Ben reaches the top step at VC Venta Crits
We had another fine result at Winchester Park & Ride Criterium circuit this Sunday for the final round of the VC Venta Crit series. Sotonia rider, Ben Scott-Munden lets his legs do the talking and has been racking up top five finishes all season. On Sunday he finally got his first win in the 3rd cat race. A large field of over 30 contained two Sotonia riders - Ben and Phil Wilks. Both rode a smart race, were well positioned and never far from the front of the bunch. Ben left it to the last corner to unleash his sprint, winning by several bike lengths. Phil rode very strongly in support, chasing down some dangerous moves and would probably have been on the podium too, were it not for a crash on the last corner that held him up. Ben is now just four points off 2nd Cat promotion - we wait with excitement to see if he can do it!
In the 4th cat race, David Baxter represented the club, making a break of four riders at the mid point that would stay away to the end. The leading group of Mike Hopkins (Cycleworks), Ant Gritton (DHC) and Felix Wilkinson (Veloton) built up a lead of 13 seconds over four chasers until with three laps to go, Ant attacked and managed to hold off the break to the finish with David in second place and gaining promotion to 3rd cat too - great riding David!
Sotonia Criterium success at Winchester
A top day's racing in the sun at the Winchester Park & Ride circuit on Sunday for the Sotonia Criterium races. With big crowds watching the action it was an even more successful event than last year with 155 riders across the categories from six year olds to seniors. Sotonia fielded six juniors aged 8 to 16 - fresh from our youth coaching programme in their first races - a proud moment for our coaches Phil and Jez.
The racing started brilliantly with George Connell winning his first ever race in the U8 boys. In the U14/U16 combined race, we had Kit Freeman-Horsfall in the U14s, Sam Kushner and Red Walters in the U16s. All three riding well and gaining valuable first time experience, with Sam finishing a very respectable 9th place in his category.
It just got better from there with the 4th cat race. A big field of 31 riders lined up, featuring six Sotonia riders - Ed Slot, Tom Budden, Chris Moody, David Baxter, Ben Hames and Richard Woods. After a cagey start, the relentless nature of the course began to stretch the elastic and by halfway point, the front group was down to 10 riders - Ed, Tom and Chris near the front and David just off the back, keeping the bunch in sight. It was on the bell that Ed made his move, riding strongly away from the leaders to take the win (that's two races and two wins for Ed and a swift promotion). Tom and Chris had a great sprint battle for 3rd place, Tom taking it by half a wheel, with Chris now also on the brink of promotion.
In the 3rd cats, we had Phil Wilks, Ben Scott-Munden, James Peckham and Dan Edwards. The pace was hot from the start in this race and the relentless sprints took their toll on Dan's TT training and then James who dropped back from the lead group of 15 at the three quarter mark of the race. In the final sprint, Ben, who has been quietly producing top five finishes all season, powered through to 4th place with Phil taking 10th and his first 3rd cat point. Great riding everyone!
A big thank you to so many people who helped out throughout the day especially Penny Cossburn, Julian Gee, Greg Vint, Jim Martin, Gawain Young, Ian Stewart, Dave Crocker, Martin Napier, John Phillips, Phil Connell, Paul Mills and everyone else supplying much appreciated support.
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Graham Robins' full race report can be found here
Official photos by Graham Robins
Sotonia win again at Winchester P&R Crits
Sunday saw the third of VC Venta's series of four criterium race events this year and considering the fairly apocalyptic conditions, there was a good turnout. Sotonia had four brave riders take to the startline. In the 4th cat race we had Mark Edwards, Paul Ransom and Jonathan Hall. Paul and Jon both hoping to gain promotion to 3rd cat and only needing a couple of points to do so.
The rain actually stopped for their race leaving a wet course that required a bit more care on the corners. A front group of 11 quickly formed with all three Sotonia riders in it - Paul and Jon never far from the front. Mark also had a dig with around 7 laps to go to soften up the group and try to shed one or two but with things all together, Jon made his move before the bell lap and just like the Winchester City crit, he held the lead to the line, winning by some margin. Paul finished 7th and Mark 11th - just out of the points but a fine performance in his first outing on this circuit. So, mission accomplished for Jon and Paul with a pair of 3rd cat promotions.
The 3rd cat race saw driving rain return with a vengence but that didn't stop James Peckham and a strong ride in the lead group of eight that reduced to seven after a couple of digs by James to test the competition's legs. A lone Wightlink rider broke free after the mid point of the race and held a gap that the bunch couldn't eat into. The final lap came down to a sprint for second with James Cooper of Rock n Road taking it, with James finishing a fine 6th place.
