A late course change was just the ticket for Dan Watts as he took his first ever victory in Round 5 of the Friction Hydraulics Series with a course PB. With the planned Prees – Battlefield course out of action due to roadworks Watts made the most of a switch to the flatter Prees – Tern Hill – Hodnet course to storm around the Nova Raiders 25 in 55 minutes 14 seconds. Watts has been tweaking his position over the past couple of weeks to produce more power and he was delighted with finally finding the sweet spot commenting: “I was really pleased with the County win and a course personal best for me. I rode smooth to the turn anticipating a harder return leg”.
Watts saw off a strong challenge from Nova Raiders’ own Matt Gibbons who also set a course personal best 26 seconds behind Watts to take the runner-up spot. Gibbons has been a rider to watch as the season has progressed and elevated himself into third place in the Friction Series on the strength of his 55:40 ride. He commented: “I was pleased to be runner-up with a strong field. I couldn’t ask for much more, my pacing was better than last time on this course and that allowed me to push a bit more from Tern Hill to the finish”. Gibbons had strong backup from Tim Beardmore and Ed Middleton who both earned big points to enter the Top 10 overall in 6th and 7th spots respectively, and with strength in depth throughout the field Nova Raiders extended their lead at the head of the Top Club Award standings by 50 points to a big margin of 245 points.
With Series leader Victor Chetta not in action Bryn Davies took advantage to narrow the gap at the top of the Overall standings to 35 points after adding 50 to his tally for finishing in third spot with a fine 56:06. But Davies wasn’t finished there as the Hafren CC rider maintained his lead at the top of the Veteran’s standings with a similar third placed +10:33. Davies saw his lead narrowed by a reversal of fortune in the table with Stuart Proctor taking a fine Veterans’ win in +11:02 to move up to third in the Veterans’ standings and Pauline Hughes tightening the pressure on Davies with a runner-up effort of +10:47.
Davies commented: “I found it tough out there, over a minute down on my previous time the other week. I pushed to hard going out, not enough left for the return. I got held up again at Tern Hill roundabout and on the return by Sandford Bridge. Close at the top now making for an exciting competition“. Proctor added: “A lovely calm and gloriously sunny day. Felt pretty slow all the way round, especially the stretch from Tern Hill to Press roundabout. Amazed to get the County Veterans win under the circumstances, felt like wading through treacle“!
Hughes didn’t have things quite her own way in the Women’s despite opening up a narrow five point series lead after finishing 3rd with a great effort of 1:03:36, with Nova Raiders’ Charlotte Chapman who Hughes was tying with 40 seconds back. With two classy Mid Shropshire Wheelers’ riders setting fabulous times thanks to excellent pedigrees the winner was Becky Lewis, no stranger to winning as holder of 10 and 50 mile tandem competition records; whilst Hetty Niblett is a former Junior Champion at 10 miles. Lewis beat the hour to take 8th spot overall in 58:46 clearly demonstrating her ability whilst Niblett was just 58 seconds over the hour and taking 13th. Lewis stated: “I was one of the first riders on the road, so it was a pretty lonely race for me! I found it hard coming back from Tern Hill, but was pleased with the result“.
In the Juniors 17 year-old Sam Morris continues to build a commanding lead as well as setting a personal best 58:52. This was good enough for 9th spot overall with a delighted Morris stating: “Another PB so I was really pleased. It was great to finish 9th in such a good field”.
