Racing took the same format of the previous round with all taking part in a one lap time trial followed by a Criterium race for each age group.

Local Go-Ride Club 'The Salt Ayre Cog Set' was well represented by a total of twelve riders in the different age categories. For many of these youngsters it was their first experience of racing against some of the fastest and most experienced riders in the North West of England.

The under 8's and under 10's were combined for a five lap circuit race and with a howling head wind down the home/finish straight it was tough for the youngest riders in the league. Both Cameron Hurst and Xavier Brennan took part in this event with Cameron managing a credible fourth whilst Xavier rode well into sixth place showing good progress from their time trial results. In the Under 10's category both Joe Loyler, a recent arrival into the Salt Ayre Club, and Oran Speakman rode strongly to finish sixth and twelfth place respectively from a group of 16 riders many of whom have considerable more racing experiencing than our local youngsters.

A large field of 30 riders started the eight lap Under 12's race after their initial time trial with local riders Fabian Brennan, Ellen Layzell and George Scott showing that their winter training sessions had been most effective by their fine efforts in both of their races.

Fabain managed a credible seventh place whilst Ellen competing against some tough competition amongst both boys and girls was 25th overall with George coming in a few places further back. All appeared to have struggled with the head wind particularly during the time trial but felt their knowledge of their own local track came in handy when riding during their scratch race.

The Under 14's race had local riders Mary-Beth Kirk in her first competitive event alongside regular riders Stephen Edge and James Jackson. All three riders rode strongly. James was able to hold his own in the scratch race and despite being dropped by the main group continued well with a number of dropped riders to gain 25th place from a starting group of 35 riders. Unfortunately this race was interrupted by a crash at mid distance when four riders came down resulting in three needing medical treatment. Jack Sadler (Ribble Valley Juniors) was unfortunate to break his arm in the crash - our best wishes go to him for a speedy recovery.

The final event of the day saw 'Cog Set' Under 16 riders, Ethan Greenhalgh, Mathew Holmes and Scott Prichard compete in an extremely fast and furious 14 lap race. Scott rode well to keep in sight of the main bunch for much of the race whilst Mathew was unfortunate to collide with over hanging branches as the tempo picked up in the main field precipitating his early retirement from the race after a gallant effort to keep in sight of the main field. Ethan rode well in a chasing group of riders and showed his improving form by riding one of his best races to date. All three lads were competing against some of the best under 16 riders in the North West and should be proud of their achievements in this most successful and fun event of the racing calendar so far.

This was also a great opportunity for many of the parents/helpers of the newly formed Salt Ayre Cog Set to put their hands together in providing some great refreshments for the riders, parents and commissaires which was well appreciated and managed to raise a good sum of money towards the funds for the club.

The Edge Cycleworks - Salt Ayre Cycling Association Circuit Race League: Tuesday of last week (22nd) saw the second event of this years Criterium League at the Salt Ayre circuit sponsored this year by 'The Edge Cycleworks'. It is still early in the season but there was an excellent turn out of 41 riders from 18 clubs from all over the North-West. The race of one hour plus five laps was more or less decided when a strong group, including seven from the top ten and the winner from the previous week, went away early and eventually lapped the field. The bunch was not completely inactive though and the two youth riders, Julian Pearson (Sportcity Velo / Surosa,Max,Fugi) and Jonathan Knox (Kent Valley RC) were both active in the bunch and finished well, in fact they attacked on the last lap to drop the bunch. Earlier Julian had been in a move that tried to go across to the break but didn't quite make it.

