NCRA Race 1

The NCRA Spring series handicap road races got off to a cold, wet and windy start this Saturday on the Naseby circuit. The club were reresented by Joe Finucane, Richard Ostler, Tim Penell, Wayne Tunnah and Harry Wade, although we were almost a man down when Tim punctured on the warm up! A quick fix followed and and we made it to the start line.

Tim and Harry were in the third group, Richard and Wayne the fourth and Joe alone in scratch (fifth group). The first lap was fast. Scratch quickly shelled half their riders while the fourth group worked reasonably well and soon started eating up and spitting out dropped riders from the first groups. The main catch came at the end of the first lap, Harry was leading a small group up the final drag when the fourth group caught, but most of them were unable to latch on, Tim did though and there were now three St Neots riders in the main bunch with scratch still chasing and a few first group riders still holding out ahead.

The second lap became more aggressive with attempts to split the group. As the bunch turned on to the exposed airfield, speed at the front and a bitter northerly wind combined to inflict some damage and several riders were split off, Richard and Tim included. Five scratch riders, including Joe, caught the surviving bunch on circuits main climb just before the third and final lap.

For the final lap, conditions got tougher when another (there had been two already) hailstorm swept across the course, but it wasn't enough to deter Joe and Wayne in the leading group. A junior from Bourne Wheelers held off the bunch for the final sprint home and took the win. Joe made an early move for second, but Kettering’s Jordan McSween had him marked and it became a man on man battle to cross the line next. Jordan just got the edge from Joe’s lead out leaving Joe to pick up 3rd. Wayne collected the final point for 10th while Richard lead home a worn and ragged group of three for 24th.

Overall a good start to the season with a couple of strong performances under testing early season conditions.