Published: 8 August 2006
News from Reading Velodrome Racing at Palmer Park 7th August 2006 from John Dennis
With just three more points scoring race meetings to run before the close of the cycle racing season at Reading Velodrome (riders chase cash prizes at the last meeting on September 11th) nobody can take the League Championship away from Joe Bayfield. Comeback year for Joe has seen him in dominant form reminiscent of his glory days before he had his serious motor cycle accident a few years ago. Looking at the
season's points table, Joe also looks set to take the League's Keirin and Endurance titles for 2006, although the Derny motor paced Championship will be decided in the last race of the year on September 4th.
Sam Sturgeon is the fly in the ointment in this series and Monday's racing saw him outgun Bayfield in a thrilling 15 lap final paced race. These two battled at the front for the last half of the race, Sturgeon setting the pace on the inside and Bayfield held on the outer lane unable to pass him. The expectation was that Bayfield's sprinting ability would see him gain the victory in the last run up to the line, but the 60+ kph speed that Sam was generating following pacemaker Colin Garnham, was too much for him, and Sam snatched the lead in the series by a single point. All will be decided in the final paced race of the year next month.
Bayfield however, continued his winning ways by taking first place in the opening event, the 10 laps Hare & Hounds, the Unknown Distance race and the closing race, his sponsor's A.W.Cycles 20 km Endurance event, which saw Sam Sturgeon challenging him once more.
The B riders contest for their League leadership is being disputed by two youngsters, under 16 year old Michael Wilmot, Hillingdon Slipstreamers and 16 years old junior Chris Bradbury, the local boy from Palmer Park Velo. They were level pegging in the score chart until Monday evening, but Bradbury was away which means that Wilmot now takes the lead for he finished first in the Unknown Distance and the 20 kms races and second in the Derny motor paced race won by local rider Robert King, Reading CC.
In the absence of a miracle Carrie Bedingfield looks set to retain the Ladies League Championship she won last year. She was unbeatable on Monday, winning all four of her events. She even appeared capable of setting fire to the finish of the 20 kilometres race, for with two laps to go she tore away from the peloton, where leading lights were busy eying each other up to contest the final sprint and took a 200m lead. The initiative failed however, and she was overwhelmed in the final massed scramble for the finish.