Published: 25 July 2006
Under sixteen year old racing cyclists, who could well be considered for future Olympic teams, ruled the roost at Reading Velodrome on Monday. Newcomer to Reading this season, Alex Aldham-Breary, PCA Ciclos Uno, star of the evening?s racing, started with a bang to win the 10 lap Hare & Hounds event and closed the programme with a brilliant sprint to take the AW Cycles 20 kilometre Endurance event from a fit and experienced Joe Bayfield. Local hopeful, Sam Serruya, dominated the A class sprint final and Hillingdon Slipstreamer?s Michael Wilmot did the same in the B class Sprint.
The man who tops the season?s League Championship A section, Joe Bayfield did take the Devil race from Alex Aldham-Breary, but nobody was more surprised than Joe himself when the youngster thrust his wheel in front at the end of the Endurance race. Sam Serruya who has already been spotted by National talent spotters and occupies top spot in the season long A class Sprint Championship League had little difficulty in winning the sprint event from the experienced Ian Greenstreet, Newbury CC (but he had ridden a 100 mile race the previous day) and first category Marc Wilmot.
Some of the closest possible of contests was seen in the British Cycling Central Region Olympic Team Sprint Championship final. Two powerful 3 man teams, the local AW Cycles trio and that from Twickenham CC, thrashed out the high speed contest to finish with only three quarters of one second separating them. It was the local combination that clocked the fastest time of 49.02 secs to snatch the gold medals and bring the Region's series of track Championships to a close for the season. But if the final was close, the third place, which was decided on heat race times was even closer. Two more local teams, Reading CC and Palmer Park Velo?s C teams were separated by a mere one quarter of one second (0.28 secs).