Published: 4 June 2008
Palmer Park, Reading 3 June 2008
Report & photos by Guy Swarbrick
- Simon Ernest - A W Cycles - 1st in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
With heavy rain again dominating the early June weather, the Central Region Individual Pursuit Championships took place at Palmer Park on a damp but rapidly drying track.
The first heat saw Nick English (Reading CC) take on Tom Kirk (Corley Cycles). English didn't have the ideal preparation, puncturing during the warm-up and having to switch from a disk to a conventional rear wheel as Kirk readied himself on the home straight. It didn't stop him from taking the early lead, though, clocking 5 minutes 38 for the 9 laps to Kirk's 5 minutes 49.
Heat two matched Alex Peterson (A W Cycles) and Ian Greenstreet (Newbury RC) and saw the pace pick up - and the rain return. Greenstreet finished in 5 minutes 33.88 seconds but it was Peterson who took the lead with a time of 5 minutes 30.35.
Heat three was a battle of youth versus experience with 14-year old Cam Swarbrick (Palmer Park Velo) lining up against 2nd Cat road racer Simon Ernest (A W Cycles). One rider with 6 years of track racing under his belt, the other on a track bike for only the second time. But despite his lack of experience, Ernest got off to a rapid start and passed the youngster early into his third lap, going on to record the second fastest time of the evening - 5 minutes 30.93 - and provisionally book a place in the final. Swarbrick's 81 inch gear did enable him to avoid been passed again and he finished in 6 minutes 30.
The last rider off was David Jack (Twickenham), riding on his own. He started quickly but faded in the last couple of laps, finishing in 5 minutes 43 to ensure an all A W Cycles final.
The final was close with Peterson taking a slender lead early on, but it was the 'novice' Ernest who finished the stronger, improving on his earlier effort with a time of 5 minutes 29.02 seconds to Peterson's 5 minutes 31.75. Greenstreet's 5 minutes 33.88 was good enough to secure 3rd place.
- Result
- 1 Simon Ernest (A W Cycles) 5'29.02"
- 2 Alex Peterson (A W Cycles) 5'30.35"
- 3 Ian Greenstreet (Newbury RC) 5'33.88
- 4 Nick English (Reading CC)
- 5 David Jack (Twickenham CC)
- 6 Tom Kirk (Corley Cycles)
- 7 Cameron Swarbrick (Palmer Park Velo - A W Cycles
- Alex Peterson - A W Cycles - 2nd in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
- Ian Greenstreet - Newbury - 3rd in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
- Nick English - Reading - 4th in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
- David Jack - Twickenham - 5th in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
- Tom Kirk - Corley Cycles - 6th in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com
- Cameron Swarbrick - Palmer Park Velo - 7th in the British Cycling Central Region Individual Pursuit Championship 2008
- Photograph courtesy of swarbrick.com