Results, photos, report and series standings – Odd Down Winter Series Round One

Saturday 2nd December 2017

John Russell almost drops the win to Nathan Hallett by raising his arms too soon as Jenny Bolsom takes the lead in the women’s series

John Russell (Bristol Road Club) looked to have a commanding win wrapped up in round one of the Odd Down Winter Series but was almost mugged on the line by a fast charging Nathan Hallett of Latchem-Sunwise. Russell had been just off the front of the bunch in the final laps with Hallett’s teammate James Dudden and had the lead coming into the final metres.

“I put my hands up with about 10 metres to go and as I put my hands up a guy came straight under me in a full speed sprint and it looked so close on the line and I think, I think I’ve saved myself the embarrassment.”
Russell was indeed right, upon review the judges gave the result to him by the finest of margins. A lesson though to all that you sprint past the line, not until 10 metres to go. Hallett was more circumspect about the finish;
“Who knows? I’ll leave it to the powers above,” he said with a grin and a shrug.

Jenny Bolsom took the win in a small field in the E/1/2/3 women’s race, outsprinting Maria Powell at the finish to take an early series lead. It was disappointing that the field was so small, but there is a bright future with 15 women starting in the women’s 4th cat race. A few of the regular faces from Odd Down over the last few years were present and it turned into a hard fought and competitive race. Lauren Johnston (Unattached) and Rebekah Nash (University of Bristol) took a commanding lead very early on in the race and despite a spirited chase from two Avid Sport riders – Fran Bromley (3rd) and Molly Hodges (4th) – the lead pair were not to be denied.

Johnston took the win ahead of Nash, with Claire Lawrence (Sodbury Cycle Sport ) and Katherine Moore (Das Rad Klub) mopping up the top places in the bunch sprint for 5th and 6th. All of the top four 4th cats have already entered for next week so the higher category riders are going to have a chase on their hands to bring these strong new racers back into the fold in the handicapped pursuit next week.

With the men’s 2/3 race coming down to the finest of margins, there was no doubt about the winner in the 4th cat men’s race. Jared Linden was well clear of the rest of the field having dispatched his breakaway companion Jamie Atkins (University of Bristol) to take the win. Atkins looked to have second place comfortably sealed up but an impressive late charge from University of Bath’s Ed Gray out of the bunch almost saw Atkins pipped at the line.

Gray had to settle for third with Simon Starling taking the sprint for 4th from the bunch. These riders will be ones to watch for the next few rounds of the series with points on the line and it surely won’t be long before they are testing themselves against the 2nd and 3rd cats.

A huge thanks to Francisco Mora and the guys from GLL for organising this round, Andy Stewart in his role as chief Commissaire, fauxpro.cc for the interviews, photo and video, the South Region for their support for the series as well as everyone who came out to race. See you for the rest of the series!

 

Race Results:

Position	Number	First Name	Surname
	4th Women
1	6	Lauren	Johnston
2	13	Rebekah	Nash
3	1	Frances	Bromley
4	5	Molly	Hodges
5	9	Claire	Lawrence
6	12	Katherine	Moore
7	7	Aimee	Parsons
8	10	Janet	Horton
9	14	Olive	Holliday
10	4	Joanna	Goodhead
11	2	Sally	Crocker
12	15	Kate	Millard
13	8	Victoria	Jones
14	3	Sarah	Crowther
15	11	Hannah	Cockerill
	E/1/2/3 Women
1	1	Jenny	Bolsom
2	2	Maria	Powell
	4th Men
1	12	Jared	Linden
2	3	Jamie	Atkins
3	8	Edward	Gray
4	19	Simon	Starling
5	25	Will	Atworth
6	1	Tom	Allport
7	6	Will	Clarke
8	22	Guy	Tucker
9	10	Spencer	Hardman
10	7	Dave	Cullen
11	16	Si	Potter
12	13	Jonathan	Oakley
13	11	James	Kay
14	18	Peter	Smith
15	26	Alexander	Atkins
16	9	David	Gwynne
17	2	Joanathan	Ashby
18	71	Matthew	Skeats
19	21	Graham	Townsend
20	24	Daniel	Riggs
21	15	Chris	Parry
22	4	Michael	Banfield
23	23	Alex	Williams
24	20	Joel	Thomas
	2/3 Men
1	16	John	Russell
2	9	Nathan	Hallett
3	101	David	Mixell
4	6	James	Dudden
5	2	Thomas	Collins
6	13	Joe	Twelvetrees
7	1	Thomas	Bass
8	15	Anthony	Corke
9	8	Samuel	Gaskin
10	3	Steven	Cottington
11	19	Nick	Anderson
12	14	Felix	Young
13	4	George	Creasey
14	18	Josh	Girffiths
15	102	Richard	Smith
16	17	Edward	Jackson
17	10	Ian	Hicks

