Costly puncture ends Gareths hopes of high finish

DMCS 2 day raod race - 28th and 29th May 2005 - Darley Moor, Derbyshire

Richard and Gareth both completed the DMCS 2 day road race successfully after 4 stages of hard racing based on and around the Darley Moor racing circuit near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. Stepping up to ride against 2nd category riders in a field of nearly 100, both Richard and Gareth faired well and are showing good signs of recovery following illness over the last few weeks. With Richard moving away from his more favoured hillier open road course, he grew in confidence as the weekend progressed, Gareth also rode well feeling much stronger on the second day.

The format for the race was different to most stage races and the DMCS 2 day adopted a points system where the winner of each stage recorded the most points with each placed rider below the winner gaining 1 point less. The overall winner is the rider with the most points after Stage 4.

Stage 1 – 1 lap prologue of Darley Moor circuit (2.4 km)

Saturday morning started warm, bright and sunny but with an ever increasing wind blowing across the circuit. By the time the first riders set off for this 1 lap time trial to split up the field, the nagging breeze had turned into severe gusts of wind. Riding anti-clockwise around the circuit, Richard set off first and recorded a time of 3.10 for the 2.4km time trial and giving Richard an overall position of 27th. Just a few minutes later, Gareth set off and covered the circuit in a time of 3.07 for 21st place in the stage.

Stage 1 result
1. Jon Mozley API 2.51
2. Stephen Adams Sherwood CC 2.53
3. Ian Cooper Zenith CC 2.56
4. Adam Kenway Tunstall Whs 2.58
5. Nigel White Sherwood CC 2.59
6. Ben Roberts Bridlington CC 3.00
7. Neil Walker Sherwood CC 3.01

Stage 2 – 72km road race around Darley Moor circuit

The wind had increased in strength even more by the start of the afternoon road stage and it was now difficult to keep the bike upright when riding around the circuit. The road stage was 30 laps of the circuit covered in an anti-clockwise direction.

No sooner had the bunch set off then the attacks started thick and fast. Several groups moved clear but were brought back but after 5 laps 2 riders attacked including Jon Mozley the stage 1 winner and they quickly made ground on the main bunch.

After a further 5 laps of fast and attacking racing, Nigel White moved clear of the bunch taking with him another 7 riders. This group also made ground on a hesitant bunch. After several more attacks, which where brought back by an organised and vigorous chase by the bunch which included Gareth and Richard, the race had just simply smashed apart around the circuit. The high winds had played their part with riders unable to follow wheels closely enough and leaving gaps that couldn’t be closed. After several more attacks a small group of 10 riders moved clear of the bunch which now included Gareth with just 8 laps left. Working well together and avoiding lapped riders, 3 escapees from this group attacked with one lap to go into the head wind section over the finish line. Gareth didn’t have the strength to follow the escapees from his group and the bunch was now bearing down on his breakaway group but they still worked hard over the final lap where Gareth was second in the sprint to give him 15th on the Stage. Meanwhile Richard was still safe in the bunch behind which split once again with only 3 laps to go and Richard found himself in the wrong half of that split but made it safely back to the finish. Unfortunately, a lapped rider stayed with Richards group which resulted in Richard being given the same time as that lapped rider and resulting in a overall position 38th which was incorrect. After the second stage Gareth was 15th overall.

Stage 2 result
1. Jon Mozley
2. Ian Cooper
3. Geoff Giddings
4. Nigel White
5. C Garner
6. Neil Walker
7. Adam Whitehead
8. Carl Crabtree
9. Adam Kenway
10. Dave Langlands

Stage 3 – 9 mile time trial on the lanes around Darley Moor

Sunday morning saw the riders wake up to lighter winds and sunny conditions which was ideal for the time trial stage on open roads. Starting in number order, Richard was the first of the Cherry Valley pair to start and soon settling into a good time trialling rhythm.

The circuit was a sporting one with some short and sharp climbs in it and was well suited to both Richard and Gareth. Richard rode consistently around the time trial circuit nursing some tired legs and saving some energy for the afternoon stage. Richard recorded a time for the time trial of 26.21 which was good enough for a final placing of 33rd. Meanwhile, Gareth was only a few minutes behind Richard and had started really strongly getting into a fast rhythm quickly averaging the first 3 miles to the first turn at over 28mph. Turning off the main road up the first climbs Gareth kept the pressure on to turn left onto the third leg of the circuit. On this third leg Gareth had almost caught the Carl Crabtree who had started 1 minute in front of him and was only 10 yards behind Crabtree when Gareth had a puncture in the front tyre. As Crabtree pulled away, Gareth rode for the next 2.5 miles on a flat tyre before a fast wheel change got him on his way again. Gareth eventually finished in a time of 26.09, 1 second ahead of his minute man Crabtree, which would see Gareth 26th on the stage and fall to 19th overall.