From the winning breakaway Simon Wilson (Artic - Premier) was again best in the sprint to take the take the 11 league points for the winner. Second in week one Jack Pullar (Kinesis UK) dropped down one place to third but still remains in second place in the league and the three Lune riders Andy Horrobin, Adrian Dalgliesh and Ashley Finn (now back in Lune colours after starting the season with Pearl Izumi-Planet X) finishing in seventh, ninth and eleventh positions to give Lune two riders in the top ten of the league. The only female to ride was Ella Sadler-Andrews who rode well to stay with the main bunch as did the two riders from Lancaster CC, Patrick Chisholm and Nev Pearson. This Tuesday's event (29th) will be the last event in the league until June as the planned improvements that Salt Ayre Cycling Association have worked hard to promote are happening at last. The money has come from Sport England with the help of BC Facilities Officer, Dave Cockram. It was hoped that the work would be completed before racing started but it was not to be so the circuit will be closed for all of May. No racing can take place but it is planned to continue the Salt Ayre Cog Set Go-Ride events on Saturdays.

Salt Ayre League Event 2 - 22nd April 2008: 1 Simon Wilson (Artic - Premier); 2 Adam Robertson (NFM Race Team); 3 Jack Pullar (Kinesis UK); 4 Nathan Turnbull (Leigh Premier RC); 5 Dave Crawley (Keswickbikes.com); 6 Dillon Byrne (Probikekit.com); 7 Andrew Horrobin (Lune RCC); 8 Callum Nicholson (Probikekit.com); 9 Adrian Dalgliesh (Lune RCC); 10 Russell Brass (Clayton Velo); 11 Ashley Finn (Lune RCC); Other Local: Julian Pearson (Sportcity Velo - Surosa,Max,Fugi/LCC); Ella Sadler-Andrews (Leisure Lakes); Jonathan Knox (Kent Valley RC); LANCASTER CC: Patrick Chisholm, Nev Pearson; LUNE RCC: Rob Ford, Paolo Brucciani, John Holt, Scott Morley, Chris Morley, Howard Hirst, Gary Vose, Sam Dobson.

ROAD RACING:

The 'National Women's Road and Circuit Series' got under way last Sunday (27th) with the CHESHIRE CLASSIC, a two stage race based around the village of Weaverham in Cheshire. The start sheet promised cycling legend Nicole Cooke would be leading her new Halfords Team in the 3km morning time trial, followed with a strong Halfords line-up of nine riders for the 80km road stage. With the sign-on closed just after 8am the assembled women breathed a sigh of relief to discover Nicole Cooke and team mate Lizzie Armitstead had failed to show. Organiser Dave McKay was unable to give a reason for the missing star but with a ride in Fleche-Wallone last week and a heavy spring continental classic schedule, Cooke could be forgiven for sitting this one out.

However our very own local legends in the Women's racing scene, Leanne Thompson (Lune RCC) and 16 year old Junior, Ella Sadler Andrews Leisure Lakes/Lune RCC started well with a fine performance in the morning's time trial. Leanne, riding her first time trial for four years, gaining a respectable 15th place against a formidable line up of accomplished riders and despite problems at the start Ella rode strongly to make up some valuable seconds and was placed 22nd from a field of 44 starters.

After a 50 minute interval of the women were out in the driving rain once again to commence their 80km road race on a testing circuit which included ten times over the locally famous short but sharp Acton Lane climb in the village of Weaverham. The Halfords team soon put the main bunch to the test with several attacks and continued to dominate the race throughout. Both Leanne and Ella contributed well in the main bunch by a series of counter attacks in their attempts to reign in the attacks however it wasn't enough to catch the eventual winning pair of Sharon Laws and Jess Allen, both from the Halfords team, who finished 50 seconds ahead of the chasing group. It was encouraging to see both Ella and Leanne ride strongly in the bunch and despite Ella sprinting with 200 metres to go on the final climb of the race, her efforts were only enough to gain a joint 15th place with Leanne and other members of the chasing bunch. It looks likely to be an exciting race when both Leanne and Ella will be racing on their home training ground in the Lune RCC's Capenwray Ladies Road Race on Sunday the 15th of June.

Also on Sunday there was local road race action on the Old Hutton circuit for the Kent Valley Road Club's 'Westmorland Tankard Trophy Race' incorporating the fourth round of the CDNW Road Race series. As in Cheshire the roads were quite damp making treacherous conditions on the minor roads round the back of the circuit. Gary Vose and Ashley Finn rode for the Lune RCC in the 77mile E,1,2&3 race and both had the misfortune to be brought down in separate crashes. Negative riding in the bunch allowed several opportunist breakaways and the race finished with a solo winner Richard Hepworth (Wakefield CC) over 3½minutes ahead of a splintered field with Ashley coming in 6:28 back in eighth place.

