Results: Sotonia v New Forest CC Interclub TT, 30 May
The first leg of the Sotonia vs New Forest Inter club Time trial competition held on the p128 course, featured a strong turnout for the hosting club and was won by Sotonia's Ant Gritton in a time 20:59 - just 9 seconds off the course record!
| Pos | Name | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ant Gritton | Sotonia | 20.59 |
| 2 | Graham Harman | Sotonia | 22.55 |
| 3 | Pawel Niewiadomy | VC Venta | 22.56 |
| 4 | Matt Dixon | Sotonia | 23.13 |
| 5 | Patrick Stumpf | Sotonia | 23.31 |
| 6 | Stuart Peckham | NFCC | 23.56 |
| 7 | Stuart Martingale | Sotonia | 23.56 |
| 8 | Phil Grant | NFCC | 24.19 |
| 9 | Jon Dudley | Sotonia | 24.19 |
| 10 | Phil Harris | NFCC | 24.32 |
| 11 | Cameron Taylor | Sotonia | 24.35 |
| 12 | Angela Burnikell | Sotonia | 24.43 |
| 13 | P. Jones | 25.00 | |
| 14 | Mike Vickers | Sotonia | 25.01 |
| 15 | R. Dowling | 25.14 | |
| 16 | Neil Vincent | Soton Tri Club | 25.53 |
| 17 | Jon Legg | Sotonia | 26.10 |
| 18 | John Phillips | Sotonia | 26.15 |
| 19 | Martin Olney | Sotonia | 26.16 |
| 20 | Russell Wynn | NFCC | 26.16 |
| 21 | Sonia Louine | NFCC | 26.41 |
| 22 | Ian MacDonald | NFCC | 27.51 |
| 23 | Mick Anglim | NFCC | 28.04 |
| 24 | Wayne Prevett | Sotonia | 28.05 |
| 25 | Chris Summers | Sotonia | 28.12 |
| 26 | Wendy Knowlton | Sotonia | 28.52 |
| 27 | Ted Knowlton | Sotonia | 28.54 |
| 28 | Justin Davies | Sotonia | 29.17 |
| 29 | Gary Charalambous | Sotonia | 29.33 |
| 30 | Peter Hawker | NFCC | 30.53 |
| 31 | Charlotte Keeler | Sotonia | 31.24 |
| 32 | Steve Wilks | Sotonia | 31.47 |
| 33 | Martin Napier | Sotonia | 32.24 |
| 34 | Colin Witt | Sotonia | DNF |
2018 Road Racing round up of the year
It's fair to say 2018 wasn't a bad road season for Sotonia. Following a trend of increasing performances for the last four years, 2018 saw success at all levels.
What were the highlights? An incredible 28 podium finishes, 12 race wins, 11 second places, 7 third places, 4 category promotions and a whopping 53 top tens. 4 category promotions for Harry Parsons, Tim Cooke, Lee Shirley and Red Walters who gained his first category licence.
We had race wins for Phil Godfrey, Red Walters, Ed Slot, Brook Elgie, James Peckham and Tim Cooke. Podiums for Jon Hall, Patrick Rucki and Phil Wilks.
Oh and the small matter of a professional contract for one particularly talented rider!
The wins started in March with a 1-2 from Red and James Peckham in the Sandie Radford Road Race and a 1-2-3 in the Crabwood Heath Races from Red, Brook and Phil Wilks. Culminating in second place for the club in the British Cycling Southern Region rankings.
A big thank all the race team members for their hard work to make this possible.
In June, we once again ran our Criterium races at the Winchester Park and Ride circuit and it was great to see the youth numbers growing – especially from our own youth squad with over 30 riders now taking part in road and cyclocross competitively.
Our most successful rider in all this abundance of riches was of course Red Walters, one of our first coached riders, when he took up road cycling just 3 years ago. In 2018, he racked up an incredible 180 regional and national points on his way to attracting the attention of Continental team, Vitus Pro Cycling, We are extremely proud to say that Red will be riding alongside the likes of Olympian Ed Clancy in 2019. We wish Red the very best in the start of his professional career.
Forest Fourscore Reliability Ride
The first Reliability Ride of the 2018–19 Winter season will run on Sunday, 28 October. The Forest Fourscore is an 80-mile route starting from and ending at Carlo's Ices and Tea Rooms (Romsey Rd, West Wellow, SO51 6BG); it takes in some of the Dean Valley and Avon Valley before cutting through the New Forest. Although it is a long route, there are few hills apart from the lane linking Alderbury to Downton.
You will set off at 9:00; your finishing time will be recorded between 2pm and 4pm; before you attempt this ride, be confident of being able to ride at an average speed of 12mph for about seven hours.
If you drive to the start, you can park at Carlo's Ices. Please arrive by 8:45, so that everyone can sign on in time for a prompt departure.
