Thanks to Jack for this update from the Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team. Ed
On Wednesday 14th August, six members of the Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team headed over to the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth for another round of crit racing.
In the opening third-fourth category race, Kev Foster, Pete Moore, Matt Allsopp and Ian Hayden – doing his first race – took the start line. True to form, and showing his strength, Allsopp was active from the start, at times chasing down breaks on his own and bringing the race back together
All this endeavour paid off when the race hurtled to a frenetic finish, and Allsopp swept through to take seventh place, gaining more points towards his third category licence.
Massive pile up on the final corner
In the later race of the evening, James Ebdon and Sam Baker joined an almost full field in their quest for points. They each had a spell in a breakaway and were instrumental in setting the pace of the peloton.
As the race neared its end, both were showing the kind of form and positioning that would normally see a top ten finish, but for the second week running this was all undone by a massive pile up on the final corner. Baker found himself on the grass to the side of the track, and Ebdon was lucky to stay upright.
Winchester Summer Crit
Later that week, on Sunday 18th August, Wightlink-LCM Systems rider Jack Elton-Walters headed to Winchester for the Summer Crit. This race was 30 minutes plus five laps of a rapid but technical course that included two 90-degree corners and a hairpin bend.
Right from the whistle there were riders willing to take up the pace, and within just a few laps the race had been blown apart. Reacting quickly and sprinting past slower riders, Elton-Walters worked hard to mark the front group after the initial split, completing an eight man lead group.
This group didn’t last for long, as the two riders who would eventually finish first and second put the hammer down again. This time, the Wightlink-LCM Systems rider didn’t kick through soon enough and saw a reduced lead group of six ride away from him. Needing to finish sixth or above to secure his third category licence, Elton-Walters dug deep and rode a rapid solo ride for much of the race, clawing his way back and overhauling two of the riders ahead of him, whilst lapping nearly all those behind.
Now in fifth place, he hammered away until the finish to take the final points needed to move from fourth up to third category, and complete this season’s main objective.