In the 57.4mile 3,4&W the Lune RCC riders showed a good presence in the bunch for the first four laps before the bunch started to fragment in the last laps with several small breakaways off the front. Scott Morley was the highest Lune finisher in sixth place but the club as a whole did well with four riders in the top sixteen.

CDNW RR League Event 4 - Westmorland Tankard Trophy RR - 27th April 2008:
Results E123: 1 Richard Hepworth (Wakefield CC) 77miles in 3:14:14; 2 Richard Handley (Maxgear RT) @3:39; 3 Christopher Burrows (Kuota Biemme Spinergy) @3:43; 4 Jimmy Froggatt (Wills Wheels) @3:51; 5 Craig Battersby (Lancashire RC) @4:17; 6 Calum Nicholson (ProBikeKit.com) @5:13; 7 Andrew Guy (Kuota Biemme Spinergy) @5:23; 8 Ashley Finn (Lune RCC) @6:28; 9 Adrian Lawrence (Lancashire RC) st; 10 Tony Greenhalgh (Maxgear RT) st;
Results 34W: 1 David Crawley (Keswickbikes.co.uk) 57.4miles in 2:27:47; 2 Joe Richards (Wheelbase) @1:43; 3 Peter Sadler (SiS) @2:07; 4 Dean Hitchings (FP Mailing CT) @2:17; 5 Peter Ware (St Helens CRC) st; 6 Scott Morley (Lune RCC) @2:24; 7 Andy Poulsom (MK Cycles) st; 8 Daniel Quinn (FP Mailing CT) st; 9 Robert Ford (Lune RCC) st; 10 John Kent (Birkenhead North End CC) st; 12 Andrew Horrobin (Lune RCC) st; 16 Adrian Dalgleish (Lune RC) @16:13



TIME TRIALLING:

