Report: Yorkshire Winter Crit Series 1

Week 1 of the Yorkshire Winter Circuit Race Series was held at the Wakefield BKCat Circuit and promoted by Barnsley Road Club. Winners included Kirstie Drakeford, Cai Curtis-Roberts and Irfan Zaman

Report: Yorkshire Winter Crit Series

Barnsley Road Club promoted event at Wakefield BKCat Circuit. Thanks to Chris Lawrence

A crit promoted by Barnsley Road Club raced in the foulest of weather – you’ve got to be joking, that never happens ! Well wouldn’t you know, here we are again – A winter series leg on the BKCAT circuit – early morning saw a pitch inspection to ensure the safety, but once new organiser Dom McCall and the commissaires established it was merely dreadful conditions and not ‘lunacy’ we were off straight on to it putting six starters in the Youth a&b race to the sword.

Harry Speak gets man of the match, coming in 2nd in the overall race, but claiming the Youth B honours too. As Clifton CC had a number of starters, Elliot Fraser broke away employing team tactics with his team mates using their influence to keep Elliot in the lead.

Youth B

1 Harry Speak – Clifton CC

(Harry is second rider)

Youth A
1 Elliot Fraser – Clifton CC
2 Jack Cook – Calder Clarion CC
3 Oliver Moss – Clifton CC
4 James Canham – Doncaster Wheelers CC
5 Rowan Trippett – Worral Wheelers

Solo Winner Elliot Fraser Clifton CC
Combined Race podium, Elliot Fraser – Clifton CC, Harry Speak – Clifton, Jack Cook – Calder Clarion,

Women 3/4

A break of two went clear in the early stages of the race which comprised of Kirstie Drakeford (Hornsea Peleton) and Amy Loftus (a Junior from JRC Interflon Race Team). As the race entered the latter stages, the two riders lapped the bunch, which agitated the more opportunistic riders, sensing some tickets for a podium place was on offer. That rider was Emily Purbrick (Sleeaford Wheelers) who was the only rider able to match the pace of Drakeford and Loftus into the races conclusion, dropping off the pace when the third place was a certainty. A complicated finish brought the race to its conclusion with the two leaders catching a group at the sprint, Drakeford taking the win by 1, 1000s of a second.

1 Kirstie Drakeford – Hornsea Peleton
2 Amy Loftus – JRC INTERFLON Race Team
3 Emily Purbrick – Sleaford Wheelers CC
4 Rebecca Newark – Klatsch
5 Tina Reimann – HWCC
6 Karolina Chudzikiewicz – Jadan Vive le Velo
7 Joanna Lockwood – Klatsch
8 Sarah Weir – Klatsch
9 Bev Sorsby – Klatsch
10 Lorna Dodd – Queensbury Queens of the Mountain
11 Nadia Beeley – Klatsch
12 Elise Haigh – Klatsch

Regional 3/4

The race had a fast early pace, with a group of five pulling away, but stand out rider was Cai Curtis Roberts, a junior from Rhyl Cycling Club getting clear to lap the entire field. The group then invited Cai to tow them round for the rest of the race, before a late upping in pace left a group of three, Lewis Smith from Calder Claron and Will Thompson Shibden CC. Entering three laps to go, Roberts pulled away after attack, leaving him to take the spoils which had been guaranteed for some time. Lewis Smith took the sprint finish ahead of Will Thompson by less than a tires width

1 Cai Curtis-Roberts – Rhyl Cycling Club
2 Lewis Smith – Calder Clarion CC
3 Will Thompson – Shibden CC
4 Thomas White – Cero-Cycle Division Racing Team
5 Alex Robinson – York Cycleworks
6 Ewan Dowes – Seacroft Wheelers
7 Anthony Sedgwick – Calder Clarion
8 Scott Caul – Clifton CC
9 Michael Newton – Barnsley RC
10 Joshua Power – Barnsley RC
11 Daniel Bentley – East Bradford CC

Mens E/1/2/3

After two laps, Corey Ashley (Team PB Performance) pulled away from the group, appearing more confident in the conditions which in to the afternoon were deteriorating towards swimming rather than cycling. Around ten laps later and maintaining a 10-15 second gap, Ashley was joined by Irfan Zaman (Panagua CC). The two Nottingham residents worker well for the middle third of the race, until Zaman attacked. Both riders rode solo for the remainder of the race, Drabble coming in for the bottom step of the podium.

1 Irfan Zaman – Panagua CC
2 Corey Ashley – Team PB Performance
3 Guy Drabble – Ribble rechrg Race Team
4 Isaac Lawrence – Brother Uk-Orientation marketing
5 Joshua Horsfield – Bridgnorth Cycling Club
6 Richard Walker – Sowerby Bros RT
7 Callum Watson – East Bradford Race Team
8 Daniel Hepton – Velo Club Ardennes
9 Cameron Keyworth – LVC Racing
10 Timothy Lane – JRC-Interflon Race Team
11 David Lane – Ravensthorpe CC