Published: 15 July 2008
Monday night's racing was contested in memory of local Reading CC rider , Anthony Maynard, who was tragically killed in an accident a few weeks ago. Maynard started his racing career as a Palmer Park Velo rider, later moving on to Reading CC to join his father's club.
On to the racing, which was mainly focussed around derny racing this evening, where all categories got the privilege of having their legs ripped off by some classy well known pacers, most notable is current and multi-national champion Sean Bannister, who paces for our Olympic headliner Vicki Pendleton.
- Dave Peck leads team mate Corinne Hall and the lead group in the B's/Womens Unknown distance.
A few warm up races for youths and seniors started the proceedings with recent National Masters triple silver medallist Ian Greenstreet taking the Seniors A and B eight lap Scratch race from Welwyn track league regular Felix English, with Chris Legg third.
Ex-GB oarsman Nick English was first B rider, and Corinne Hall was first placed women.
The Youths warmed up their night with a 1 lap and then 4 lap handicap race with Under 14's Matt Hargroves taking the one lapper and Daniel Maslin the 4 lapper.
The Under 12/10's had Carl Jolley taking the shorter race with Harvey Watson the 4 lap race.
In the heats of the Youth Derny's it was Cameron Swarbrick, Daniel Maslin and Jason Pitt who won through to the final in heat one with Frazier Carr, Ben Bailey and George Withers taking the last three spots to advance to the 6 up , eight lap final.
- National Champion Pacer Sean Bannister, pacing Cameron Swarbrick
The final was a fast flowing race with Daniel Maslin taking the early lead, being tracked all the time by Swarbrick and Carr, and when the big attacks came, Maslin was able to hold them off, to win by 3 bike lengths, with Swarbrick 2nd and Carr third.
The Senior A's were up next and in Heat One it was Legg, English and Neil Cooper who made the cut with Matt Gittings, Rob King and Toby Meadows filling out the final placings.
- Senior Derny final with Gittings and Legg leading
In the final it was Legg and Gittings who cleared out from the pack with the Under 16 year old Gittings giving it everything in the final lap to draw level, overtake on the outside and just losing touch with his pacer as they hit the home straight, with Legg staying cool and drawing away to win by a bike length. Super ride by Gittings indeed for second with Rob King holding on to third.
The Senior B riders produced a cracking final with regular Under 16's rider John Paul and that oarsman chap English again, going hammer and tongs for the last 5 laps. English's bigger gear held off the tenacious attacks of Paul and he won by a couple of bike lengths, with effervescent Robbie Richardson third.
The Senior Women's derny final was a blistering show of power from Emma Patterson, Harriett Owen and Corinne Hall, with Hall and Owen opening up a larger gap on their rivals in the final few laps as they fought for the front. Hall was repelled twice before finally overcoming Owen but it was only on the last lap and on the final bend and by a few bike lengths... with Patterson taking third.
- Dave Dentus pipping Robbie Richardson in the Unknown distance event.
Wrapping up the other evenings races with victory by Dave Dentus in the B's unknown distance, Felix English winning the A's unknown distance and Ben Bailey taking out the Youth 10 lap scratch race.
The AW Cycles 20 km was reduced by half this evening due to the derny racing taking a fair chunk of time but 22 laps was still time for much attacking with the first move by Neil Cooper and Xavier Disley. They were caught by David Jack with 16 laps to go but the bunch decided that three was too much and they pulled the breakaways back. The pace was kept high throughout the race and with 3½ laps to go it was Jack who snuck off the front as the paced slowed fractionally, and he opened up a gap of about 200 metres. With the main group slowly picking up pace towards the end, they got closer and closer to Jack as he hung on to his ever dwindling lead and as they hit the final lap he was still some 80 metres in the lead. Much like the Tour De France finishes we have seen so often it was a case of would he be caught or not, and as they came into the last 50 metres he still lead but at 20 metres to go Chris Legg, Ian Greenstreet and Neil Cooper surged over top to take the first three spots, with Jack coming fourth.
Much fun on a night of remembrance. Next week we'll see the Team Sprints in action. see you then
David Jack