Our intrepid trio of racers: Stuart Quick, Tobi Ng and Dan Reynolds were in action again during the week and the following is a brief account as to how they all got on.
Stuart went to Abingdon on Wednesday for the ART Summer Series Cat 4 race, run on the closed road Dalton Barracks airfield circuit. Twenty one riders started the race and at the end of the first lap the attacks started, with a solo rider going off the front for a couple of laps. Once pulled back it wasn’t long before the next attack and this continued throughout the race. Stuart tagged on to a couple of attacks; however no attack could stay away, until around 2 laps to go. At this point four riders managed to make a decisive break and stayed away. Therefore it was then down to the rest of the chasing group to sprint for 5th place, however Stuart couldn’t get in the points and finished in the middle of the group.
On Thursday, Tobi and Dan returned to Milton Keynes Bowl for another evening of Cat 3/4 racing at the Crit series. They started the 35 rider race thinking that the course would change to the more technical course midway through the race as normal. However, an early crash on the greasy surface changed the organiser’s mind and the race was kept on the inner loop of the MK Bowl course. This meant the race was kept at a high pace throughout. Two Welwyn riders, in particular, kept putting in attacks on the climb on the finishing corner. The two Star riders both had to keep controlling the bunch and pulling the riders back in. In the last 10 minutes or so, Tobi kept the pace high on the front and kept to the first five or so wheels to position well. The two Welwyn riders, who had been attacking previously, then attacked with another rider and stayed away until the end of the race. Tobi started his sprint early and caught the bunch by surprise just about holding on for 4th and gaining his first 6 points towards his Cat 2 progression. Dan finished 18th.