So, another brilliant result at the Park & Ride for Sotonia. Thanks to VC Venta for a really well run event despite the weather!
Next up is our own Criterium event at the Park & Ride on August 9th. Places still available in all categories from under 8s to seniors: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/122892/Sotonia-Cri...
Hope to see a few of you there!
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Results: Club 10 mile TT, 16 July
Congratulations to Phil Wilks on his first time trial win for Sotonia with a time of 23.34 in thursday's 10 mile trial on the p164 course at Lyndhurst.
| Pos | Name | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Wilks | Sotonia CC | 23.34 |
| 2 | James Plumb | 23.36 | |
| 3 | Neils Langhout | Sotonia CC | 24.01 |
| 4 | Jonathan Hall | Sotonia CC | 24.29 |
| 5 | Stephen Wood | Antelope | 24.31 |
| 6 | Matt Macdonald | Eden Veranda | 24.59 |
| 7 | Angela Burnikell | Sotonia CC | 25.38 |
| 8 | Ian Sherin | 3C | 25.54 |
| 9 | Richard Burch | Sotonia CC | 26.23 |
| 10 | Tim Cooke | Sotonia CC | 27.08 |
| 11 | David Taylor | 27.29 | |
| 12 | Sergio Copest | 28.02 | |
| 13 | Wendy Knowlton | Sotonia CC | 28.25 |
| 14 | Paul Bullen | 28.42 | |
| 15 | Ian MacDonald | 28.42 | |
| 16 | Chris Summers | Sotonia CC | 29.09 |
| 17 | Luis Rosus | 29.12 | |
| 18 | Abbie Manley | Eden Veranda | 30.3 |
| 19 | Dudley Jaynes | Sotonia CC | 31.18 |
| 20 | Martin Napier | Sotonia CC | 32.57 |
| 21 | Paul Hopkins | 32.58 |
Thanks to:
Organiser: Graham Vail
Timekeepers: Dave Crocker, Norman Harvey, Mary Corbett
Pusher off: Rob Tomlinson
Signage: Martin Napier, Graham Vail
Marshals: Mick Bradban, Colin Witt, Ted Knowlton, Dan Edwards
Full Marks for Sotonia Summer Road Race
Sunday saw another successful Sotonia Summer Road Race take place, featuring seven Sotonia riders: Tim Cooke, Mark Edwards, Tim Dawkins, James Peckham, Phil Wilks, Paul Ransom and Jonathan Hall.
While the fast, hilly start caught out a few riders including Tim C and Mark, they soldiered on, working well together to complete most of the race. In the bunch, our other team riders looked comfortable and all stayed in the bunch to the finish - no small feat given the blistering pace and high level of competition, gaining valuable race experience.
A four man break escaped on the first of 7.5 laps of the tough circuit, and built a lead of 40 seconds. James Peckham made a bid to break free of the bunch shortly after but was brought back before another group of seven formed, leaving the bunch over three minutes down as the race entered the last lap. Ben Marks of Cycleworks sprinted clear to win.
Tim Dawkins finished 26th, James Peckham 31st, Jon Hall 36th, Paul Ransom 37th, Phil Wilks 43rd, Mark Edwards 45th and Tim Cooke 46th. Big respect to first time road racer Jonathan Hall for staying the course! Well done guys, proud of you all!
The race was incident free with not even a flat tyre for neutral service. The commissaires and riders were very complimentary about how well the event was run which is testament to the hard work all the volunteers put in on the day and beforehand. Thank you so much to all the marshals, helpers, cake makers, tea servers, car park attendants and drivers. We couldn't have done it without you! :)
Sotonia Criterium races coming soon
Next up are the Sotonia Criterium Races at Winchester Park & Ride on Sunday 9th August...
