A good turn out for the second event and, for a change, a good night; so good that Mally decided to let you have an extra lap for free. Again there were four groups; maybe we could have had five but they were evenly spaced and the racing was good.

In the first group setting off at seven o’clock, were Glenn Whitehouse, Daniel Wright, John Hopper, James Wagstaff, Mark Ollerenshaw, Paul Cutsforth, Darren Sheard, John Hakner, Terry Parker, Mike Kilgour, Chris Goode, Mel Blackford, Digby Rusling and Mark McKeown

Setting off four minutes later was the second group comprising Steve Macklin, Karl Downes, Andy Barnes, Chris Burton, Martin Cockerill, Ben Roberts, Chris Brearley, Kyle Byers, Luke Barber, Derek Palmer and Paul Joliffe

A further two minutes away were mostly the 3rd cat riders Nathan Wilson, Steve Guymer, Dave Compston, Richard Robinson, Steve Wakefield, Matthew Fenton, Paul Wakefield, Anthony Pearson and Paul Purdy

Finally the scratch group, group four, were a further two minutes behind, altogether some eight minutes after the leading group (but only four behind the second group which is the first one to contain some more experienced riders). This was the largest scratch group I’ve ever seen in these events over the years – and perhaps one of the best. These were Chris Daddy, Richard Moore, Jeremy Kirshin, Richard Lambert, Stuart Axel, Steve Marrows, Steve Ward, Mark Wordsworth, Kit Gilham, Erik Van Lakerveld, Ryan MacLachlan, Alastair Kay, Mike Moss and Dan Keena.

Group one stayed fairly steady together but lost a minute and half to group two who were a little more determined with Andy Barnes and Luke Barber leading up the finish area and only Chris Brealey was unable to maintain this pace. Group Three were taking it a little more leisurely, only a quarter of a minute faster than the group they were chasing (ie it would take them eight laps to close them down) and I suspect some unrest there with not everyone pulling their weight. A case of wheelsuckers and shunters? Not so with the scratch group, only sixteen and a half minutes it took them on this first lap and they’d more than halved the distance to group 3. I think maybe the two Lincolnshire Firemen would have been ringing their bells! Ryan MacLachlan and Chris Daddy led through the finish area but it was a very tightly packed group, only Stuart Axel struggling a bit here.

Lap 2 was a prime lap and Glenn Whitehouse took this easily from Mark McKeown (not quite as good as his Australian cousin Robbie!) but the rest were taking it steadily and still had a minute and half to spare over group two. Again it was Andy Barnes and Luke Barber pacing them up the hill. Have to keep an eye on young Luke who seems to be going very well. They still had a minute to spare over groups three and four who had now merged. If riders in group three were waiting for a tow from the scratch group they were in for a disappointment. When this group came over the line they were being stretched by Kit Gilham and Erik Van Lakerveld. I remember Erik riding with Charlie Evans being surprise winners of our Two-up early in the year with a super fast time for the conditions. The combined group was being stretched out like you see on the television which tells the commentator that “they’re really trying now!” Nevertheless I noticed Steve Ward sitting at the back of this taking it easy.

Lap four was another prime and this was taken with absolute ease by Ali Kay, as if the others weren’t interested in it. But maybe this was just showing us how strong he is. Alistair had a 4 second lead here on the other six who were going to contest the finish, Van Lakerveld, Ward, Moore, Gilham, MacLachlan and Wordsworth. They were telling me that Mark Wordsworth would probably prove to be the strongest sprinter but I wasn’t going to write off Steve Ward – and some were unknown quantities. It never came to that.

I don’t know whether Alistair Kay stayed away for the whole lap or whether he jumped them on the corner out of Little Weighton but he returned a lap later still on his own, victoriously by a good quarter of a minute. He deservedly got a good ovation but a pity there weren’t more spectators. Steve Ward took the sprint from Van Lakerveld , Gilham and Moore – all four of them within a whisper of each other, with Mark and Ryan sitting on their heels.

Coming up to the line for the last time, the next group were witness to some gross misbehaviour from a motorist. As Dave Compston sprinted off the front of this group a vehicle with a trailer containing scrap metal popped out from a hidden exit in the hedge at the side of the road. Dave crashed into this and the driver and vehicle drove off. There was some talk that this driver is a gypsy and the police are pursuing the matter. Dave seems to have been very lucky and got off lightly with some badly swollen knees and his bike seems only to have a damaged STI lever. Just think ourselves lucky that this maniac didn’t pop out into one of the groups.

Lap times are:

Final Result:

Road Race League Event 2.   Little Weighton    62 Kilometres