Result
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series – Round 5
| Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Time | Points |
| 1 | Daniel Watts | SCCA Private Member | S | 55:14 | 60 |
| 2 | Matt Gibbons | Nova Raiders | S | 55:40 | 55 |
| 3 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | 56:06 | 50 |
| 4 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | S | 56:14 | 45 |
| 5 | Stuart Proctor | Revolutions Racing | V | 57:00 | 40 |
| 6 | Tim Beardmore | Nova Raiders | V | 57:02 | 35 |
| 7 | Ed Middleton | Nova Raiders | S | 58:21 | 30 |
| 8 | Becky Lewis | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | L | 58:46 | 25 |
| 9 | Sam Morris | Revolutions Racing | J | 58:52 | 20 |
| 10 | Mark Griffiths | Wrekinsport CC | V | 59:18 | 15 |
| 11 | Neil Howells | SCCA Private Member | V | 1:00:11 | 10 |
| 12 | Andrew Rose | Nova Raiders | V | 1:00:50 | 5 |
| 13 | Hetty Niblett | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | L | 1:00:58 | 5 |
| 14 | Tim Rex | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:01:09 | 5 |
| 15 | Adam Roberts | Nova Raiders | V | 1:02:21 | 5 |
| 16 | John Robertson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:02:46 | 5 |
| 17 | Simon Evans | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:02:58 | 5 |
| 18 | Philip Gardner | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:03:31 | 5 |
| 19 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | LV | 1:03:36 | 5 |
| 20 | Charlotte Chapman | Nova Raiders | L | 1:04:16 | 5 |
| 21 | Steve Chapman | Nova Raiders | V | 1:04:17 | 5 |
| 22 | Richard Goddard | Newport Shropshire CC | V | 1:04:30 | 5 |
| 23 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:04:31 | 5 |
| 24 | Nick Pavard | Nova Raiders | S | 1:04:42 | 5 |
| 25 | Dave York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:04:43 | 5 |
| 26 | Andy Davies | Paramount CRT | V | 1:04:49 | 5 |
| 27 | Archie Walkerdine | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:06:25 | 5 |
| 28 | Geoff Edgerton | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:07:58 | 5 |
| 29 | Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | LV | 1:08:49 | 5 |
| 30 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | LV | 1:09:18 | 5 |
| 31 | Juliet Suddaby | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | LV | 1:12:28 | 5 |
| Chris Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | S | DNS-A | ||
| Phil Guy | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | DNS-A | ||
| Richard Kay | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | DNS-A | ||
| Richard Nickless | Nova Raiders | V | DNS-A | ||
| Ian Connolly | Ludlow CC | V | DNS | ||
| Lee Handley | Paramount CRT | V | DNS | ||
| Rebecca Richardson | Hafren CC | L | DNS | ||
| Richard Berry | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | DNS |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship – Round 5
| Vets Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | +/- Vet Std | Vets Points |
| 1 | Stuart Proctor | Revolutions Racing | V | +11:02 | 60 |
| 2 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | LV | +10:47 | 55 |
| 3 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | +10:33 | 50 |
| 4 | Tim Beardmore | Nova Raiders | V | +10:01 | 45 |
| 5 | Mark Griffiths | Wrekinsport CC | V | +9:08 | 40 |
| 6 | John Robertson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +8:11 | 35 |
| 7 | Neil Howells | SCCA Private Member | V | +7:39 | 30 |
| 8 | Andrew Rose | Nova Raiders | V | +7:00 | 25 |
| 9 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | +6:26 | 20 |
| 10 | Dave York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +6:14 | 15 |
| 11 | Tim Rex | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | +5:42 | 10 |
| 12 | Geoff Edgerton | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | +5:39 | 5 |
| 13 | Simon Evans | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +5:04 | 5 |
| 14 | Steve Chapman | Nova Raiders | V | +5:02 | 5 |
| 15 | Adam Roberts | Nova Raiders | V | +4:30 | 5 |
| 16 | Philip Gardner | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +4:19 | 5 |
| 17 | Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | LV | +4:00 | 5 |
| 18 | Richard Goddard | Newport Shropshire CC | V | +3:56 | 5 |
| 19 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | LV | +3:44 | 5 |
| 20 | Andy Davies | Paramount CRT | V | +1:37 | 5 |
| 21 | Archie Walkerdine | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | +1:13 | 5 |
