One Step Closer for Wood
This weekend saw eight of our riders clad in the black and blue of Geared Up Cycles battle it out across the small circuit of Forge Valley and a 38 mile road race out in Selby, and once again it was Steve Wood that came away with a points haul to edge ever closer to his season target of gaining his Cat. 3 British Cycling license.
The racing got underway at 1.30pm at Forge Valley, Sheffield with Tom Booth and Sam Wood competing in the Youth B race with new member Paul Freer representing the club for the first time in the Youth A race. Blustery conditions made it difficult for all three riders but it was valuable track time for the trio, especially Tom who made his circuit racing debut.
Following the Youth Race came the Cat. 4 only race with a field of around 30 riders ready to battle the conditions. Oskar Brailsford, Andy Robins and Steve Wood lined up alongside another of our new members, Stewart Le Couilliard, all looking for a good result infront of the other club members who had come along to show their support.
Circulating the track in a anti-clockwise direction which would seem unfamiliar to those that had previously raced on the Forge Valley circuit, it didn’t take long for the pace to be increased which made it hard for the likes of Stewart, Oskar and Andy but Steve, buoyed by his performances of recent weeks, managed to stay up near the front of the group for much of the race.
An attack off the front was short lived in a brutal headwind before a counter-attack by a small group of five riders managed to get away with Steve in hot pursuit. The catch was made but the effort took a lot out of Steve but he managed to hold on for 6th and Steve’s third top ten of the season and another 4 points which takes his early season tally up to six and half-way to his Cat. 4 license.
On Sunday it was David Beechills turn to build on the performance on Saturday with 38 miles around the flat roads of Selby in the Seacroft Wheelers Road Race.
Admittedly Dave is more suited to the races with rolling hills but it was a good chance to get some early season race miles in the legs ahead of the races that are coming up later on in the year and a chance to put the winter training to test.
A bunch sprint was inevitable with the course being flat with the only undulations being the two railway bridges splitting the circuit. Dave was active for much of the race and got himself into a few moves but they barely got over a minute ahead of the chasing peloton before being clawed back.
Despite early attempts not sticking, a breakaway tried to get away on the final lap but big turns on the front were needed when the group tried to go through and off. Excitement got the better of one rider who cut across the front wheel of Dave which forced him onto the grass which put the end to his race at such a late stage.
All in all it was a great weekend for different reasons with a number of riders getting their first race miles of the season under the belt but the plaudits go to Steve Wood once again for scoring some vital points for him and the club.