It has been quite a busy week of time trials locally starting last Tuesday (22nd) with the PETTS '10' on the Barton, Kirkland Bridge, St Michaels circuit. Again a large field of 60riders signed on with several local riders making the short journey down the A6 to ride. Robin Brennan (Preston CC) set an early target from number nine spot with 20:54 and none came close to toppling him. Nearest was his team-mate, last man off Andy Abbott, who was 1:20 slower. From the local riders Martyn Smith was the fastest with 24:57 just beating Ken Roberts by ten seconds.
The following evening 35 riders, including members of ten clubs, made the trip north to Levens for the first of Kent Valley Road Club's evening events on the superfast course. The promoting clubs John Ingam was fastest with 21:44 beating Andrew Barlow who is having his best season for a few years by only 23seconds. After several fine days the weather started to break on Thursday evening just in time for the Lancaster CC '10' on Caton Road. After a lovely afternoon the evening changed with a rapidly increasing breeze blowing off the Irish Sea and probably as a consequence a very low turnout for the second L102 '10' of the season.
Matt Cronshaw made his first appearance of the year aiming for some fast miles prior to riding the 99mile East Midlands International CiCLE Classic (Rutland - Melton) with the Kinesis UK team on Sunday. Matt got his fast workout going like a train from the start and disappeared from view (about a quarter of a mile) a good two seconds faster than anybody else. Whether his lack of an aero TT machine slowed him down on the return into the 'horrendous' wind that had sprung up is immaterial as his 23:31 eclipsed Andy Barlow's 23:51 for the fastest so far and was nearly two minutes faster than second placed Tim Norton who reported 11 minutes for the first five miles and 14+ for the return.
After a free day came the weekend's Open Time Trials both promoted by Wigan Wheelers. Saturday afternoons '10' although dry and quite bright was made hard by a strong cross wind coming from the west making hard going in both directions on the A6 and forming more of a headwind as the road curved round onto the Garstang Bypass finish. John Morgan (Preston Wheelers) was fastest with 20:38, five seconds ahead of Mark Holton (ProBikeKit.com). Lancaster's Duncan Orme (ProBikeKit.com) was slightly off the pace with a short 23 and Lynsey Anderson (TheGreenRoomGroup.com) took the Ladies prize with 24:36. Preceding the event was the North Lancs TTA Junior/Youth Championships and the two young Kent Valley riders Jonathan Knox and Beau Smith recorded good times for second and third place behind the older and more experienced Richard Handley (Max Gear RT, J17) who recorded 21:41 but, as his club is registered with the Manchester District, Jonathan Knox takes the first NLTTA title of the year.
It turned out to be a good weekend for John Morgan as he won the second event a 30mile TT on the Cockerham, Pilling, Nateby circuit on a cool damp Sunday morning by nearly 2½minutes from Robin Brennan (Preston CC). The wind had eased considerably but the damp conditions made some of the bends on the section from Pilling to Nateby "a bit dodgy". Duncan Orme was more pleased with his ride on Sunday coming in 13th place just behind Kent Valley's Andrew Barlow and the GreenRoomGroup.com again took the ladies award with Charlotte Wadsworth recording 1:19:24.
PETTS '10' - 22nd April 2008: 1 Robin Brennan (Preston CC) 20:54; 2 Andy Abbott (Preston CC) 22:14; 3 Paul Jonstone (Preston CC) 22:19; 4 Dave Brocks (Preston Whls) 22:34; 5 Jose Pinon-Shaw (ProBikeKit.com) 22:35; Martyn Housley-Smith (PW/LCC) 25:57; Ken Roberts (PW/Garstang CC) 25:07; Gary Bowker (Lancaster CC) 25:45; Alistair Hodge (Lancaster CC) 26:17; Liz Housley-Smith (PW/LCC) 28:28.
Kent Valley RC '10' - Levens - 23rd April 2008: 1 John Ingham 21:44; 2 Andrew Barlow 22:07; 3 David Baxter 22:17; 4 Carl Pawson (Team Swift) 22:40; 5 Pete Heywood (Nelson Whls) 22:44; 6 Beau Smith (J) 22:54; 7 Simon Geraci (Team Swift) 23:10; 8 Tony Dixon 23:15; 9 Steve Wilkinson (Nelson Whls) 23:25; 10 Steve Hodgson 23:33; 11 Sean Rosser (Border City) 23:35; 12 Graham Harcourt (BCW) 23:37; 13 Hugh Carthy (J) (SIS) 23:39; 14 John Leach 23:40; 15 Ian Harcourt (J) (BCW) 23:45; 16 Lynn Hamel (theGreenRoomGroup.com) 24:01; 17 Tim Bennett 24:07; 18 Richard Belk 24:39; 19 Sharon Padley (L) 24:49; 20 Ian Lilley 24:58; 21 David Balshaw (Cleveleys) 25:04; 22 Henry Adams 25:31; 23 Tim Raine 26:02; 24 Andy Bunn 26:04; 25 Neil Stirling 26:12; 26 Neil Lawson 26:48; 27 Fred Pickstone 26:59; 28 Ann Nicholson 27:16; 29 Andy Gill 27:19; 30 Greevz Fisher 27:24; 31 Bill Wilson 28:17; 32 Richard Fawcett 28:21; 33 Stuart Field 28:54; 34 Roger Atkinson 29:33;
Lancaster CC '10' - Caton - 24th April 2008: 1 Matthew Cronshaw (Kinesis UK) 23:31; 2 Tim Norton 25:24; 3 Graham Harcourt (BCW) 25:57; 4 Martyn Housley-Smith (PW/LCC) 26:35; 5 Liz Housley-Smith (L)(PW/LCC) 31:00
NLTTA Jun/Youth Championship - Garstang - 26th April 2008: 1 Richard Handley (Max Gear RT, J17) 21:41; 2 Jonathan Knox (Kent Valley RC, Y15) 23:22; 3 Beau Smith (Kent Valley RC, Y14) 23:57; 4 Kristian Ramsden (ABC Centreville, J16) 25:22; 5 Nathan Smedley (Nelson Whls CC, Y13) 26:38; 6 Duncan Smith (Cleveleys RC, J18) 26:40;
Wigan Wheelers '10' - Garstang - 26th April 2008: 1 John Morgan (Preston Whls) 20:38; 2 Mark Holton (ProBikeKit.com) 20:43; 3 Derek Parkinson (Cleveleys RC) 20:58; 4 Robin Brennan (Preston CC) 21:13; 5 Adrian Lawrence (Lancashire RC) 21:20; 6 Garry Brown (Equipe Velo Ecosse) 21:44; 7 Adrian Bird (Team Echelon-Spiuk) 21:55; 8 Dave Isherwood (Team Swift Allsports) 22:11; 9 Paul Fleming (Preston Whls) 22:18; 10 Stephen Ludden (Forzacycling.co.uk) 22:19; 11 John Ingham (Kent Valley RC) 22:21; 18 Duncan Orme (ProBikeKit.com) 23:08; 53 John S Leach (Kent Valley RC) 24:33; 54 Lynsey Anderson (TheGreenRoomGroup.com) 24:36; 58 Tim Bennett (Kent Valley RC) 24:51; 80 Gary Bowker (Lancaster CC) 26:07; 88 Neil Stirling (Kent Valley RC) 27:09; 93 Ann Nicholson (Kent Valley RC) 28:21;
Wigan Wheelers '30' - Cockerham/Pilling/Nateby - 27th April 2008: 1 John Morgan (Preston Wheelers) 1:06:58; 2 Robin Brennan (Preston CC) 1:09:21; 3 Garry Brown (Equipe Velo Ecosse) 1:09:38; 4 Duncan Park (North Lancs RC) 1:11:04; 5 Rob Dickinson (North Lancs RC) 1:11:08; 6 Paul Fleming (Preston Whls) 1:12:07; 7 Paul Johnstone (Preston CC) 1:12:07; 8 Tony Workman (Lancashire RC) 1:12:34; 9 Fraser Snape (North Lancs RC) 1:12:41; 10 Peter Briscoe (North Lancs RC) 1:13:00; 12 Andrew Barlow (Kent Valley RC) 1:13:05; 13 Duncan Orme (ProBikeKit.com) 1:13:39; 18 Jonathan Knox (Kent Valley RC) 1:14:39; 30 John Leach (Kent Valley RC) 1:16:45; 39 Charlotte Wadsworth (TheGreenRoomGroup.com) 1:19:24; 40 Tim Bennett (Kent Valley RC) 1:20:16;

