R9 SB Sports Injuries Series: Hafren CC 10

With Round 9 of the SB Sports Injuries Series taking place the evening before the fated Shropshire Championship 25 it wasn’t the largest entry of nine riders for the Hafren CC 10, but it certainly had its moments. The promoting club took a 1-2-3 victory with returning Conrad Taylor hitting immediate dividends; with his first effort in anger of 2025. Taylor took the win in 23 minutes 58 seconds, also scoring a rare overall victory for a road bike. Taylor stated: “The race went really well. It was my first time trial of the year as my focus was elsewhere for the start of the season. It was nice to know that the form is there after a difficult start to the year. I was really happy with my time on the road bike and it gives something to build on for when I dig the time trial bike out of storage”. When the Road Bike handicap had been applied Taylor had also betaen Road Bike Series leader Colin Wells by 1:11, although Wells opened up his lead to 62 points over Ashley Kirkham.

Making up the rest of that podium were Neil Vose, runner-up in 24:23; and Ian Coe, a further 20 seconds back. Vose seemed to suffer in the heat and fighting the block headwind on the return, as he explained: “Only a small field this year for the Hafren CC SB Series as I think a lot of riders where saving themselves for the Open 25 time trial the night after. The Berriew Course is always a fast course, but the wind direction was not helping as it was a really strong headwind on the return leg and it was very hot. I was hoping to take the win but Conrad was a little stronger than me – well done to him, but I was pleased with the second place”.

In the SB Veterans race Paramount’s John Westhead took his first ever win in the category with +3:44, 39 seconds ahead of Coe and lifted himself up to the head of the Veterans standings with a four point advantage over previous Series leader Jonathan Mills-Keeling. Westhead finished fourth overall in an actual 25:22, but has mixed feelings towards the course where he holds his personal best: ”I was a bit uncertain about how I would be as I had missed a week on the bike the week before, and the traffic can be scary as well on that course. However, it was a warm, pleasant evening on the course where I hold my personal best, which has since had a section resurfaced. In the end, I was satisfied with my time given my week off, though I am hoping to get below 25 minutes more frequently so I can achieve my Veterans Standard for 10 miles. It’s the first time I have scored maximum points in the SB Sports Injuries Series, though, so I was really pleased to achieve that”.

In the SB Female Series it was an unusual dead heat between the two competitors who both registered 27:56 and both earned 20 points – although things could have been quite different as Louise Hurdley explained: “It cooled off thankfully, but was quite breezy coming back from the halfway point. Not my best time on this course this season. It was a real shame for Jan Davies, who would have taken the solo win if she had not had the mechanical”. Davies confirmed the issue which she had to put up with for nine miles, but somehow did enough to share the spoils, as she added: “There was indeed a mechanical — it happened within the first mile! I seriously considered turning back, but figured some points were better than a ‘Did Not Finish’. Amazingly, I still managed to draw level with Louise in the end”. Davies consolidated her second place in the female standings as a result of managing to finish.

Full

Veterans

Females

Road Bikes

Cumulative Standings after nine rounds

Overall:

Veterans:

Females:

Road Bikes:

Juniors