Oswestry Paragon CC Hilly 19

The course record was smashed to smithereens with riders taking full advantage of glorious conditions in Round 10 of the SB Sports Injuries Series as Kirk Vickers blew away the opposition in his debut to the 2019 Series. The Shropshire Hill Climb Champion showed his pedigree on the tough double climb to Welsh Frankton that saps the strength of the unwary in Oswestry Paragon’s Hilly 19, based on their normal club 10 course but adding a fearsome leg to Ellesmere.

Former course record holder Howard Lewis was in attendance, but competing with wife Becky on a tandem as Vickers smashed 2 minutes 1 second off his benchmark which had stood since 2017 with a fabulous effort of 40 minutes 18 seconds – nearly three minutes ahead of the chasing pack. A delighted Vickers commented: “I enjoyed the course! The brow mixed it up a bit, a great night for it and very happy with a course record“!

With Wrexham RC’s Ben Goodfellow getting closest in 43 minutes exactly, Vickers’ team mate Matt Davies took the County runner-up spot 18 seconds back and was in no doubt about the quality of the winning performance. On the comeback trail Davies was also making his first appearance in an SB event in 2019 and made it a top evening for Holohan Coaching RT. He stated: “A great night, and I’m very grateful to all of those that put it on. I found it hard – but what a ride from Kirk, mega. That man is flying“!

With Overall and Veteran’s Series leader Ian Nisbett looking to protect those leads his focus was on the presence of former Series leader Chris Halford, out to make up lost ground and narrow his points deficit. Halford stopped the watch on 44 minutes exactly to edge out Nisbett by 39 seconds on actual and is now breathing down Nisbett’s neck at just four points off the pace. Halford took maximum points in the Veteran’s too compound the pressure, finishing two seconds ahead of Nisbett on Standard in +6:13 and shrink the lead of the Hafren CC rider in this Championship to just eight points.

Only beaten by unaffiliated rider Stuart Mitchell in the Veteran’s competition, Halford made hard work for himself after being warned that pushing his usual 60-tooth single ring over Welsh Frankton was going to be difficult, however an equipment issue meant he was left with little choice but to tough it out as he explained: “I enjoyed the first five miles and the last five miles! I struggled on the climb with the ’60’ – feeling my age. I tried a ’53’ but it didn’t have the longer teeth, so kept dropping. I was OK going to Ellesmere, but it was on the way back – I can hardly walk“! Local rider Mitchell meanwhile recorded an impressive +6:29. He added: “Excellent weather on a tough course, good marshalling and a very friendly group“.

Meanwhile the Women’s competition could not have been closer as Women’s SB Series leader Louise Hurdley extended her lead with the narrowest of victories – a single second from Oswestry Paragon’s Helen Tudor. Hurdley is making a determined stab at winning this Championship and added on a huge 20 points with her 55:51 effort to make her Series lead an excellent 56 points, and like Nisbett is another Hafren CC rider topping a table. She stated: “A tough course, especially the long drag up the hill towards Ellesmere! It was a very close finish with only a second between us“! Tudor added: “It was a nice night to be racing – finally some sun and little wind. A tough course, but good to see so many tackle it, especially 81 year old Pete Norman. I could see Louise as I started up the brow and thought I had a chance but she pulled away again. It made for good racing, well done to Louise“. Tudor’s comments highlighted a determined effort from her octogenarian club mate, who ended his evening on 1:09:05.

At the other end of the age scale the youngest rider in the field, 15 year-old Henri Bedford put himself in an almost unassailable position at the head of the SB Junior Championship with a giant 118 point lead as he defends the title he fought so hard for in 2018. The Revolutions Racing rider set a course personal best 46:15 to see off a challenge from Jack Young 2:38 back, and was another surprised by the ferocity of the Welsh Frankton climb, commenting: “It was nice to ride in dry conditions and to improve on course time from last year – the hills are somehow bigger than I previously remembered though! Thank you to the helpers and marshals, and well done to all riders“.

Result:

SB Sports Injuries and Physiotherapy Series – Round 10

Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Points
1 Kirk Vickers Holohan Coaching S 40:18 20
2 Ben Goodfellow Wrexham RC S 43:00  
3 Matt Davies Holohan Coaching S 43:18 18
4 Chris Halford Wrekinsport CC V 44:00 16
5 Ian Nisbett Hafren CC V 44:39 14
6 Tom Richardson Oswestry Paragon CC S 45:59 12
7 Tomos Hales Wrekinsport CC S 46:02 10
8 Henri Bedford Revolutions Racing J 46:15 8
9 Jack Young Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 48:53 6
=10 Neil Coles Oswestry Paragon CC V 49:29 4
=10 Stuart Mitchell Mule CC V 49:29  
12 Adam Riley Oswestry Paragon CC V 51:34 2
13 Steve Roberts Oswestry Paragon CC V 51:57 2
14 Darrell Walsh Oswestry Paragon CC V 52:04 2
15 Jon Davies Mule CC V 52:42  
16 Alan Edwards Oswestry Paragon CC V 52:52 2
17 Bruce Selby Oswestry Paragon CC V 55:03 2
18 Louise Hurdley Hafren CC W 55:51 2
19 Helen Tudor Oswestry Paragon CC WV 55:52 2
20 Stephen Davies Oswestry Paragon CC V 56:58 2
21 Tony Parry Wrecsam Tri V 56:59  
22 Steve Humphreys Oswestry Paragon CC V 59:43 2
23 Pete Norman Oswestry Paragon CC V 1:09:05 2

