Four Star riders, Nick Nixon, Ed Anderson, Richard Baker and Stuart Quick represented the club in round 3 of the Oxfordshire Road Race League (ORRL) on Sunday. Organised by High Wycombe CC, the ORRL was part of the 100km Margaret Wright Memorial Race, held near Horton-cum-Studley.
A full field of 80 Cat ¾ riders started the race on a gently breezy, but sunny day. The course was relatively flat with a sharp hill at the end of each of the 8 laps, comprising some very bumpy roads.
The first half of the race saw endless attacks off the front, riders desperate to form the usual breakaway. Eventually after a slight thinning of the peloton four riders got away. Unfortunately, by this point Ed Anderson and Richard Baker both punctured and Stuart Quick eventually lost contact after valiant efforts fighting to stay on a ruthlessly surging bunch.
Nick Nixon was going well though and attacked the bunch with three other riders to catch the four up ahead, who had managed to open up a 30 second gap. However, just as they caught them a tractor had infiltrated the course and forced a neutralised stop to the race. After a short stop to catch their breath, the race was restarted with the time gaps reinstated. With 1 lap to go Nick was in a breakaway of eight, who now had a gap of almost 2 minutes. London Dynamo CC had three riders in the break and began rolling attacks one after the other, in an attempt to wear the other five riders down. Albeit they only wore themselves down and at the bottom of the last climb Nick attacked the break. Sprinting desperately up the final 16% climb he managed to claim an excellent victory, just beating home club rider Adam Charleston by seconds. At the time of writing, we believe Nick’s victory has moved the club up to second place in the ORRL.
Also competing at the same event, in the Cat2/3/4 race for women, were members Hayley Holland and Poppy Kisley. This was held on the same course, but over a distance of 6 laps and Poppy was the first junior home.