Series Standings:

Women after Round One:

1	Jenny	Bolsom	50
2	Maria	Powell	45
3	Lauren	Johnston	30
4	Rebekah	Nash	25
5	Frances	Bromley	20
6	Molly	Hodges	15
7	Claire	Lawrence	10
8	Katherine	Moore	9
9	Aimee	Parsons	8
10	Janet	Horton	7
11	Olive	Holliday	6
12	Joanna	Goodhead	5
13	Sally	Crocker	4
14	Kate	Millard	3
15	Victoria	Jones	2
16	Sarah	Crowther	1
17	Hannah	Cockerill	1

Men after Round One:

1	John	Russell	50
2	Nathan	Hallett	45
3	David	Mixell	40
4	James	Dudden	35
5	Jared	Linden	30
6	Thomas	Collins	30
7	Jamie	Atkins	25
8	Joe	Twelvetrees	25
9	Edward	Gray	20
10	Thomas	Bass	20
11	Simon	Starling	15
12	Anthony	Corke	15
13	Samuel	Gaskin	14
14	Steven	Cottington	13
15	Nick	Anderson	12
16	Felix	Young	11
17	Will	Atworth	10
18	George	Creasey	10
19	Tom	Allport	9
20	Josh	Griffiths	9
21	Will	Clarke	8
22	Richard	Smith	8
23	Guy	Tucker	7
24	Edward	Jackson	7
25	Spencer	Hardman	6
26	Ian	Hicks	6
27	Dave	Cullen	5
28	Si	Potter	4
29	Jonathan	Oakley	3
30	James	Kay	2
31	Peter	Smith	1
32	Alexander	Atkins	1
33	David	Gwynne	1
34	Joanathan	Ashby	1
35	Matthew	Skeats	1
36	Graham	Townsend	1
37	Daniel	Riggs	1
38	Chris	Parry	1
39	Michael	Banfield	1
40	Alex	Williams	1
41	Joel	Thomas	1

1	John	Russell	50
2	Nathan	Hallett	45
3	David	Mixell	40
4	James	Dudden	35
5	Jared	Linden	30
6	Thomas	Collins	30
7	Jamie	Atkins	25
8	Joe	Twelvetrees	25
9	Edward	Gray	20
10	Thomas	Bass	20
11	Simon	Starling	15
12	Anthony	Corke	15
13	Samuel	Gaskin	14
14	Steven	Cottington	13
15	Nick	Anderson	12
16	Felix	Young	11
17	Will	Atworth	10
18	George	Creasey	10
19	Tom	Allport	9
20	Josh	Griffiths	9
21	Will	Clarke	8
22	Richard	Smith	8
23	Guy	Tucker	7
24	Edward	Jackson	7
25	Spencer	Hardman	6
26	Ian	Hicks	6
27	Dave	Cullen	5
28	Si	Potter	4
29	Jonathan	Oakley	3
30	James	Kay	2
31	Peter	Smith	1
32	Alexander	Atkins	1
33	David	Gwynne	1
34	Joanathan	Ashby	1
35	Matthew	Skeats	1
36	Graham	Townsend	1
37	Daniel	Riggs	1
38	Chris	Parry	1
39	Michael	Banfield	1
40	Alex	Williams	1
41	Joel	Thomas	1