It was the battle of the Tom’s at the top of the standings in the Mid Shropshire Wheelers 25, held on the Battlefield course and which contained Round 3 of the Friction Hydraulics Series – with Tomos Hales coming out on top. Hales had an eye on Stafford RC’s Tom Bill, who had managed to get the better of him in the first two events, but surprised himself with the Overall win in 54 minutes 42 seconds, 46 seconds ahead of Bill and 1:03 in front of Total Tri Training’s Thomas Garbett.
Hales moved into sole lead of the Friction Series after getting the best of conditions, starting last as scratch man on a morning where early starters endured cold and rain but things improved a little for later starters. Hales stated: “The weather was kind to me. It was a battle of the Tom’s at the top, and I was thinking I would be the bottom Tom on the podium, so was very surprised I was at the top. My legs felt really good in the second half of the race; and I was able to push throughout. I think I was helped by some favourable weather and did really attack the hills, which works on this course. Thanks Mid Shropshire Wheelers for hosting and putting on a great event. It was also good to have the York’s back timekeeping as they do some much for Shropshire racing”.
Hales was tying for the Series lead with Simon Romei, but the Paramount rider was surprised by a returning rider who has been largely absent from the scene for a couple of years, Victor Chetta, letting Hales open up a 10 point gap. Chetta and Romei were split by jus four seconds as the Mid Shropshire Wheelers took County runner-up spot in 56:03. He was delighted to instantly find form after his break, commenting: “It’s good to be back, after a break from racing I decided I’d ease myself back into it and just try and enjoy the ride without making myself suffer that much. I was pleased afterwards that I was still able to place at the sharp end of the race, with plenty of room for improvement; and I feel that it bodes well for the rest of the season as I get back into the swing of it. It was good to see the old familiar riders and faces out on the road and at HQ afterwards”.
Despite losing out to Chetta in the Overall standing, Romei took another superb win with +11:04 in his defence of the Friction Veterans Championship, beating Chetta when the age-related standards were applied by seven seconds. He stated: “I was super happy to have taken the Veterans win and County 3rd place in the Mid Shropshire Wheelers 25. It was a cold, wet, bleak morning, so I erred on the side of caution going out, and had to really work hard on the return leg to make the time up. Simon Evans and his team of marshals did a fantastic job in the bleak conditions, so big thanks to them all”.
Romei isn’t the only rider taking maximum points in the defence of a title as Wrekinsport’s Hayley Wells scored another strong win in 1:01:20, 9:07 ahead of Hafren CC’s Jan Davies showing the quality of the ride, which was good enough to take 10th spot in the Friction standings Overall. Wells did have a close call from an out-of-County rider though in the shape of Liverpool Century RC rider Samantha Howard, just three seconds back. Wells commented: “A close battle at the front for the females, but delighted to have taken the win. I paid the consequences of tired legs from pushing too hard the afternoon before, but I do enjoy the challenges of Battlefield. Thanks to Mid Shropshire Wheelers, a great event, just a shame about the weather at the start”!
Having held the joint lead in the Friction Road Bike Series after Round 2, Jonathan Goh moved into the sole lead ahead of reigning Road Bike Champion Mark Fenn. Goh registered a 1:02:01 actual, which when the age and gender-related handicap was applied saw him finish on 1:01:15, 50 seconds ahead of Paramount team mate Andrew Dawson. That Goh managed to take the win is all the more creditable for feeling under the weather – although his closing remark certainly has a sense of ending with tongue firmly planted in cheek, as he explained: “I’ve not been very well recently, so I was just happy to get to the start line and get round the course. The rain and cold added another level of challenge Overall I enjoyed the ride – especially freewheeling down the descents! Well done to Mid Shropshire Wheelers for organising a good event on a well known and much loved course”!