Tandem

Pos’n Names Club Time
1 Howard & Becky Lewis Mid Shropshire Wheelers 41:03

SB Sports Injuries and Physiotherapy Veterans Series – Round 10

Vets Pos’n Name Club Cat Vet +/- Vets Points
1 Stuart Mitchell Mule CC V +6:29  
2 Chris Halford Wrekinsport CC V +6:13 20
3 Ian Nisbett Hafren CC V +6:11 18
4 Neil Coles Oswestry Paragon CC V +2:51 16
5 Steve Roberts Oswestry Paragon CC V +2:12 14
6 Darrell Walsh Oswestry Paragon CC V +1:11 12
7 Alan Edwards Oswestry Paragon CC V +0:23 10
8 Helen Tudor Oswestry Paragon CC WV -0:04 8
9 Adam Riley Oswestry Paragon CC V -0:53 6
10 Bruce Selby Oswestry Paragon CC V -2:00 4
11 Jon Davies Mule CC V -2:49  
12 Tony Parry Wrecsam Tri V -3:18  
13 Stephen Davies Oswestry Paragon CC V -4:58 2
14 Steve Humphreys Oswestry Paragon CC V -7:52 2
15 Pete Norman Oswestry Paragon CC V -8:02 2

SB Sports Injuries and Physiotherapy Women’s Series – Round 10

Women’s Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Women’s Points
1 Louise Hurdley Hafren CC W 55:51 20
2 Helen Tudor Oswestry Paragon CC WV 55:52 18

SB Sports Injuries and Physiotherapy Junior Series – Round 10

Junior Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Junior Points
1 Henri Bedford Revolutions Racing J 46:15 20
2 Jack Young Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 48:53 18

Cumulative Standings after ten rounds

Overall

Position Name Club Cat Best 12
1 Ian Nisbett Hafren CC V 150
2 Chris Halford Wrekinsport CC V 146
3 Dan Watts SCCA Private Member S 118
4 Dean Callister Nova Raiders S 106
5 Ed Middleton Nova Raiders S 100
6 Henri Bedford Revolutions Racing J 86
7 Ollie Atkin SCCA Private Member S 76
8 Tony Harvey Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 40
9 Richard Kay North Shropshire Wheelers V 34
=10 Andy Rose Nova Raiders V 22
=10 Tomos Hales Wrekinsport CC S 22

Veterans

Position Name Club Cat Best 12
1 Ian Nisbett Hafren CC V 162
2 Chris Halford Wrekinsport CC V 154
3 Tony Harvey Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 62
4 Deb Hutson-Lumb Nova Raiders WV 58
5 Ian Pollard SCCA Private Member V 50
6 Graeme Donnell Nova Raiders V 48
=7 Gino Trasatti North Shropshire Wheelers V 44
=7 Jenny Newton Nova Raiders WV 44
=9 Andy Rose Nova Raiders V 42
=9 Rich Smith Wrekinsport CC V 42

Women’s

Position Name Club Cat Best 12
1 Louise Hurdley Hafren CC W 154
2 Alison Dockney SCCA Private Member W 98
3 Jenny Newton Nova Raiders WV 74
4 Deb Hutson-Lumb Nova Raiders WV 58
5 Helen Tudor Oswestry Paragon CC WV 56
6 Natalie Brooks Paramount CRT W 50
7 Elaine Langley North Shropshire Wheelers WV 38
8 Bethan Till Wrekinsport CC W 28
9 Sarah Grant SCCA Private Member W 26
10 Charlotte Chapman Nova Raiders W 20

Juniors

Position Name Club Cat Best 12
1 Henri Bedford Revolutions Racing J 182
2 Jack Young Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 64
3 George Coombes Evolve J 48
4 Charlie Price Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 42
=5 Kieran Morris SCCA Private Member J 20
=5 Sam Holwill Hafren CC J 20
=7 James Satoor Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 18
=7 Ronnie Tse Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 18
  • Round 11 of the SB Sports Injuries Series takes place at 7pm on Wednesday, 3rd July when Wrekinsport CC present their 25 mile event utilising the Crudgington – Shawbirch – Hodnet – Tern Hill – Waters Upton course. The event incorporates the Wrekinsport Club 25 Championship, and bonus points are available to riders stepping up to the longer distance. Sign on at The Woolpack, Shawbirch.