[button color="#ffffff" background="#f2594b" size="large" src="https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/122892/Sotonia-Criterium-#1" target="_blank">https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/122892/Sotonia-Criterium-#1"]Enter the Sotonia Crits online here[/button]
[gdl_gallery title="sotonia-road-race-5-7-2015" width="186" height="130" ]
Thanks to Graham Robins for the pics. Full race gallery here
Results
| Pos | Name | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Marks | Cycleworks |
| 2 | James Boyman | Farnham RC |
| 3 | Philip Peters | Danny Shane - Storck Racing |
| 4 | Andrew Pickett | Eden Veranda Racing |
| 5 | Paul Double | Velo Club Venta |
| 6 | Liam Walsh | VC St Raphael |
| 7 | Matthew Downie | DHC Racing |
| 8 | Kris Jasper | |
| 9 | David Billings | VC St Raphael |
| 10 | George Stainton-Ellis | ASL Projects Racing Team |
| 11 | Daniel Bone | I-Team Cyclists’ Club |
| 12 | George Smith | Gillingham and District Wheelers |
| 13 | William Griffiths | Veloton Team |
| 14 | Scott Michaels | Southampton University RC |
| 15 | Andrew Gough | Velo Club Venta |
| 16 | Robert Ward | Danny Shane - Storck Racing |
| 17 | Steven Whitcher | DHC Racing |
| 18 | Dominic Judd | Velo Club Venta |
| 19 | Patryk Rucki | Skinline RC |
| 20 | Calum Gillespie | Cycleworks.co.uk |
| 21 | Rob Yeatman | Cotswold Cycles RT |
| 22 | Joseph Henstridge | NFTO Race Club |
| 23 | Theo Webb | Velo Club Venta |
| 24 | Ryan Weston | Poole Whls CC |
| 25 | Trevor Smith | Cotswold Veldrijden |
| 26 | Timothy Dawkins | Sotonia CC |
| 27 | Thomas Key | Southampton University RC |
| 28 | Thomas Leach | Felt Racing |
| 29 | Lewis Martin | Eden Veranda Racing |
| 30 | Martin Rowland | Poole Whls CC |
| 31 | James Peckham | Sotonia CC |
| 32 | James Cooper | Rock N Road Cycles |
| 33 | Douglas Tandy | Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club |
| 34 | Nicholas O’Hara | 3C Cyclexperience |
| 35 | James Hywel-Davies | Gillingham and District Wheelers |
| 36 | Jonathan Hall | Sotonia CC |
| 37 | Paul Ransom | Sotonia CC |
| 38 | Ian Taylor | Leicester Forest CC |
| 39 | Patrick Brown | Eden Veranda Racing |
| 40 | Patrick Martin | WyndyMilla |
| 41 | Alex Harding | Andover Whls |
| 42 | Tim O’Rourke | Imperial Racing Team |
| 43 | Phil Wilks | Sotonia CC |
| 44 | Andrew Mackay | DHC Racing |
| 45 | Mark Edwards | Sotonia CC |
| 46 | Tim Cooke | Sotonia CC |
Sotonia in the points again at Winchester P&R Crits
It was another successful day's racing for Sotonia last sunday at the second of VC Venta's Park & Ride 2015 crit race series at Winchester, with a 4th place in cat 4 and 6th place in the cat 3 race - well done everyone!
From the 4th cat race, Jonathan Hall writes: "On rising to see slithers of blue sky I duly slapped on the factor 50 and cycled to the P&R. This kind of set the tone for my day, as it decided to chuck it down for the duration of the race! Anyway, Sotonia had three riders in the field, myself, Paul Ransom and Dave Baxter, who all got into the front six of the race from the off, and then took turns in setting a brisk pace in the early stages. Unfortunately, my legs weren't feeling fantastic so I wasn't able to pull for long, and the fast early pace that Dave helped set, meant that he and the rest of the field lost contact with our leading group in the middle stages of the race. All this meant that Paul was taking more than his share on the front, and when James Donovan from Portsmouth North End CC launched a stinging attack nobody could (or was prepared) to cover it. This left five riders going for 2nd to 6th place, and soon the other lead group riders started to put in attacks, although these were always quickly shut down.
Whilst my lack of legs meant I was never going to attempt an attack, I was able to hang on to the group in the hope that I might nick a place or two in the final sprint, or at worst I'd finish 6th and get enough points to take me to cat 3. However, it all came to premature end when I frustratingly got a rear puncture just as we were heading into the bottom corner with four laps to go.
This left four riders to contest the finale and when James Fulcher from Portsdown Hill CC cracked on the penultimate lap, Paul was in with a great chance of taking 2nd and getting the 8 points he needed for his cat 3. Unfortunately the other two riders were too strong and Paul came in a very respectable 4th, leaving us both looking for 2 more points at the next outing."
Paul Ransom: "From the start I basically sat on the front with Jonathan on my wheel doing the occasional turn, then the rain started so I dropped back to take the corners slow then James Donovan went off the front and no one chased so it left three of us trying to chase him down. With no luck it came to the final lap and having sitting on the front I didn't have the legs so therefore couldn't sprint but still pretty happy with 4th!"