SCCA:
| Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Time | Points |
| 1 | Tomos Hales | Wrekinsport CC | S | 54:42 | 60 |
| 2 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 56:03 | 55 |
| 3 | Simon Romei | Paramount CRT | V | 56:07 | 50 |
| 4 | Mark Pritchard | Aerologic RT | S | 57:25 | 45 |
| 5 | Jonathan Mills-Keeling | Aerologic RT | V | 58:46 | 40 |
| 6 | Christopher Riley | Paramount CRT | V | 59:10 | 35 |
| 7 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | 1:00:02 | 30 |
| 8 | Robert McGregor | Paramount CRT | S | 1:01:08 | 25 |
| 9 | George Coombes | Newport (Shropshire) CC | S | 1:01:16 | 20 |
| 10 | Hayley Wells | Wrekinsport CC | F | 1:01:20 | 15 |
| 11 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | V | 1:02:01 | 10 |
| 12 | Mark Hill | Hafren CC | V | 1:02:46 | 5 |
| 13 | Mark Fenn | Shropshire CCA | V | 1:04:44 | 5 |
| 14 | Andrew Dawson | Paramount CRT | V | 1:06:13 | 5 |
| 15 | Andy Collins | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:07:41 | 5 |
| 16 | Benjamin Nickolls | Paramount CRT | V | 1:07:42 | 5 |
| 17 | Alex Paulukiewicz | North Shropshire Wheelers | S | 1:08:22 | 5 |
| 18 | John Westhead | Paramount CRT | V | 1:09:38 | 5 |
| 19 | Jan Davies | Hafren CC | FV | 1:10:27 | 5 |
| 20 | Tim Evans | Newport (Shropshire) CC | V | 1:10:58 | 5 |
| 21 | Adam Mumford | Wrekinsport CC | S | 1:11:47 | 5 |
| 22 | Simeon Lloyd | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:11:56 | 5 |
| 23 | Simon Jones | Hafren CC | V | 1:12:47 | 5 |
| 24 | Nick Hickman | Paramount CRT | V | 1:13:04 | 5 |
| 25 | Emma Brown | Paramount CRT | F | 1:14:00 | 5 |
| 26 | Ashley Kirkham | Wrekinsport CC | V | 1:14:57 | 5 |
| 27 | Colin Wells | Paramount CRT | V | 1:15:12 | 5 |
| 28 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | FV | 1:15:21 | 5 |
| 29 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | FV | 1:15:57 | 5 |
| 30 | Finbarr OKeeffe | Wrekinsport CC | V | 1:17:04 | 5 |
| 31 | Mark Parkinson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 1:21:14 | 5 |
| – | Ian Connolly | Ludlow CC | V | DNS | . |
| – | Geoff Edgerton | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | DNS | . |
Veterans:
| Vets Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Vets +/- | Vets Points |
| 1 | Simon Romei | Paramount CRT | V | +11:01 | 60 |
| 2 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +10:54 | 55 |
| 3 | Christopher Riley | Paramount CRT | V | +9:59 | 50 |
| 4 | Jonathan Mills-Keeling | Aerologic RT | V | +9:16 | 45 |
| 5 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | +7:46 | 40 |
| 6 | Mark Hill | Hafren CC | V | +6:42 | 35 |
| 7 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | V | +4:45 | 30 |
| 8 | John Westhead | Paramount CRT | V | +4:17 | 25 |
| 9 | Andrew Dawson | Paramount CRT | V | +3:55 | 20 |
| 10 | Jan Davies | Hafren CC | FV | +2:44 | 15 |
| 11 | Mark Fenn | Shropshire CCA | V | +2:24 | 10 |
| 12 | Andy Collins | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | +1:47 | 5 |
| 13 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | FV | -1:12 | 5 |
| 14 | Benjamin Nickolls | Paramount CRT | V | -1:37 | 5 |
| 15 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | FV | -2:03 | 5 |
| 16 | Tim Evans | Newport (Shropshire) CC | V | -2:40 | 5 |
| 17 | Colin Wells | Paramount CRT | V | -2:42 | 5 |
| 18 | Nick Hickman | Paramount CRT | V | -3:16 | 5 |
| 19 | Simeon Lloyd | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | -3:54 | 5 |
| 20 | Simon Jones | Hafren CC | V | -5:27 | 5 |
| 21 | Finbarr OKeeffe | Wrekinsport CC | V | -6:56 | 5 |
| 22 | Ashley Kirkham | Wrekinsport CC | V | -7:49 | 5 |
| 23 | Mark Parkinson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | -13:54 | 5 |
Females:
| Female Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Time | Female Points |
| 1 | Hayley Wells | Wrekinsport CC | F | 1:01:20 | 60 |
| 2 | Jan Davies | Hafren CC | FV | 1:10:27 | 55 |
| 3 | Emma Brown | Paramount CRT | F | 1:14:00 | 50 |
| 4 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | FV | 1:15:21 | 45 |
