 |
| 3 | Chris | Halford | Wrekinsport CC | V | +4:57 | 50 |
| 4 | Stephen | Minton | Ludlow Brewery RT | V | +4:17 | 45 |
| 5 | James | Griffiths | Clee Cycles | V | +3:56 | 40 |
| 6 | Chris | Davies | Ludlow Brewery RT | V | +3:39 | 35 |
| 7 | William | Baugh | Ludlow CC | V | +3:29 | 30 |
| 8 | David | Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | +3:13 | 25 |
| 9 | James | Smith | Ludlow CC | V | +2:08 | 20 |
Top Club Award – Round 4
| Pos’n | Club | Points |
| 1 | Hafren CC | 115 |
| 2 | Ludlow Brewery RT | 80 |
| 3 | Wrekinsport CC | 75 |
| 4 | Ludlow CC | 50 |
| 5 | Clee Cycles | 40 |
| 6 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 15 |
Cumulative Standings after four rounds
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series
| Position | Name | Club | Cat | Best 12 |
| 1 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | 200 |
| 2 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 155 |
| 3 | Ian Nisbett | Hafren CC | V | 150 |
| 4 | Dean Dovey | Nova Raiders | V | 110 |
| 5 | James Griffiths | Clee Cycles | V | 80 |
| 5 | Stephen Minton | Ludlow Brewery RT | V | 80 |
| 7 | Dan Watts | SCCA Private Member | S | 60 |
| 7 | Kirk Vickers | Holohan Coaching RT | S | 60 |
| 7 | Matt Garthwaite | Holohan Coaching RT | S | 60 |
| 10 | Dean Callister | Nova Raiders | S | 55 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship
| Position | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | 185 |
| 2 | Ian Nisbett | Hafren CC | 155 |
| 3 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 150 |
| 4 | Dean Dovey | Nova Raiders | 145 |
| 5 | Deb Hutson-Lumb | Nova Raiders | 110 |
| 6 | Stephen Minton | Ludlow Brewery RT | 90 |
| 7 | James Griffiths | Clee Cycles | 80 |
| =8 | Gino Trasatti | North Shropshire Wheelers | 60 |
| =8 | Tim Beardmore | Nova Raiders | 60 |
| =10 | Chris Davies | Ludlow Brewery RT | 55 |
| =10 | Ian Pollard | SCCA Private Member | 55 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Women’s Championship
| Women’s Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Charlotte Chapman | Nova Raiders | 180 |
| 2 | Deb Hutson-Lumb | Nova Raiders | 110 |
| 3 | Emma Serjeant | Hafren CC | 105 |
| =4 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 80 |
| =4 | Jane Chapman | Nova Raiders | 80 |
| =6 | Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | 50 |
| =6 | Natalie Brooks | Paramount CRT | 50 |
| =8 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 45 |
| =8 | Milly Deer | North Shropshire Wheelers | 45 |
| 10 | Linda Beckett | North Shropshire Wheelers | 35 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Junior Championship
| Junior Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Kieran Morris | SCCA Private Member | 120 |
Top Club Award
| Position | Club | Total Points |
| 1 | Hafren CC | 360 |
| 2 | Nova Raiders | 345 |
| 3 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 205 |
| 4 | Ludlow Brewery RT | 170 |
| 5 | Holohan Coaching RT | 160 |
| 6 | Wrekinsport CC | 155 |
| 7 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 130 |
| 8 | Clee Cycles | 80 |
| 9 | Ludlow CC | 70 |
| 10 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 35 |
| 11 | Paramount CRT | 30 |
| 12 | Newport Shropshire CC | 20 |
| 13 | Revolutions Racing | 5 |