credit: David Perry
Pook lands final blow to clinch Shropshire & South Staffs RRL R3
report by Ben Goddard
Chris Pook (Rhino Velo Race Team) showed that he was the fastest sprinter to clinch victory in round three of the Shropshire & South Staffs Road Race League. The 34-year-old, from Shrewsbury, timed his winning sprint to perfection after a gruelling race around a hilly Enville circuit near Stourbridge.
After finishing second in the first round Pook made no mistake on this occasion winning on the slightly downhill finish to take the overall Coaching Revolutions’ leaders yellow jersey. However, he was nearly thwarted by a late attack in the final few miles from Matthew Higgins (Mammoth Lifestyle RT) and Rhino Velo team-mate Ollie Hayward. The duo looked to have snatched victory but were caught metres from the finish line.
“I knew the form was there and I was hoping that the league table would reflect that,” said Pook following the victory.
“The final time up the climb we caught the first group. We worked hard up there and pushed on over the top meaning there wasn’t many riders left for the finish.
“With the run in to the finish it was just a case of sitting in and waiting. Peter Banham (DMW-Bridgtown) blinked first and opened up the sprint so I got on his wheel and bridged up to the leading two.
“I swung around him and just beat Higgins on the line. I wasn’t even sure where the finish line was.
“It was my second win of the season and my form is better than ever but there are 79 other guys who also want to win so it is hard to win a bike race.
“There are a lot of canny riders trying to win so it’s not always the person with the strongest legs.”
The handicap format saw the first ability based group, who were not caught last
week, have an advantage of almost eight-and-a-half minutes at the start of the 32 miles race.
However, four times up the Six Ashes climb took their toll on the bunch and the last group caught all of those that started ahead of them on this occasion.
Only 25 of the 77 starters came to the finish together with Higgins and Hayward sneaking a slight lead on the charging pack.
Higgins managed to hold on for second while Ben Joughin (Pro Vision RT) finished third.
Overall leader Matthew Morris (Wolverhampton Whls) lost his overall lead but will remain as strong favourite for the veteran’s overall victory after finishing fifth.
Junior rider Alfie Mortimer (Mid Shropshire Whls) put in another strong showing to finish 14th on the night in the leading pack.
After picking up all the top placing last week the first group failed to hold onto the faster riders on this occasion and came in a few minutes behind.
Pook took the overall leaders jersey but will be missing for several rounds next month when he travels to Colorado, USA, with some of his Rhino Velo team-mates to compete in a endurance road race over several days.
| Pos | No | Name | Club | Time | Cat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Chris Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | 01:23:54.54 | 2nd |
| 2 | 93 | Matt Higgins | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 0.003 | |
| 3 | 20 | Ben Joughin | Pro Vision Race Team | 0.141 | 2nd |
| 4 | 3 | Kirk Vickers | Rhino Velo Race Team | 0.146 | 1st |
| 5 | 5 | Matthew Morris | Wolverhampton Whls | 0.293 | 2nd |
| 6 | 9 | Joseph Hobbs | Halesowen A & CC | 0.321 | 2nd |
| 7 | 18 | Peter Banham | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 0.461 | 1st |
| 8 | 2 | Josh Yates | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 0.49 | 2nd |
| 9 | 4 | Matthew Garthwaite | Rhino Velo Race Team | 0.504 | 1st |
| 10 | 97 | Ben Pinches | Wolverhampton Whls | 0.588 | |
| 11 | 99 | Matt Davies | Rhino Velo Race Team | 0.592 | |
| 12 | 35 | Daren Glaze | Stourbridge Velo | 0.678 | 2nd |
| 13 | 102 | Ollie Hayward | Rhino Velo Race Team | 0.971 | |
| 14 | 37 | Alfie Mortimer | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 1.021 | 3rd |
| 15 | 108 | Marlon Davies | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 1.07 | |