In the 3rd cat race, James Peckham was also successful: "My race went well, I missed the break but finished 6th overall. It was a hard race, nothing went until about half way through. Then Matt downie of DHC got a gap with an Exeter rider. Andy Gough of VC Venta, an Eden veranda rider and Blazing saddles rider chased. No one else was chasing, three of them had strong teammates blocking and slowing so I decided to bridge on my own. Got so close to the leaders, but they started working together. I got passed by a Cotswold rider but managed to hold off the pack, and the leaders who lapped the pack! One of the riders in the lead group was a lap down from the start, so I placed ahead of him!"
Road race and Sotonia Crit coming up
Next up is the Sotonia Summer Road Race at Owlsebury this Sunday - good luck to everyone riding!
We're also looking forward to the Sotonia Criterium Races at Winchester Park & Ride on Sunday 9th August...
[button color="#ffffff" background="#f2594b" size="large" src="https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/122892/Sotonia-Criterium-#1" target="_blank">https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/122892/Sotonia-Criterium-#1"]Enter Sotonia Crit online here[/button]
Results: Club 10 mile Championship TT, 18 June 2015
The club championship 10 mile Timetrial was a tightly contested race this year in fine conditions on the p128 course with some fast times and PBs. Just two seconds separating the winner, Gawain Young in 22.25 from Dan Edwards in second place. First lady was Angela Burnikell in a cracking time of 24.06.
| Position | Name | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gawain Young | Sotonia CC | 22.25 |
| 2 | Dan Edwards | Sotonia CC | 22.27 |
| 3 | James Peckham | Sotonia CC | 22.50 |
| 4 | Jonathan Hall | Sotonia CC | 23.04 |
| 5 | Phil Wilks | Sotonia CC | 23.09 |
| 6 | Neils Langhout | Sotonia CC | 23.13 |
| 7 | Stuart Martingale | Sotonia CC | 23.36 |
| 8 | Sam Cooper | Sotonia CC | 23.53 |
| 9 | Angela Burnikell | Sotonia CC | 24.06 |
| 10 | Darren Sell | Sotonia CC | 24.21 |
| 11 | Jon Legg | Sotonia CC | 24.38 |
| 12 | Tim Cooke | Sotonia CC | 25.06 |
| 13 | Chris Summers | Sotonia CC | 27.33 |
| 14 | Bob Jolliffe | NFCC | 28.07 |
| 15 | Andrew MacDonald | GA Cycles | 28.12 |
| 16 | Sandy Bell | Sotonia CC | 28.18 |
| 17 | Brian Grierson | Sotonia CC | 29.54 |
| 18 | Martin Napier | Sotonia CC | 30.17 |
| 19 | Peter Baker | Sotonia CC | 31.22 |
| 20 | Mary Corbett | Sotonia CC | 32.03 |
Officials, Timekeepers, Marshals:
Phil Connell, Alan Sharpen, Jan Burnage, Wendy Knowlton, Jez Hart, Rob Tomlinson, Dave Davenport, Ian Stewart, Dave Crocker, Norman Harvey
[gdl_gallery title="club-champs-10tt-p128-18-6-2015" width="186" height="130" ]
Debut race win for Jonathan in Winchester city crit
Beautiful sunny conditions for the Winchester City Criterium races on Sunday saw an incredible win for Jonathan Hall on his road race debut. Sotonia had two riders lining up in the 4th cats - Ben Hames and Jonathan Hall and the pace was high from the off as a lead group of six riders including Jonathan, got a gap on a second chase group of similar size containing Ben. Behind, there were quickly riders all over the stunning yet challenging city centre course that featured a long uphill start/finish straight before a series of technical turns and cobbled sections past the cathederal.
Joe Hickerton of Eden Veranda led the front group for much of the race, seeming strong and happy to bear the workload. Jon showing great race sense for a newcomer, followed any attacks, cannily sitting on the wheels and leaving the sprint prime to others, saving for his big move which came at the end of the finish straight with two laps to go. Jon surged through the top corner first and never looked back as he attacked off the front. Leading by a couple of seconds for the bell lap the chasers were unable to reel him in and Jon won by five bike lengths. Ben rode bravely to stay with the second group, dropping back after he crashed - losing his front wheel on the chicane. Credit to Ben though for getting back in the race and finishing a worthy 17th.
Many thanks to the organisers, Winchester City Council and VC Venta for helping to put on a really top notch event.
