Godfrey back to defend on Dean Hill.
Just eleven riders for the club's first time trial of the season, the Spring hill climb on Dean Hill, on Sunday 18th February 2018.
Defending hill climb champion Phil Godfrey was a comfortable winner on a dull but pleasant day for hill climbing.
1 Phil Godfrey Sotonia CC 02:27
2 Tom Budden Sotonia CC 02:45
3 Jon Legg Sotonia CC 02:57
4 Richard Burch Sotonia CC 02:59
5 John Phillips Sotonia CC 03:01
6 Patryk Rucki Sotonia CC 03:03
7 Jason Harrison Sotonia CC 03:06
8 Stephen Shephard Sotonia CC 03:38
9 James Davenport Come & try it 03:49
10 Keth Mack Sotonia CC 04:06
11 Colin Witt Sotonia CC 05:34
Thanks to organiser, Ted Knowlton, timekeepers, Martin Napier and Dave Crocker, with help from Wendy Knowlton and Julian Gee.
Club honours its 2017 champions
The evening of Friday 9th February 2018 saw the club's Annual Prize Presentation at Eastleigh Railway Institute. Over 60 members and friends got together for an evening of celebration and fun and to congratulate the winners of its 2017 championships.
The big winners of the night were club time trial champion Nick Austin, ladies champion Angela Burnikell, short distance specialist Phil Wilks, Road Race Champion Brook Elgie and Cyclo Cross trophy winner, Tom Budden.
The club also enjoyed a presentation on his epic 900 mile London-Edinburgh- London ride from Chris Moody.
Members celebrate 51 years!
The picture shows some of the folk who met on Sunday 7th January at The Wheatsheaf in Braishfield to commemorated the club's Founders Day - including one who was there right at the start in 1967, Dave Crocker.
Narrow win for Peckham in club 10 mile champs
James Peckham snuck home by 3 secs over Phil Wilks in tonight's championship held over the 17km version of P140.
Position Rider Club Time
1 Mark Taylor VC Meudon 23.24
2 James Peckham Sotonia CC 23.35
3 Phil Wilks Sotonia CC 23.38
4 Jonathan Hall Sotonia CC 24.13
=5 Nick Austin Sotonia CC 24.32
=5 Gawain Young Sotonia CC 24.32
7 Stuart Martingale Sotonia CC 25.10
8 Ben Coward Southampton University RC 25.49
9 Sam Cooper Sotonia CC 25.59
10 Cameron Taylor University of Sheffield CC 26.03
11 Red Walters Sotonia CC 26.25
12 Ben Scott-Munden Sotonia CC 26.29
13 Mike Naulls VC Venta 26.36
14 Angela Burnikell Sotonia CC 27.22
15 Josh Bakker Sotonia CC 27.24
16 Paul Ransom Sotonia CC 27.47
17 Graham Vail Sotonia CC 28.29
18 Richard Burch Sotonia CC 28.41
19 Mary Corbett/Dave Davenport Sotonia CC 29.02
20 Brian Coupe Sotonia CC 29.24
21 Jennifer Forrester Zepnat.co.uk 30.12
22 Sandy Bell Sotonia CC 30.47
23 Mick Bradbam Sotonia CC 31.04
24 Martin Napier Sotonia CC 33.00
Early season win for Wilks
Phil Wilks put his cyclo cross fitness to good use by winning the first club 25 of the season on a cold overcast day in the forest. A stiff breeze from the north east made it a tough early season test for the select band of riders who faced the timekeeper.
1 Phil Wilks Sotonia CC 1.0.49
2 Niels Langhout Sotonia CC 1.3.19
3 Tim Cooke Sotonia CC 1.4.00
4 Phil Godfrey Sotonia CC 1.7.38
5 Sam Cooper Sotonia CC 1.7.58
6 Joffrey Carlier Sotonia CC 1.10.10
7 Scott Blackman Come and Try it 1.11.40
8 Julian Sheppard Come and Try it 1.13.30
9 Daniel Sahota Sotonia CC 1.18.30
10 Martin Ward Sotonia CC 1.19.03
11 Sandy Bell Sotonia CC 1.22.40
Cycling Hero Presents Awards
“Keep up the good work you’re doing”, urged Guest of Honour, Ray Hughes to members and friends of Sotonia Cycle Club, who gathered at the Masonic Hall in Chandler’s Ford for their Annual Dinner on February 5. “The bicycle is a great leveler, bringing together people of all ages, and from all walks of life. It is great to see your club supporting such a wide range of activities on two wheels,” added Mr. Hughes.
This was the thrust of Hughes’s message, given before he presented of the club awards for 2015. A National champion at several cycling discipline over a career spanning many years, Hughes also took part in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney as a tandem pilot to disabled competitors.
A well-known figure among the dinner guests and a winner of a number of the club’s own race promotions, he expressed his delight in renewing old acquaintances before making the presentations.
Tom Budden, Jez Hart and John Phillips, club leaders in the growing field of cyclocross racing; Jonathan Hall, Niels Langhout and James Peckham who gained club standards in various categories. Hall was also the Hill Climb champion, while Hart was awarded the Club Person of the Year trophy.
The club includes a number of tandem specialists, and it honoured two veteran teams, Mick Bradban and Penny Cossburn, and 83 year old Norman Harvey and Mary Corbett, for setting new club combined-age records.
The club awards not only its fastest members but also those who have performed frequently and consistently throughout the year. These included Wendy Knowlton, “Queen of the Mountain” in the Strava “fantasy league” competition, and in the Ladies’ Points Championship; her husband Ted Knowlton in the over-60s Points Championship;
But the largest hauls of silverware were taken home by Gawain Young from Winchester and Ladies Champion, Angela Burnikell, a sports massage therapist from Romsey, who between them collected six trophies and numerous other distinctions.
Club Champion for the first time was Dan Edwards from Romsey who has gone from novice to champion in only three seasons recording some very fast performances along the way and is now targeting some of Sotonia’s club records in the coming season which starts later this month.
Report by Bill Drabkin.
Sotonia Wessex Cross a great success
Held by Sotonia for the first time at Southampton's spiritual home of Cyclocross - Southampton Sports Centre after problems with the original Fleming Park location at Eastleigh, the fourth year promotion by the club was hotly anticipated. Heavy rain for the course set-up the day before, left a wet course that cut up easily and windy conditions on race day changed the mud to the thick and deep variety, making riders work hard to keep going.
With the rain holding off for most of the day and over 300 riders taking part, the club's cross races for the Wessex League were a huge success and one of Sotonia's biggest and most ambitious promotions ever with pumping tunes, race commentary and a 'proper' course full of bankings, barriers and plenty of thick mud to entertain the crowds.
It was great to see so many Sotonia riders taking part, especially pleasing to see eight of our juniors having a go too. Tom Budden was top club finisher in a tough senior field with 8th place - a race that featured ten Sotonia senior riders! In the V40 race, Phil Connell was first Sotonia rider in 22nd place and Simon Fitzjohn leading the club finshers in the V50 race.
Big thanks to everyone who helped make the event happen; setting up the course in the rain, taking it down in the pitch dark and the bakers who cooked up such amazing cakes and snacks for the refreshments stall. Special mention to eight year old Mabel who helped run the refreshments tent all day long and for all the time devoted by organisers Jez Hart and Darren Strickland.
Some of Sotonia's hardy souls who got to ride (or run) the circuit...
[gdl_gallery title="sotonia-wessex-rnd-9-15-11-2015" width="186" height="130" ]
Provisional Results
Seniors
1. Steven James, Hargroves Cycles 1:00.53
2. Sam Allen, PedalOn at 2.27
3. Alex Forester, Zepnat RT at 3.39
4. Joe Hickerton, Eden Veranda at 3.53
5. Matt Macdonald, Eden Veranda at 5.27
6. Chris Minter, PedalOn at 5.45
7. Karl Norfolk, PedalOn at 6.41
8. Tom Budden, Sotonia CC at 7.34
9. Jamie Norfolk, PedalOn at 8.00
10. Ryan Smith, Team Moore Fitness RT at 8.29
Vet 40+/Juniors
1. Crispin Doyle Hargroves Cycles
2. Dan Guest Performance Cycles at 4sec
3 Tom Sewell Cotswold Veldrijden at 1.25 and 1st Junior
4. Graham Rogerson Cotswold Veldrijden at 1.45
5. Joshua Hooper Primerasport at 1.59 and 2nd Junior
6. Charlie Cooper, Eden Veranda at 3.03
Vet 50+
1. Dave McMullen, Cotswold Veldrijden
2. Tim Costello, GS Vecchi at 34sec
3. Kevin Holloway, VC 10 at 46sec
4. David Wrey, PedalOn at 1.38
5. Phil Boarer, Blazing Saddles at 1.51
Women
1. Sarah Barber North Hampshire RC
2. Helen Pattinson, Solent Pirates
3. Susan Parker, North Hampshire RC
4. Lydia Brooks, GS Henley
5. Natasha Reddy, RP Racing and 1st Junior
Juniors
1 .Natasha Reddy, RP Racing
2. Emma Clarke, RP Racing
3. Kara Perryman, Solent Pirates
Youth Boys
1. Callum Macleod, PPV
2. Archie Scott, Cotswold Veldrijden
3. Erin Baker, Team MK
Youth Girls
1. Abbie Manley, Eden Veranda
2. Katie Scott, Cotswold Veldrijden
3. Alderney Baker, Corley Cycles
Course preview video
Course ready: Sotonia Wessex Cyclocross at Southampton Sports Centre 15th November
Despite the unpleasant conditions there was a good turnout of willing volunteers (just some of whom are shown here) lead by Darren Strickland and Jez Hart to set out the course for tomorrow's event...let's hope for an excellent day's racing!
A sneak view of the whole course can be seen in this video: Sotonia cross - a riders view