Belated write up for last week’s Velo 99 race at North Kelsey, from our in the bunch correspondent, due to popular demand:-
The overall field was not as large as for the first event at Car Colston but the Witham Wheelers were still well represented. The weather forecast was not promising, rain and breezy which no doubt put some off. However it stayed dry for the race although the roads were wet and mucky!
There was a stiff headwind all the way from North Kelsey to South Kelsey and the groups needed to work together – the handicaps between the groups were greater than the last race.
Group 4 with Dave Mould, Crispin Bridges-Webb and Tony Mendham worked well overall and started to pick off stragglers from Grp 2 & 3. Unfortunately Crispin punctured with a lap or two to go which then only left 5 in the Grp.
Grps 4, 5 & 6 all came together in the last lap and the pace started to pick up on the tail wind section towards the finish. The survivors from Grp 1, 2 & 3 were caught on this fast section approaching the drag up to the final turn to the finish. The attacks started towards the top of the drag and it was a fight for position going into the final turn. From the turn it is dead straight to the finish, which is in view, but seems a long way when the legs and lungs are burning! There was a lot of manoeuvring for position to stay out of the wind but once again Mark Kokosinski (Grp 6) came storming through to take the sprint from Martin Milne (Grp 5). Mark even managed the win with a puncture in his front tyre!
Chris Samler (Grp 5) was well up at the finish as was Dave Mould who won Grp 4. Mark Colclough (Grp 5) was 10th and Tony Mendham (Grp 4) was 11th overall and 3Rd in Grp 4. Dave Herd was 2nd in Grp3. Gary Rands came 2nd in group 5
Carol Milne is having a baptism of fire to her start to racing – the conditions were tough but she enjoyed the experience.
Apologies for some vagueness with placing’s and for missing anyone but I have had to do it from memory!
Official Results
The next Velo race is at Norwell on Sunday 20th April.