Reliability Rides are not races! They test your endurance, and your ability to follow a paper routesheet or a gpx file uploaded to a navigation device. You can do them solo, or with a group of friends who ride at similar speeds, that is, you can think of them as club runs with the café stop at the end of the route, not in the middle.
The next Reliability Ride is scheduled for the last Sunday in November.
New cyclocross season off and running at Newbury Race course
The new cyclocross season is off and running at Newbury Race course for the 2018/2019 season! Sunny skies and an “easy” grassland course to stretch the legs. Riders had to keep pushing those pedals as there was no coasting in the long grass! Hurdles provided a good skill test for team Sotonia’s 18 youth and 15 adults.
Highlights were a podium for Tilly Wilks in the U8s, 8th place for Tom Budden in the senior men. Jon Hall and Ben Darnton 13th and 14th v40 men, Gemma Wilks 13th senior woman.
Successful return for the Heath Races
After several years absence, the Heath Races returned in June - with Crabwood CC hosting the TLI series in their 75th anniversary celebrations, for four races on the circuit near Beaulieu and attracting big turnouts for Sotonia racers in both senior and vets races.
Race one saw Three Sotonia riders smashing it up in the break - Brook Elgie, Phil Wilks and Red Walters, who rode away for the win. To top it off James Peckham got 4th place making it a clean 1-2-3-4 sweep for Sotonia!
In race two the seniors split to bits, with a Venta 1-2, Sotonia taking 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th with Brook Elgie, Patryk Rucki, Phil Wilks and James Peckham. The vets race turned out to be a fast, attacking affair that came back together for a final sprint with Jon Hall taking 2nd, Justin Menhenett 7th.
Race three was held in glorious weather again with 15 Sotonia riders and a sprint win for Brook Elgie from the break in the vets race. 2nd place for James Peckham in the seniors.
The final senior race was again dominated by Sotonia - James Peckham, winning solo after a tactical tussle with a strong Venta team. Red Walters and Brook Elgie rounded out a Sotonia top 3 and Justin Menhenett 5th in the Vets race.
View the Heath race #4 photo gallery here
Sotonia Summer Criterium report
Returning for the fifth year running, youth numbers were good for the Sotonia Summer Criterium on Sunday with 59 youth riders – 17 of which were Sotonia in a season that has seen falling race entries for many events. In warm, breezy conditions, Tom Wilks finished 3rd U8 boy, Marit Davidse 1st U8 girl, Jaya Martingale 3rd, Tilly Wilks and Theresa Bignell 4th and 5th U8 girls, Izzy Hall 2nd U10 girl, Monty Flavell 3rd U10 boy and a great team effort by our U12 boys.
The E123 race featured five Sotonia riders. The group stayed together until around the halfway mark when Matt Downie (TAAP Cervelo) put in a trademark stinging attack that took several laps to bring back. A trio of riders then got away including Matt and Brook Elgie which split the pack in two as others bridged across to make a group of seven. With two laps to go Ed Slot made a solo bid but was chased down to leave the final group sprint won by Rhys HIDRIO (HJL), Mike Smith (MB Cyclery) 2nd and Matt Downie 3rd. Sotonia taking positions 6-10: Brook Elgie, Ed Slot, Tom Budden, Patryk Rucki and James Peckham.
Many thanks to all the club members who helped make this event possible.
Full results here
Sotonia 1-2 at Sandie Radford
Popular spring classic, the Sandie Radford Memorial Road Race returned this weekend to attract a quality field of 48 riders, including past winner Matt Downie (TAAP Cervelo) and Sotonia rising star, Red Walters.
Sotonia fielded a big team of eight riders keen to make their mark on the 45 mile ‘sporting’ course around Nomansland in the New forest.
The action got off to a quick start with club riders James Peckham and Brook Elgie stringing the bunch out and after half a lap, a dozen riders had a 25 second gap on the bunch in a biting cold tailwind on Roger Penny Way. By the end of lap 1, the race was back together but Red was already on the attack in a two man break with Lee Rutland (Bike Jockey). The two forged on, forcing others to chase as a dozen again rode clear of the bunch in pursuit.
By lap three, the lead group, including Red, James Peckham, Tom Budden, Phil Godfrey and Brook Elgie was back together. The winning move came on the final lap as James got a gap and Red quickly bridged to him. With Half a lap to go they had forced a lead of over a minute from the chasing break - any attempt nullified with strong Sotonia teamwork by Tom, Brook and Phil chasing down any attempts to pursue the leaders.
As the road pitched up for the steep final climb of Pipers Wait, Red pulled clear and he crossed the line alone, James taking a fine second place in only his first race of the year and well ahead of the pursuing break. Tom Temple (Primera Team Jobs) rounding out the podium, after pipping Matt Downie in the final dash for the line.
