Event Five Etton Circuit - 58 Km - club T Rex

See Points to Date

Tonight was probably the fastest of all the events to date, riders speeding through the finish area so fast my camera lens couldn't stop them. Some photographers like to see speed effects on their photos; not me. The gaps between groups are ungenerous, a circumstance of the shorter circuit and the extra lap. Eight times round a four and a half mile circuit calls for exciting racing and that there was. It was a lovely balmy evening, perfect for the spectators and helpers but fast for the riders.

First group set off at 7 o'clock comprised of Robert Saunders, Andrew Penny, John Ullyett, Gary Sheriff, John Anson, Andy Blanchard, Gary Lamping, Ewen Ferguson and Derek Palmer. Primes for this event had been moved to laps 4 and 5 to give the back groups a better chance but strong man Derek Palmer held them off for the first of these primes on lap 4.

The second group; John Lockwood, Lee Watson, Mark McKeown, Simon Mellors, Andrew Barnes, Nathan Chester, Tristan Batch, Steve Waterall, Mark Best, Barry Dixon, Andrew Abbott, Stewart Pickard, Zak Thackray, Rob Stones, Andrew Peers, Chris Burton, Paul Rooney and Nathan Wilson. They started four minutes behind the first group and worked reasonably well together to make contact on on lap five when Andy Peers took the prime on that lap. John Lockwood asked to be allowed to go with group one as he didn't feel well. He didn't look well but if I let an old warrior like John do this then I'd have folk bringing me sick notes every event. As it happened John didn't last very long, he was ill and perhaps he shouldn't have been racing.

The third group had one or two reinforcements tonight. Joining Steve Macklin, John Galway and Tony Boynton, the usual three muskateers, we had Ryan MacLachlan, Sam Blanchard and Tony Washbrook, setting off a further minute behind group two. The group was perhaps a bit too much for Tony Washbrook who went off on the first lap but the others wortked well together in their usual way.

Group Four comprised of Richard Moore, Jon Dibble, Dave Shackleton, Chris Clark and Paul Purdy, elected to go off with group five; Mike Moss, Alastair Kay, Jason Benham and Dan Keena. They started three minutes behind group three and eight minutes from the front group. Knowing they had an achievable objective they were soon piling on the pace, but not much shelter behind Ali Kay. Two minutes were cleared from the deficit on the first lap, a minute and a half on the second, another two minutes on the third and then they were within a minute on the fourth. They made contact at the end of the fifth lap just as Andy Peers was taking the prime sprint.

It wasn't long before an attack was made to break up the the group of three dozen riders. It came from Paul Purdy on the flattest bit of the course and only six other responded to this. Dan Keena was the one who seems to have lost out. Two to go and they had a quarter of a minute and then at one to go they had a comfortable 1:10. No-one was going to get across now.

Predictably Mike Moss was the strongest in the sprint and he came over the line with a couple of lengths to spare from Richard Moore. The speed I guess was well over 40 mph. Young Ryan MacLachlan came out well in the second group but he was no match for trackie Jason Benham, despite the push from one of his mates. Richard Moore, in second place, was first of group 4, Ryan first of group 3, Nathan Wilson first of group two and Derek Palmer first of group one.

In the points race Jon Dibble managed to hold on to his lead but he is really being threatened by Richard Moore. There were one or two not competing who are pretty high up in the points table, notably Marcus Smith, Steve Ward and Paul Noton. The latter two I believe are injured, hopefully they'll soon be back in the fray, but all three slipped a few places today. Most benefit came to Mike Moss who jumped from 28th to 10th. It's going to be an interesting finish for the last event in a couple of weeks time.

Lap Times

And the result: