3rd and a 2nd for Richard

Doncaster Road Race - 24/09/2006 - Notts

Richard scored a double result this weekend with a fine 3rd place and gaining his second cat road licence in the process. Richards race diary....

'Following the disappointment of last weeks points mix up, the pressure was still on for me to pick up the final 5 points required for my 2nd cat licence. The race was contested over an undulating course based around Bawtry and Harworth, completing 7 laps of a 10km circuit.

I was happy to sit near the front and watch the moves for a couple of laps. Following last weeks race, I knew the moves I should follow. Everything was chased down as is usually the case early in the race, especially with prime prizes available on laps 3 and 5.

I had a dig on the 3rd lap past the colliery, but as the chase behind continued, and no-one coming across, I knew it would be an impossible task on my own, so I sat up.

I stayed near the front, and watched the moves again, and over the finish climb at the end of the 5th lap I got away in a small group. We were working to increase the gap, but it wasn’t to be as we were ground to an almost halt by a car waiting to turn right in the road in front of us.

Furth on in the lap, over a small rise, another small group got away containing last weeks winner Ian Cooper (Thurcroft CC) I jumped across, but the group wasn’t working hard, so I went to the front to continue driving and hopefully break the elastic. As I worked with Ian up the finish climb we forced a split, with 6 of us going clear, including local rider Martin Pitchford (Scunthorpe Poly). Again, we were slowed by cars on the downhill section, but this time we managed to force the pace up past the colliery and keep away.

At the top of the drag past the colliery, a touch of wheels brought down a Dinnington rider right in front of me. I don’t know how I managed it, but I stayed upright, and managed to regain composure and contact with Martin and Ian. I am not sure if others came down or were just delayed, but I hope everyone is OK.

After that, the three of us worked well, and maintained the gap back to the bunch. Ian attacked just before the left hand turn on to the finishing straight, Martin responded, but I didn’t have the legs.

Up the finish hill, Martin outsprinted Ian for the win, and I rolled in just behind in third getting 10 points, which was enough for my 2nd cat licence'.