Published: 3 September 2008
OK, Palmer Park has had a few weeks out due to the wonderful sunny weather, NOT, we have had this summer and given the forecast, we weren't expecting to do more than an hours racing. With commissaires pushing everyone along we got underway quickly and ended up completing a full program of youth and senior races, as you'll read.
First up was the season long battle of the youths and in particular U14's Dan Maslin and Cam Swarbrick were hammer and tongs in all of their races. Maslin winning all 4 of tonights races but with Swarbrick on his heels in every race.
In the Under 12/10's Jamil Gaida continued his good form after the Youth nationals, as he won all four of the nights races, followed closely by Katies Metalli and Daniel Lansley.
The Seniors had a full nights races including the leagues final Sprint competition plus Points, Hare & hounds and the eventual 20km.
To the Sprint comp tho', and after the heats had brought together 4 winners for the A's final it was to be a cagey affair. Rob King led out and it seemed he had been watching the Olympics as he tried pushing people around the track.. Inevitably though, with the long straights at Palmer Park, it comes down to horse power, and the first to blow past him was Rob Drinkwater. King tried to make himself as wide as he could to stop the wave of traffic that followed and it was Neil Cooper that overhauled him on the home straight but as he had to pass King and Jack, he couldn't make up the space to Drinkwater, who had scarpered and took a comfortable win.
The B's Sprint had talented youngster, John Paul show that he would like to be the next Hoy or Kenny by blasting away to win with room to spare from Sam Grant and Trevor Bradbury.
The Womens final had a battle royal between up-and-coming Harriett Owen against recent National Derny Champ Janet Birkmyre. Owen had a busy Youth/Junior Nationals during her summer break whilst Birkmyre is currently in a hard block of training preparation for her own Nationals in a few weeks. Both gave it 100% in the final but with a strong breeze on the home straight it was Owen, who slipped out from behind Birkmyre and took the victory by half a wheel.
The league endurance events produced some fabulous attacking racing and produced many winners. Stephen Bradbury stole a march on the field to win the Hare & Hounds from a charging Ian Greenstreet, whilst in the B's Points race Bradbury took off again but couldn't hold off the Sprint champ John Paul, who had scored early points, and Paul finished equal on Points with Bradbury but won the final Sprint to take the win. Rob King showed his strength by sneaking away after Sprint 2 to win the remaining three Sprints and winning the A's Points race from Greenstreet and Matt Gittings.
The AW Cycles 20km event proved even more fascinating as the strong breeze hurt the lone attacker and kept the race tactical, although with so many people trying to escape the clutches of the main bunch, it was a fast and tiring race.
Nick English tried numerous attempts to breakaway but as a known time trialler, he wasn't given much leeway. Sam Sturgeon saved his big attack for 10 laps to go and was joined by Jack but they too were not given any room and with 5 laps to go , they were brought back. Stephen Bradbury, keen on stretching his legs again, put in a well timed attack with 3 laps to go and opened a decent gap. With two to go, Ian Greenstreet decided he needed to be up there and he got on to Bradbury's wheel as the bell sounded. Not to be outdone, John Paul went on the bell, and as they hit the final bend, overhauled them and powered onto the homestraight followed by the fast finishing pair of Neil Cooper and David Jack. Paul had enough in hand to hold them off and it was a photo finish which separated the Cooper -Jack train, with Cooper getting the nod. just!
With the final week of racing next week, it includes the John Ralph Memorial 20km race as well as the WCLA Sprint championship.
The Bordeaux-Paris meet which wasn't held on Sun 31st due to heavy rain will now be held on the 28th of September - pencil that in your diary for a late season effort.
See you there.
David Jack