report by Ben Goddard
MATTHEW Morris used his experience to sprint to a victory in the first round of the Shropshire & South Staffs Road Race League. The 42-year-old from Codsall won a close uphill sprint after a fast 38 miles of racing around the Shropshire countryside near Newport. The handicap format led to an exciting finish with the majority of the 72 riders finally merging with just three miles remaining on narrow country lanes. Morris was the fastest finisher and held off his rivals to clinch the Coaching Revolutions sponsored leaders yellow jersey.
Chris Pook (Rhino Velo RT) led the charge behind for second finishing inches ahead of Ben Joughin (Pro Vision RT) for third. Junior rider Alfie Mortimer (Mid Shropshire Whls) managed to mix it with the fastest riders at the finish and sprinted to a strong 6th position to take the fastest junior (white) jersey.
Fastest woman on the night was Leah Dixon (Wolverhampton Whls) and she will start in the leader’s pink jersey next week. With Morris taking the overall leaders jersey Rob Childs (Stourbridge Velo) will ride in the veteran’s leader red jersey next week.
“I thought it was a tough race and we did well to catch the front group with about three miles to go, said Morris.
“At the finish it was just eyeballs out really trying to keep towards the front, when a gap opened in front of me on the left hand side I just kept going with my head down and luckily managed to get the win. Because the finish was so fast it was all lined out for the top six places and managed to creep past them for the win.”
“I cant believe it, I’m 43 in two weeks time so I’m absolutely chuffed, it’s my third year back racing so it has taken three years to get here. I finished second here last year so went one better this year. I’m delighted.”
Organised by Newport Shropshire Cycling riders completed six laps of a six-mile circuit around an undulating circuit finishing in Knighton.
The handicap format saw the 72 starters split into four ability group with the first group starting over nine minutes ahead of the last group (scratch) which featured some of the fastest riders in the region. The 23 riders in the scratch group worked hard together and gradually reeled in the groups ahead of them. However, with six miles to go the first starters still had over a minute advantage over the chasers leading to an exciting finish.
Their hopes were dashed in the final miles as the scratch group came powering past and took the first five places. Morris who won the over-40 age category overall in the series last year will line-up in the yellow jersey in round two next Thursday on a flat course around Charlton.
He added: “I doubt I will be able to keep the yellow jersey but I will have a go, it will be more about the veteran’s jersey. The scratch group was working well and they were probably doing more work than me in all honesty. I was missing a few turns. I found it quite quick constantly and I was just trying to keep going.”
| Pos | No | Name | Club | Cat | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Matthew Morris | Wolverhampton Whls | 2nd | 01:26:36.13 |
| 2 | 17 | Chris Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | 2nd | 0.113 |
| 3 | 20 | Ben Joughin | Pro Vision Race Team | 2nd | 0.483 |
| 4 | 3 | Kirk Vickers | Rhino Velo Race Team | 1st | 0.486 |
| 5 | 10 | Joe Charley | Stourbridge CC | 3rd | 0.653 |
| 6 | 37 | Alfie Mortimer | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 3rd | 0.733 |
| 7 | 14 | Danny Smith | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 2nd | 0.841 |
| 8 | 22 | Chris Childs | Stourbridge Velo | 2nd | 0.905 |
| 9 | 45 | Rob Childs | Stourbridge Velo | 3rd | 0.983 |
| 10 | 32 | John Lucock | West Midlands Police CC | 3rd | 1.048 |
| 11 | 9 | Joseph Hobbs | Halesowen A & CC | 2nd | 1.11 |