Red: “Just after the bell, James got a gap, I bridged over, we stuck our heads down and the gap grew. Basically E3 Harelbeke!”
So a fantastic and well deserved 1-2 for Sotonia, with Phil, Tom and Brook finishing 11, 12 and 13th after brilliant support work. Our other riders all finished in the pack not far behind - Phil Wilks (23rd), Tim Cooke (25th), and Nick Austin (31st).
Our thanks to Glenn Longland, TLI Cycling league, sponsor Gary Allan, all the marshals, time keepers and helpers for another fine event.
Result
1. Red Walters - Sotonia
2. James Peckham - Sotonia
3. Tom Temple - Primera-Teamjobs
4. Matthew Downie - Taap Cervelo
5. Ian Taylor - Leicester Forest CC
6. Lee Rutland - Bike Jockey CC
7. Oscar Hutchings - VC Equipe-Flix
8. Matthew Norris - Mud Sweat n Gears CC
9. George Smith - Tri-UK
10. Max Moyles - Primera Teamjobs
11 Phil Godfrey - Sotonia CC
12 Tom Budden - Sotonia CC
13 Brook Elgie - Sotonia CC
14 James Horton - VC St Raphael
15 Rowan Horner - VC St Raphael
16 Zak Snell - UK-Biking/Bournemouth Cycleworks
17 Steve Dring - Team Echelon
18 Roland Tilley - Weber Creative Interiors / Bournemouth Cycleworks
19 Grzegorz Gacek - Nowotarski Klub Kolarski
20 Jason Gault Primera-TeamJobs Race Team
Race photos courtesy of Jez Hart: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKxRxl1KupiRrkH93
Bourne Valley Reliability Ride: 2018 results
The worst of the Beast from the East, aka the Siberian winter wind, fortunately arrived a day later than expected, and the second reliability trial of the new year went off without a hitch. 20 riders turned up at the start; a few didn't finish, but most did, and they did so with very good times. The results:
GOLD award (16+ mph)
Malcolm Baker (Braishfield) Tom Budden Richard Burch
Joffrey Carlier* Graham Harman Gordon McKinnon (Braishfield)
Nick Malbon John Phillips (Ben Scott-Munden)
Will Weynberg Paul Witcombe. Jonathan Wren
SILVER award (14 to 16 mph)
Mel Cook Jorge Manso (as yet unaffiliated)
BRONZE award (12 to 14 mph)
Mick Bradban Colin Witt
As mentioned on the club's closed Facebook page, the next reliability ride will be held on the last Sunday of April, starting again from Romsey Bus Station and following a new route out to Longleat Safari Park and back via Shaftesbury, Cranborne and Fordingbridge: 100 miles in all. On the last Sunday of this month, 25 March, I shall be doing the route as a social ride with café stops in Warminster and Shaftesbury, and checking my draft route-sheet along the way. Both events will start at the earlier "summer schedule" time of 9 o'clock.
Reliability Ride, 25 February 2018
The second Sotonia reliability ride of the year will be held on Sunday, 25 February, setting off from ROMSEY BUS STATION at 9:30.
The Bourne Valley is a popular route, not too long (circa 54 miles, or 86 km) and not too hilly.* There is some riding on the A30, but the traffic should be relatively light on a Sunday morning. The lanes around Chilbolton and Longparish are attractive, as is the cycle-friendly B-road from through the pretty villages in the Bourne Valley.
A gpx file of the route and the route-sheet, which have been checked against each other. are available on the Sotonia "Forum." In due course, these files will also be available on the Events page of the club website.
Please arrive by 9:15 to sign on. At that hour, there is normally plenty of free parking in front of the bus station (don't park in front of Aldi)
*NOTE: This ride is different from the "Bourne Supremacy", a much hillier extended version, which last ran about two years ago.
Newton Tony Reliability Ride 28 January 2018
The 2018 reliability rides kicked off with a new, 69-kilometre route starting and finishing at Carlo's Ices and Tearooms (West Wellow), reaching its furthest point in Cholderton (and the nearby hamlet of Newton Tony) and making its way back via Porton Down, Winterslow and the Dean Valley. The finishers (FWCC = Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club; all others are members of the Sotonia Cycling Club)
GOLD (16+ mph)
Jerome Bakker
Richard Burch
Dave Dalton (FWCC)
Eileen Duff (FWCC)
Jon Legg
Neil Mackley (FWCC)
Nick Malbon
Kirsty McSeveny (FWCC)
James Peckham
Paul Ranson
Ben Scott-Munden
Nigel Sign (F)
Russell Speight
Rich Stephens
Bruce Tandy (FWCC)
Red Walters
Will Weynberg
Paul Witcombe
SILVER (14-16 mph)
Janet Burnage
Mel Cook
Leon Kuzmicz
Martin Roscoe
George Wadsworth
BRONZE (12-14 mph)
Mick Bradban
Colin Witt