Consoled by team mate Richard, the pair calculated that Gareth would have finished 4th on the stage but that was quickly put behind them as they concentrated on the final road stage in the afternoon. As expected Nigel White (Sherwood CC) won the time with ease.

Stage 3, Time Trial
1. Nigel White Sherwood 23.49
2. Ian Cooper Zenith 24.38
3. Stephen Adams Sherwood 24.42
4. Paul Prince Wyre Forest 24.49
5. Adam Kenway Tunstall 24.52
6. Chris Garner Zenith 24.53
7. Jon Mozley API 24.58
8. Neil Walker Sherwood 24.59
9. David Langlands Fenland Clarion 25.01

Stage 4 – 55km road race around the Darley Moor circuit.

With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing around the circuit, it was a complete contrast to the previous days racing on the course which was made more interesting for the riders by tackling it in a clockwise direction (the opposite way to the previous day).

With growing confidence as the race progressed, Richard was now riding strongly in the bunch in the sunshine and enjoying the race more than the previous day. Meanwhile team mate Gareth was in an angry mood after puncturing in the morning and started the last stage with the first attack of the race on the first lap. Gareth was soon brought back to heel by an attentive bunch as the attacks started to fly off the front and the average speed was soon up to 27mph. Once again, Gareth worked hard to bring breakaways back to the bunch and attacked time and time again to split things up. With 13 laps to go, Gareth cut one of the corners of the motor racing curcuit out and took to the Grass to launch a decisive move. Staying clear for nearly a lap Gareth was joined by 6 other riders which quickly pulled a gap of 16 seconds on a hesitant bunch. After several laps, the breakaway containing Gareth had got the gap up to 22 seconds but the bunch was now organised and started to chase with a purpose. With Andy Whitehead driving the break, Gareth, Paul Norton and Steven Adams doing the lions share of the work, the bunch couldn’t make any real headway into the lead.

With the break working strongly, the gap on the bunch moved up to 30 seconds with just a few laps left. At this point Richard started moving up the speeding main pack and on the final lap Richard made his own bid for freedom hoping to catch the main pack watching each other in the lead up to the final sprint. Unfortunately for Richard he was brought back with just yards remaining. Meanwhile, in the breakaway, the riders started to attack each other on the final lap but it all came together with 400 metres left. At this point Mark Hammersley and Chris Garner opened up the sprint and quickly had a small gap as Gareth moved around Andy Whitehead with 200 metres to go but left the sprint too late and finished 4th from the 7 riders in the breakaway.

Stage 4, Circuit Race
1. Mark Hammersley
2. Chris Garner
3. Paul Noton
4. Gareth Wiiliams Cherry Valley RT
5. Adam Whitehead Thurcoft CC
6. Steven Adams
7. Steve Palmer Heanor Clarion
8. James Cocker Finsbury Park
9. Geoff Giddings
10. Paul Rowland Powerbar

Both Richard and Gareth were happy with the weekends riding and could only reflect on what might have been if Gareth hadn’t punctured in the time trial.

FINAL OVERALL
1. Jon Mozely API Bikes
2. Ian Cooper Zenith CC
3. Chris Garner Zenith CC
4. Adam Kenwax Tunstall Wh
5. Geoff Giddings Ashfield RC
6. Nigel White Sherwood CC
7. Paul Noton Star Bikes
8. David Langland Fenland Clarion
9. Steve Adams Sherwood CC
10. Neil Walker Sherwood C
11. James Cocker Finsbury Park CC
12. Gareth Williams Cherry Valley
13. Chris Hurd VC Lincoln
14. Paul Prince Wyre Forest
15. Steve Bonnichi Team Economic Energy
16. Mark Hammersley Team velocity
17. Carl Crabtree Walsall RC
18. Justin Lomas Norwood Paragon
19. Ro Parkin Heanor Clarion
20. Paul Bennet Melton Olympic