Three riders from Jersey’s Caesarean Cycling Club – Chris Spence, Adam Wojtkiewicz and Chris Seviour – took part in the Surrey Cycle Racing League Three Day Road Race, sponsored by Sigma Sport, over the Easter Weekend. In a tough three days of racing, over 200 miles and some rolling terrain, they were competing against strong UK racing teams and clubs, including fellow Jerseyman, Richard Tanguy, riding for the Pendragon Kalas, drawn from south-west England.
The first day was around the ‘Milland Hill’ circuit near the village of Rake on the West Sussex, Hampshire border. A 60 mile course around a 7½ mile route; the main feature of the course being the lung-busting climb up the 25% ramp of Milland Hill within a short distance of the finish line. Overnight rain and early morning fog made the course damp, but the race started dry if a little chilly.
Chris Spence was the rider to make the best of the tough terrain, spending all day making and chasing moves off the front of the peloton. Unfortunately for the Jersey rider, none of the breaks were sustained and the race came back together with a lap to go. This suited CCC sprint specialist Adam Wojtkiewiez, who had conserved his energy in the peloton, enabling him to remain competitive for the bunch sprint, claiming an impressive 23rd position for the stage. The race winner was Richard Hoult of the London Dynamos, some 27 seconds in front.
Chris Spence came in at the same time, after a hard day of attacking, two places back at 25th. It was a hard day for the Caesarean youngster Chris Seviour, who failed to adjust to the pace over the top of the climb after four laps, but to his credit he managed to hang in and to complete the distance and finish the race in 57th position, out of a field of 77 riders.
The second day and Stage Two was another 68 mile ride, around the Cutmill course just south of Farnham, with riders completing 7½ laps of a fairly flattish course, with only a small hill to contend with. There was a more aggressive feel to the race this time with attacks going from the gun.
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Sigma Sport Easter 3 Day Results
Category 1/2/3
Stage 1 - 68 miles
1. Richard Hoult London Dynamo 1 45 02:51:37
2. Douglas Dewey Pendragon Kalas 1 57 02:51:39
3. David Sinclair GWR Team 1 30 02:51:48
23. Adam Wojtkiewicz Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 11 02:52:04
25. Chris Spence Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 1 12 02:52:04
27. Richard Tanguy Pendragon Kalas 1 55 02:52:04
57. Christopher Seviour Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 13 03:02:52
Stage 2 - 68 miles
1. Steve Calland Norwood Paragon CC 1 51 02:41:25
2. Richard Mason Fit-For 1 28 02:41:27
3. David Creeggan VC Meudon 1 92 02:41:27
9. Adam Wojtkiewicz Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 11 02:41:27
40. Chris Spence Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 1 12 02:41:55
45. Christopher Seviour Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 13 02:42:01
57. Richard Tanguy Pendragon Kalas 1 55 02:45:28
Stage 3 - 70 miles
1. Sam Allen awcycles.co.uk 2J 9 02:45:00
2. Steve Calland Norwood Paragon CC 1 51 02:45:00
3. Warrick Spence Cyclefit RT 1 15 02:45:00
7. Adam Wojtkiewicz Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 11 02:45:00
17. Richard Tanguy Pendragon Kalas 1 55 02:45:00
47. Chris Spence Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 1 12 02:45:00
68. Christopher Seviour Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey 2 13 03:00:23
Overall placings
1. Steve Calland Norwood Paragon CC @ 00:00:00
2. Richard Hoult London Dynamo @ 00:00:05
3. Douglas Dewey Pendragon Kalas @ 00:00:27
15. Adam Wojtkiewicz Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey @ 00:01:02
28. Chris Spence Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey @ 00:01:30
38. Richard Tanguy Pendragon Kalas @ 00:05:03
59. Christopher Seviour Caesarean Cycling Club Jersey @ 00:27:47 |
Jersey riders Chris Spence and Richard Tanguy, of Velo Sport Jersey and now riding with UK-based elite team Pendragon Kalas, were amongst the main protagonists, riding at the front of the bunch and working to create a break. With three laps to go, Chris Spence, made a move and managed to get into a breakaway group with some strong riders. Once again, however, this was thwarted, mainly as a result of the strength in numbers of the London Dynamo Team, leading the charge in the chasing pack, to keep their rider in the leader’s jersey.
The race eventually came back together and Adam Wojtkiewiez was again able to utilise his sprinting strength to power up the last climb and clinch an impressive 9th placed finish, two seconds off the race leader, Steve Calland of Norwood Paragon Cycling Club, who was to end up taking the overall stage race title. Fellow Caesarean’s Chris Spence and Chris Seviour finished in the main bunch, back in 40th and 45th places respectively.
The third and final Easter Monday stage, was on the slightly flatter Alfold circuit with 5 ½ laps of 12 miles to complete, held under refreshingly dry and warm conditions.
In a frantic and fast first few laps of constant attacks, Caesarean Chris Seviour rode well at the front of the peloton, joining in some of the early breaks. With a fast-moving main bunch, these could not be sustained until the third lap, when a break of 13 riders formed and managed to grow a lead of a couple of minutes from the main group. There were, however, numerous counter-attacks, with Chris Spence again active, chasing hard to get across to the leading bunch.
As with stages 1 and 2, the break was not sustained, with the London Dynamo Team once again bringing the race back together for the final lap. Adam Wojtkiewiez, who had looked strong all day, took advantage of the bunch sprint and managed to power his way to his best finish of the weekend, claiming an excellent 7th place. Chris Spence finished with same time, but further back in the bunch at 47th. Despite his strongest ride of the weekend, Chris Seviour had the misfortune to puncture 2.5 laps out, and after a wheel change, chased hard to finish the race.
In the General Classification, Adam Wojtkiewiez was the best placed Jersey rider finishing in 15th place overall, just 1minute 2seconds behind the race winner. Chris Spence, despite being active all weekend and a little frustrated that none of the breakaways managed to stay clear, was a further 28 seconds down, to claim 28th place. The youngest of the Jersey Caesarean riders, Chris Seviour, who had a hard first day followed by some bad luck on the last, rode well to finish 27 minutes behind the winner in 59th overall. Richard Tanguy finished 38th. [CS, KP]
