Nathan Blackmore comes out on top in Cycle Club Sudbury's Len Finch Memorial race
Nathan Blackmore survived a last lap crash on the Bulmer course on Sunday to take Eastern Road Race League honours by nine seconds, writes Ken Watkins.
The Flamme Rouge Cycling Team rider was in the lead at the time of the crash, during a spell of rain, but battled back after remounting to hold off the challenge from Felix Barker (Active Edge Race Team).
Blackmore completed the 52.4 miles in the Cycle Club Sudbury Len Finch Memorial race in one hour, 58 minutes and eight seconds.
Charles Kennedy-Scott (Cycling Club Hackney) was third in a bunch sprint, five seconds adrift of Barker.
CC Sudbury rider Leon West was 26th in 1:58:49, with club mates Jose Vicente-Garcia 43rd in 1:28:14, having completed three laps, and James Newton 48th (no time recorded).
Fifty riders started, with only one not finishing.
In the women’s race, just four riders completed all four laps, having built up a big lead over the rest of the field, who were stopped after three laps.
“There were two distinct bunches in the women’s race,” said CC Sudbury organiser Darren Rule, “and the gap was growing, so the commissaires made the call that the second group was losing contention, and stopped them after three laps.
“So some got 37 miles instead of 50, but they still got the chequered flag, and some of them were placed.”
Francesca Hall (DAP Cycling Club) just held off the challenge of Nicole Oh (Les Filles Racing Team).
Both recorded times of two hours, 24 minutes and 26 seconds, Oh finishing 0.08 seconds adrift.
Gemma Melton (Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich) was one second behind, and Polly Mason (DAP) seven seconds further back.
Organiser Rule was pleased with the turnout of 23 riders in the women’s race.
“We didn’t have a women’s race last year as it would have clashed with the regionals,” he said.
“There are not as many women road racers, so this was a good turnout. Restricting entries to Class 2/3/4 may have limited numbers, but hopefully next year there will be more.”
The races were sponsored by Eisberg Alcohol-free Wines, and Newton Brickworks.
2019 Cycle Club Sudbury Len Finch Memorial race results: Men: 1 Nathan Blackmore Flamme Rouge Cycling Team, 2 Felix Barker ActiveEdge Race Team, 3 Charles Kennedy-Scott Cycling Club Hackney, 4 Neil Pearson Gemini BC, 5 Matthias Barnet Cycle Team OnForm, 6 Matthew Carter Velo Schils – Interbike RT, 7 Jake Towler Strada-Sport, 8 Robert Staines Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich, 9 Charles Jones DAP Cycling Club, 10 Billy Fadden Flamme Rouge Cycling Team, 11 Matthew Humpage Flamme Rouge Cycling Team, 12 Oliver Wood Strada-Sport, 13 James Street Team LDN, 14 Stephen Fuller Cambridge CC, 15 William Drury Pro Cycle Hire UK Racing Team, 16 Ian Perry Velo Schils – Interbike RT, 17 Stephen Messenger East London Velo, 18 Seb Herrod Strada-Sport, 19 James Sherwood Orwell Velo, 20 Douglas Allen Velo Schils – Interbike RT. Women: 1 Francesca Hall DAP Cycling Club, 2 Nicole Oh Les Filles Racing Team, 3 Gemma Melton Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich, 4 Polly Mason DAP Cycling Club, 5 Anna Marie Hughes 1904 RT, 6 Donna Dale Walden Velo, 7 Helen Bridgeman 1904 RT, 8 Michelle Arthurs-Brennan 1904 RT, 9 Caroline Humphries, 10 Sophie Holmes Datalynx-Parenesis Cycling, 11 Miriam Bullock East London Velo, 12 Nicola Lynch Newmarket Cycling &Triathlon Club, 13 Ruth Stapleton ST Neots CC, 14 Isabella Torrie Liv Awol, 15 Jenni Lake Lovelo Squadra Donne.