[gdl_gallery title="winchester-city-crit-7-6-2015" width="186" height="130" ]
Results: Club 10 mile TT, P128 – 4 June 2015
| Pos | Name | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Andrews | Eden Veranda | 21.57 |
| 2 | Andrew Lockwood | SURC | 22.05 |
| 3 | Chris Goodwin/Paul Edmonds | STC (Tandem) | 22.33 |
| 4 | Dan Edwards | Sotonia CC | 23.14 |
| 5 | Jon Hall | Sotonia CC | 23.16 |
| 6 | Phil Connell | Sotonia CC | 23.26 |
| 7 | James Peckham | Sotonia CC | 23.28 |
| 8 | Phil Wilks | Sotonia CC | 23.29 |
| 9 | Neils Langhout | Sotonia CC | 23.43 |
| 10 | Nick Austin | Sotonia CC | 23.43 |
| 11 | John Hyndmann | Sotonia CC | 23.44 |
| 12 | Nick Buck | NFCC | 23.5 |
| 13 | Stuart Martingale | Sotonia CC | 23.52 |
| 14 | Rob Tomlinson | Sotonia CC | 24.01 |
| 15 | James Dick | Tri Team Wessex | 24.2 |
| 16 | Mark Dancey | Hardley | 24.22 |
| 17 | Pat Lafford | CCC | 24.32 |
| 18 | Adrian Kenkins | GA Cycles | 24.35 |
| 19 | Jon Legg | Sotonia CC | 24.49 |
| 20 | Darren Sell | Sotonia CC | 24.57 |
| 21 | Dave Baxter | Sotonia CC | 25.04 |
| 22 | Jon Wren | Sotonia CC | 25.15 |
| 23 | Ian Sherin | 3C | 25.37 |
| 24 | Graham Vale | Sotonia CC | 26.05 |
| 25 | Martin Balk | 3C | 26.05 |
| 26 | Claire Newman | Crabwood CC | 26.14 |
| 27 | Ellie Penketh | David Lloyd Tri | 26.53 |
| 28 | Steve Cripps | Come & Try | 27.43 |
| 29 | Adam Court | GA Cycles | 27.52 |
| 30 | Tom Bates | Come & Try | 28.09 |
| 31 | Chris Summers | Sotonia CC | 28.14 |
| 32 | Sandy Bell | Sotonia CC | 28.41 |
| 33 | Norman Harvey | Sotonia CC | 28.49 |
| 34 | Donna Lovelock | STC | 28.51 |
| 35 | Chas Mills | NFCC | 29.26 |
| 36 | Pete Baker | Sotonia CC | 32.16 |
| 37 | Mary Corbett | Sotonia CC | 33.44 |
Officials, Timekeepers, Marshals:
Ian Stewart, Dave Crocker, John Dudley, Colin Witt, Graham Vale, Bob Young, Andy Bishop, Janet Burnage, Phil Godfrey, Ted Knowlton, Wendy Knowlton and Martin Napier.
I would like to thank all who rode for their support, & to the eleven members who so ably assisted in running the event. Also to Phil Connell who collected some signs after riding the event, in preparation for the next event.
Martin Napier
Sotonia win at Winchester Park and Ride criterium
Sotonia was the best represented club in the 4th Cat race at the Winchester Park and Ride on Sunday 31st May with Paul Ransom, Jonathan Wren, Chris Moody and Ed Slot eager to get stuck in despite the slightly damp conditions.
By the end of the first lap Chris had already managed to open up a sizeable lead on the bunch and was setting a high pace for the others to try and match. This caused the rest of the field to split up, with a few riders spat out the back and Jonathan leading a chasing group who were lapping about 5 seconds behind the main bunch.
Slowly Chris was reeled in and things settled down a bit. It was great to see Paul, Chris and Ed on the front for a few laps dictating the pace and working well as a trio. Paul was looking strong but managed to find a metal staple on the course and punctured so had to retire.
About 20 minutes into the 40 minute race Ed launched what would turn out to be the winning attack and went off the front of the bunch. Chris did an excellent bit of soft pedalling to help him get away, and by the time the others caught on and started to chase, Ed had opened up a huge 20 second gap. Despite a few hints of cramp Ed dominated the rest of the race and increased his lead to over 30 seconds (half a lap) by the end of the race to take a very well deserved first place.
Sotonia had three riders in the slightly longer 3rd Cat race which was also rapid from the start. About seven riders broke away early with James Peckham, Ben Scott-Munden and Phil Wilks in the chasing group. James and Ben put in some very strong turns on the front, but it became apparent that the breakaway was not going to be caught.
Phil was nursing a knee injury and got dropped from the group after about 40 minutes and decided to retire. Soon after, two riders overcooked the bottom corner sending themselves into the bushes, fragmenting the chasing group. James finished a very fine 10th place, picking up his first points as a 3rd cat rider, and Ben finished a couple of places behind.
Many thanks to the organising club VC Venta for an excellent day’s racing. Photos by Phil Wilks are all of the 4th cat race.
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