| 5 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | FV | 1:15:57 | 40 |
Road Bikes:
| RB Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | RB Adj Time | RB Points |
| 1 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | V | 01:01:15 | 60 |
| 2 | Andrew Dawson | Paramount CRT | V | 01:02:05 | 55 |
| 3 | Mark Fenn | Shropshire CCA | V | 01:03:36 | 50 |
| 4 | Emma Brown | Paramount CRT | F | 01:07:03 | 45 |
| 5 | Benjamin Nickolls | Paramount CRT | V | 01:07:37 | 40 |
| 6 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | FV | 01:08:03 | 35 |
| 7 | Simeon Lloyd | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 01:09:54 | 30 |
| 8 | Finbarr OKeeffe | Wrekinsport CC | V | 01:12:56 | 25 |
| 9 | Ashley Kirkham | Wrekinsport CC | V | 01:13:49 | 20 |
| 10 | Mark Parkinson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 01:19:54 | 15 |
| – | Geoff Edgerton | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | . | . |
Top Club Award:
| Pos’n | Club | Points |
| 1 | Paramount CRT | 155 |
| 2 | Wrekinsport CC | 90 |
| 3 | Aerologic RT | 85 |
| 4 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 70 |
| 5 | Hafren CC | 45 |
| 6 | Newport (Shropshire) CC | 25 |
| =7 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 5 |
| =7 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 5 |
Cumulative Standings after three rounds
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series
| Position | Name | Club | Cat | Best 12 |
| 1 | Tomos Hales | Wrekinsport CC | S | 175 |
| 2 | Simon Romei | Paramount CRT | V | 165 |
| 3 | Robert McGregor | Paramount CRT | S | 95 |
| 4 | Jonathan Mills-Keeling | Aerologic RT | V | 90 |
| =5 | Christopher Riley | Paramount CRT | V | 80 |
| =5 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | V | 80 |
| 7 | William Preston | Paramount CRT | S | 60 |
| 8 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | V | 55 |
| =9 | David Scott | Paramount CRT | S | 50 |
| =9 | Hayley Wells | Wrekinsport CC | F | 50 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship
| Vets Position | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Simon Romei | Paramount CRT | 180 |
| 2 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | 115 |
| 3 | Christopher Riley | Paramount CRT | 105 |
| 4 | Jonathan Mills-Keeling | Aerologic RT | 100 |
| 5 | Ian Laverie | Wrekinsport CC | 95 |
| 6 | Mark Fenn | Shropshire CCA | 80 |
| =7 | Andrew Dawson | Paramount CRT | 55 |
| =7 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 55 |
| 9 | Paul Duncan | Paramount CRT | 50 |
| =10 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | 40 |
| =10 | Tim Evans | Newport (Shropshire) CC | 40 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Road Bike Championship
| Road Bike Pos’n | Name | Club | Cat | Best 12 |
| 1 | Jonathan Goh | Paramount CRT | V | 170 |
| 2 | Mark Fenn | Shropshire CCA | V | 130 |
| 3 | William Preston | Paramount CRT | S | 110 |
| 4 | Andrew Dawson | Paramount CRT | V | 100 |
| 5 | Billy Panter | Paramount CRT | S | 85 |
| 6 | Alvydas Janusauskas | Paramount CRT | V | 75 |
| =7 | David Scott | Paramount CRT | S | 60 |
| =7 | Emma Brown | Paramount CRT | F | 60 |
| 9 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | FV | 55 |
| 10 | Benjamin Nickolls | Paramount CRT | V | 45 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Female Championship
| Female Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Hayley Wells | Wrekinsport CC | 180 |
| 2 | Emma Brown | Paramount CRT | 105 |
| 3 | Gill Snelson | Paramount CRT | 95 |
| 4 | Claire Blackwell-Smyth | Paramount CRT | 90 |
| =5 | Jan Davies | Hafren CC | 55 |
| =5 | Thea Osmund-Smith | Paramount CRT | 55 |
| 7 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 45 |
Top Club Award
| Position | Club | Total Points |
| 1 | Paramount CRT | 730 |
| 2 | Wrekinsport CC | 360 |
| 3 | Aerologic RT | 135 |
| 4 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 70 |
| 5 | Hafren CC | 45 |
| 6 | Newport (Shropshire) CC | 35 |
| =7 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 5 |
| =7 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 5 |