| 22 | Juliet Suddaby | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | LV | +0:47 | 5 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Women’s Championship – Round 5
| Women’s Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Time | Women’s Points |
| 1 | Becky Lewis | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | L | 58:46 | 60 |
| 2 | Hetty Niblett | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | L | 1:00:58 | 55 |
| 3 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | LV | 1:03:36 | 50 |
| 4 | Charlotte Chapman | Nova Raiders | L | 1:04:16 | 45 |
| 5 | Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | LV | 1:08:49 | 40 |
| 6 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | LV | 1:09:18 | 35 |
| 7 | Juliet Suddaby | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | LV | 1:12:28 | 30 |
| Rebecca Richardson | Hafren CC | L | DNS |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Junior Championship – Round 5
| Junior Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Time | Junior Points |
| 1 | Sam Morris | Revolutions Racing | J | 58:52 | 60 |
Top Club Award – Round 5
| Pos’n | Club | Points |
| 1 | Nova Raiders | 150 |
| 2 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 100 |
| 3 | SCCA Private Member | 70 |
| 4 | Revolutions Racing | 65 |
| 5 | Hafren CC | 50 |
| 6 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 20 |
| 7 | Wrekinsport CC | 15 |
| =8 | Newport Shropshire CC | 5 |
| =8 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 5 |
| =8 | Paramount CRT | 5 |
Cumulative Standings after five rounds
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series
| Position | Name | Club | Cat | Best 12 |
| 1 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | S | 255 |
| 2 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | 220 |
| 3 | Matt Gibbons | Nova Raiders | S | 145 |
| 4 | Stuart Proctor | Revolutions Racing | V | 135 |
| =5 | Chris Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | S | 115 |
| =5 | Ed Middleton | Nova Raiders | S | 115 |
| =5 | Tim Beardmore | Nova Raiders | V | 115 |
| 8 | Daniel Watts | SCCA Private Member | S | 105 |
| 9 | Sam Morris | Revolutions Racing | J | 100 |
| 10 | Mark Griffiths | Wrekinsport CC | V | 90 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship
| Vets Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | 225 |
| 2 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | 180 |
| 3 | Stuart Proctor | Revolutions Racing | 170 |
| 4 | Tim Beardmore | Nova Raiders | 165 |
| 5 | Mark Griffiths | Wrekinsport CC | 150 |
| 6 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 100 |
| 7 | William Baugh | Ludlow CC | 95 |
| 8 | Gary Walters | Ludlow Brewery RT | 85 |
| 9 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | 80 |
| 10 | Neil Howells | SCCA Private Member | 70 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Women’s Championship
| Women’s Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | 280 |
| 2 | Charlotte Chapman | Nova Raiders | 275 |
| 3 | Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | 130 |
| =4 | Jade Chapman | Nova Raiders | 100 |
| =4 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 100 |
| 6 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 80 |
| 7 | Juliet Suddaby | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 70 |
| 8 | Becky Lewis | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 60 |
| 9 | Hetty Niblett | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 55 |
| 10 | Sarah Mawhinney | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 35 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Junior Championship
| Junior Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Sam Morris | Revolutions Racing | 300 |
| 2 | William Hints | Ludlow Brewery RT | 55 |
Top Club Award
| Position | Club | Total Points |
| 1 | Nova Raiders | 610 |
| 2 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 365 |
| 3 | Revolutions Racing | 285 |
| 4 | Hafren CC | 220 |
| 5 | Rhino Velo Race Team | 175 |
| 6 | Wrekinsport CC | 165 |
| =7 | Ludlow Brewery RT | 125 |
| =7 | SCCA Private Members | 125 |
| =9 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 105 |
| =9 | Paramount CRT | 105 |
| 11 | Ludlow CC | 90 |
| 12 | Clee Cycles | 40 |
| 13 | Newport Shropshire CC | 25 |
| 14 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 10 |
- Round 6 of the Friction Hydraulics Series takes place on Sunday morning – and it’s the first chance for County medals this season as Mid Shropshire Wheelers promote the SB Sports Injuries Shropshire Championship 50 over four laps of the Prees – Tilstock circuit.