Forthcoming events: It's Nelson Wheelers turn to organise the two local Open Time Trials this weekend with both events using the A66 based courses between Keswick and Cockermouth. Both events have also been nominated as NLTTA championship events but surprisingly despite this there are relatively small fields for the '10' on Saturday afternoon with 51riders and the '25' on Sunday morning with 73riders.
As usual, with Monday being a Bank Holiday, the Lancaster CC will holding their second Bank Holiday 10 of the season on Levens. Pre-entries should have been sent to Glenys Ferguson by Thursday the 1st but entry on the day may be available to first or second claim members of LCC. First rider is off at 8.01am and for more details phone 01524 39477 or consult the LCC website www.LancasterCC.co.uk . For the rest of the week the evening TT's follow the established pattern of the PETTS '10' at Barton on Tuesday, the Kent Valley '10' at Milnthorpe on Wednesday and the Lancaster CC '10' on Caton Road on Thursday evening.
The only local road race this weekend is the second Lune RCC promotion of the year - the Aughton Road Race - on Sunday morning (4th) starting from Aughton Village hall at 9:30am. and covering six laps of the rolling Aughton circuit for a race distance of 50miles. With no racing at Salt Ayre during May there is a blank in the local massed start racing with only the SiS criteriums at Preston Arena on Thursday evening to keep the road racing brigade happy.

Bikie