| 12 | 100 | Matthew Higgins | Mammoth | 1.152 | |
| 13 | 27 | Graham South | Rhino Velo Race Team | 3rd | 1.227 |
| 14 | 15 | Nick Morris | Clee Cycles | 4th | 1.597 |
| 15 | 62 | Ian Lister | Wolverhampton Whls | 3rd | 1.748 |
| 16 | 51 | Scott Palmer | Stourbridge CC | 3rd | 1.787 |
| 17 | 1 | Alexander Simmons | Pro Vision Race Team | 2nd | 1.8 |
| 18 | 35 | Daren Glaze | Stourbridge Velo | 2nd | 1.836 |
| 19 | 77 | Chris Bragg | Stourbridge Velo | 4th | 2.027 |
| 20 | 52 | Chris Lloyd | Stourbridge CC | 3rd | 2.077 |
| 21 | 25 | Brett Lowndes | Pro Vision Cycle Clothing | 3rd | 2.189 |
| 22 | 44 | Craig Whittle | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 3rd | 2.307 |
| 23 | 39 | Timothy Fullwood | Paramount CRT | 3rd | 2.378 |
| 24 | 94 | Devon Round | Rhino Velo Race Team | 2.438 | |
| 25 | 95 | Ben Vernon | Wrekinsport CC | 2.536 | |
| 26 | 2 | Josh Yates | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 2nd | 2.719 |
| 27 | 7 | Anthony Neave | Stourbridge CC | 3rd | 2.919 |
| 28 | 47 | Tom Pook | Rhino Velo Race Team | 4th | 2.994 |
| 29 | 30 | Kyle Brady | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 2nd | 3.243 |
| 30 | 28 | Jason Meyer | Stourbridge Velo | 3rd | 3.401 |
| 31 | 60 | Ian Foster | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 4th | 3.595 |
| 32 | 24 | Ian Thomas | Clee Cycles | 3rd | 4.081 |
| 33 | 13 | James Walker | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 2nd | 4.265 |
| 34 | 31 | Neil Hayward | Stourbridge CC | 3rd | 4.474 |
| 35 | 41 | Simon Bromley | Paramount CRT | 4th | 4.694 |
| 36 | 38 | James Barzda | Walsall RCC | 3rd | 5.297 |
| 37 | 55 | Timothy Jones | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 3rd | 5.973 |
| 38 | 97 | Tom Ford | Halesowen A & CC | 6.719 | |
| 39 | 46 | Matthew Purshouse | Wolverhampton Whls | 4th | 7.27 |
| 40 | 68 | James Gibney | West Midlands Police CC | 4th | 7.284 |
| 41 | 65 | Aaron Poole | Wolverhampton Whls | 4th | 7.591 |
| 42 | 87 | Peter Taylor | Stourbridge Velo | 4th | 7.701 |
| 43 | 66 | William Hodgkiss | Fred Williams Cycles | 4th | 14.544 |
| 44 | 89 | David Whitehouse | Walsall RCC | 4th | 14.675 |
| 45 | 67 | Leah Dixon | Wolverhampton Whls | 4th | 15.089 |
| 46 | 16 | Oliver Kyte | Rhino Velo Race Team | 3rd | 16.598 |
| 47 | 12 | Will Corden | Mammoth Lifestyle Racing Team | 1st | 17.931 |
| 48 | 85 | Simon Haycock | Stourbridge CC | 4th | 23.121 |
| 49 | 90 | Neil Ruston | Stourbridge CC | 4th | 23.725 |
| 50 | 88 | Philip Richardson | Wolverhampton Whls | 4th | 24.549 |
| 51 | 78 | James Tate | Beacon Roads CC | 4th | 24.562 |
| 52 | 70 | Darren Winterburn | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 4th | 25.164 |
| 53 | 74 | Laurence Cooley | Beacon Roads CC | 4th | 25.621 |
| 54 | 93 | Annie Stanford | Paramount | 27.747 | |
| 55 | 96 | Dave Moore | Wrekinsport CC | 34.269 | |
| 56 | 69 | Alec Bond | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 4th | 37.611 |
| 57 | 99 | Simon Smedley | SSC | 01:46.24 | |
| 58 | 61 | Andrew Mortimer | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 3rd | 05:05.04 |
| 59 | 58 | Garry Bolton | Wolverhampton Whls | 3rd | 06:48.67 |
| 60 | 59 | Andrew Tomlinson | Wolverhampton RCC | 3rd | 06:49.98 |
| 61 | 11 | Ben Lloyd | Pro Vision Race Team | 3rd | 12:20.92 |
| 62 | 91 | Michael Lenehan | West Midlands Police CC | 4th | 14:29.61 |
| 63 | 64 | Rebecca Simmons | Clee Cycles | 3rd | 14:30.53 |
| DNF | 54 | Andy Jones | Clee Cycles | 4th | DNF |
| DNF | 53 | James Griffiths | Clee Cycles | 4th | DNF |
| DNF | 40 | Ben Crone | Halesowen A & CC | 3rd | DNF |
| DNF | 80 | Jonathan Perry | Stourbridge CC | 4th | DNF |
| DNF | 26 | Stuart Ream | Pro Vision Race Team | 3rd | DNF |
| DNF | 75 | Ben Holland | DMW – BRIDGTOWN | 4th | DNF |
| DNF | 34 | Stephen Edwards | Wolverhampton Whls | 3rd | DNF |