Riders hit their top gear as crowds flock to cycling fest

The Cinelli Womens Road Race attracted cyclists from across the country. Picture (c) Huw Williams

The inaugural Lovelo Cycle Works Road Race and the Cinelli Women's Road Race took place on Sunday as talented riders from across the country battled it out for top honours.

The first race of the morning – supported by Lovelo Cycle Works in Berkhamsted – started at 9am from Cottesloe School in Wing.

The regional level race was made up of local riders, clubs and teams, with Lovelo Cinelli Race Team, TMG Horizon, VCT Racing (Tring), Hemel Hempstead Cycling Club, Watford Velo Sport and Team MK all represented.

In the men’s races, some strong pushes by Watford Velo Sport’s Kevin Chandler saw him get a gap on the main field, but he was reeled in by a heavy showing from Hemel Hempstead and TMG.

The Tero Sports KOM was won by Jason Baran of TMG Horizon who was the first up the hill to finish the race in top spot.

The field then started to splinter, and on the last lap a strong push and lead out by Hemel’s Rob Abbey wasn’t quite enough to give team-mate Ben Stowe the win he needed as he was beaten by Neil Wass of TMG Horizon. Coming in third was Joel Stewart of Kenton RC.

The afternoon saw a impressive women’s line up of established teams and riders; including Starley Racing, Aprire/HSS, Drops Cycling, Matrix Pro Cycling, 5th Floor, Lovelo Cinelli RT and Welwyn Wheelers/Kinetic RT.

The finish came down to a sprint, contested by Sian Botteley (Starley) and Harriet Owen (Matrix Cycling). Despite Harriet’s best efforts, Sian showed a strong sprint to clinch her second road victory in two weeks, with Adeline Moreau (5th Floor) coming in third.