| 16 | 107 | Matt Clarke | Halesowen A & CC | 1.301 | |
| 17 | 21 | Stuart Glover | Rhino Velo Race Team | 1.383 | 2nd |
| 18 | 15 | Nick Morris | Clee Cycles | 1.388 | 4th |
| 19 | 22 | Chris Childs | Stourbridge Velo | 1.649 | 2nd |
| 20 | 100 | Charlie Passfield | 2.404 | ||
| 21 | 14 | Danny Smith | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 2.798 | 2nd |
| 22 | 28 | Jason Meyer | Stourbridge Velo | 3.139 | 3rd |
| 23 | 98 | 3.552 | |||
| 24 | 23 | David Griffiths | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 5.771 | 2nd |
| 25 | 12 | Will Corden | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 39.778 | 1st |
| 26 | 109 | 01:51.55 | |||
| 27 | 47 | Tom Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | 01:51.66 | 4th |
| 28 | 13 | James Walker | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 02:08.90 | 2nd |
| 29 | 66 | William Hodgkiss | Fred Williams Cycles | 02:09.91 | 4th |
| 30 | 68 | James Gibney | West Midlands Police CC | 02:10.47 | 4th |
| 31 | 92 | Andy Jones | Wolverhampton Whls | 02:10.84 | 3rd |
| 32 | 89 | David Whitehouse | Walsall RCC | 02:11.88 | 4th |
| 33 | 72 | Thomas Colley | Newport CC | 02:12.66 | 4th |
| 34 | 106 | 02:18.40 | |||
| 35 | 70 | Darren Winterburn | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 02:25.62 | 4th |
| 36 | 45 | Rob Childs | Stourbridge Velo | 03:04.76 | 3rd |
| 37 | 19 | Simon Bradeley | Pro Vision Race Team | 03:05.29 | 3rd |
| 38 | 55 | Timothy Jones | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 03:05.92 | 3rd |
| 39 | 41 | Simon Bromley | Paramount CRT | 03:06.13 | 4th |
| 40 | 60 | Ian Foster | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 03:06.24 | 4th |
| 41 | 96 | 03:06.34 | |||
| 42 | 43 | Steph Clayton | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 03:06.56 | 1st |
| 43 | 65 | Aaron Poole | Wolverhampton Whls | 03:06.62 | 4th |
| 44 | 59 | Andrew Tomlinson | Wolverhampton RCC | 03:07.07 | 3rd |
| 45 | 49 | James Brisco | Wolverhampton Whls | 03:09.23 | 3rd |
| 46 | 63 | Charlie Fisher | Newport Shropshire CC | 03:12.11 | 3rd |
| 47 | 38 | James Barzda | Walsall RCC | 03:14.99 | 3rd |
| 48 | 69 | Alec Bond | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 03:15.32 | 4th |
| 49 | 94 | 03:22.17 | |||
| 50 | 40 | Ben Crone | Halesowen A & CC | 05:10.63 | 3rd |
| 51 | 76 | Annie Stanford | Paramount CRT | 05:35.84 | 4th |
| 52 | 46 | Matthew Purshouse | Wolverhampton Whls | 05:35.87 | 4th |
| 53 | 67 | Leah Dixon | Wolverhampton Whls | 05:36.06 | 4th |
| 54 | 77 | Chris Bragg | Stourbridge Velo | 05:38.19 | 4th |
| 55 | 104 | 05:44.92 | |||
| 56 | 27 | Graham South | Rhino Velo Race Team | 07:06.60 | 3rd |
| 57 | 24 | Ian Thomas | Clee Cycles | 07:06.81 | 3rd |
| 58 | 61 | Andrew Mortimer | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 07:18.17 | 3rd |
| 59 | 53 | James Griffiths | Clee Cycles | 10:42.48 | 4th |
| 60 | 71 | Adam Roper | Newport Shropshire CC | 14:20.14 | 4th |
| 61 | 88 | Philip Richardson | Wolverhampton Whls | 14:20.97 | 4th |
| 62 | 79 | Jonathan Myers | Wolverhampton RCC | 14:22.71 | 4th |
| 63 | 64 | Rebecca Simmons | Clee Cycles | 14:25.26 | 3rd |
| 64 | 95 | 1 Lap | |||
| DNF | 16 | Oliver Kyte | Rhino Velo Race Team | DNF | 3rd |
| DNF | 87 | Peter Taylor | Stourbridge Velo | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 54 | Andy Jones | Clee Cycles | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 25 | Brett Lowndes | Pro Vision Cycle Clothing | DNF | 3rd |
| DNF | 103 | DNF | |||
| DNF | 58 | Garry Bolton | Wolverhampton Whls | DNF | 3rd |
| DNF | 82 | Dave Woodvine | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 101 | DNF | |||
| DNF | 86 | Mark Eccleston | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 1 | Alexander Simmons | Pro Vision Race Team | DNF | 2nd |
| DNF | 105 | DNF | |||
| DNF | 75 | Ben Holland | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 81 | Mike Hayward | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | DNF | 4th |
| DNF | 44 | Craig Whittle | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | DNF | 3rd |