Puncture and broken chain can’t stop Willis at Hog Hill
Another brilliant week of cycle racing performances by Mick Ives’ Team Jewson-MI Racing-Polypipe-McCann.
Josh Giddings, the leading member of the Mick Ives’ Youth Academy Team demonstrated once again his great potential by winning the latest round of the British Cycling National Youth Circuit series. The latest event was held at Minehead, Somerset where he beat the best riders in his class in the UK.
Photograph: Josh Giddings at the finish, courtesy of British Cycling Photographers.
Other members of the Academy, were also on the winners’ podium, this time at Mallory Park, Leicestershire, In what was described as a ‘Mini Stage Race’ for Youth riders. Jamie Kennerson finished third fastest in the Time Trial and 3rd in the Circuit race that followed, making him the overall winner. Team mates Callum Twelves finished 2nd in the Circuit race, with Ed Hopkins 3rd, making it a clean sweep for the squad in the Circuit Race.
The Team’s most experienced rider 56-year-old Mike Twelves, showed no signs of slowing down after his recent crash on Derby Velodrome, when he won the over 55 years Percy Stallard National Road Race, Round 5 at Tysoe, in south Warwickshire, organised by Stratford CC.
Twelves was part of a small breakaway group that went clear for most of the event, only to be caught in the closing stages, but his finishing sprint, was enough to give him victory. It means he has now won all five of the series events and is assured of the National Series Championship, a series he has won twice before. Warwick’s leading rider John Stevenson, team mate of Twelves, once again just missed out on victory, finishing 3rd in the same race.
Earlier in the week Twelves had competed in the Derby Track League at the Velodrome, winning the Elimination race, winning the Points race and finishing 2nd in the Scratch race, behind the 45year-old National Champion.
Next week end Twelves and several team mates will compete in the British Veteran Track Championships at Newport (South Wales) Velodrome and are expected to do well.
The Team’s leading Road Racer of the season Antony Wallis, was in action twice during the week, both events on his favourite Circuit – Hog Hill, in North London.
In round 8 of the Le Col series, the weather was foul, with an inch of water in places on the tough tricky circuit, which includes a very steep climb, followed by a twisty descent. It looked as if it wasn’t going to be Antony’s day when he punctured early on in the race, but a quick change of wheel, and a tough chase saw him back in contention, only to suffer another set back when he broke his chain. Again he managed to get back to the Pits and get his spare bike to start yet another chase to get back to the main field. And still he was able to win the event,with his powerful sprint, making it eight out of eight in the series.
Then a few days later Antony was back at Hog Hill, to compete in the CC London race, no problems this time. Attacking early on in the race, he soloed to victory, in dry weather this time , finishing 1 and a half laps ahead of two chasers, and two laps ahead of the main field. He certainly is the King of Hog Hill. This was his 12th Road victory of the season.
