Latest Club News
The 2024/5 North West winter league of cyclo-cross finished at the end of January, and the season’s presentation evening took place on Friday last at the Newton le Willows sports club, with plenty of interest from Rossendale’s riders.
For the Ladies, Helmshore’s Elsie Haygarth took a well placed 2nd place in the Junior Women’s category, despite having missed crucial mid-season races through illness, with Kate Taylor taking the 3rd podium spot for the Senior Women. They both showed their versatility on bikes, by taking 6th and 5th places in the following day’s Criterium road race on the Salt Ayre circuit at Lancaster.
Back to ‘cross’, and it was Jacqui Simcock, of Ramsbottom’s JMC squad who took 1st place in the Vet55 Women’s class.
In the Open categories, Dave Haygarth took 3rd place in the V50 class, after a season long close battle with JMC’s Phil Simcock in 4th. Iain Hazell finished 24th in the V40 class.
The V60 team award was won by a jubilant Rossendale Cycling Club, represented by Mick Taylor 10th overall, Derek Schofield 11th= and Adrian Watts 15th, with Schofield also taking the 1st V70 award. Graham Wright came in 20th and Peter Browning 24th.
The road cycling season is now fully in motion and the 2nd round of the Lakes and Lancs Spoco time trial took place on Saturday with the Circuit of Ingleborough, a 27 mile circular route from Ingleton to Ribblehead via Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale and back to Ingleton, organised by Pendle Forest CC. And this classic event attracted a full field of 120 of the North West’s top riders. The field was headed by top U23 Espoir Max Hereward from Loveclough, riding for the 360 Cyclying Club and he had a tremendous ride posting the 2nd fastest time ever for this circuit in 59min 23sec, just 2 seconds short of the all-time record. The future is bright for this excellent young rider from Rossendale. Hereward finished more than 5 minutes in front of 2nd placed Matt Morris of the Giant-Kendal club. For the Rossendale CC, Dave Haygarth finished 54th in a creditable time of 1:21:26, even more so considering he had to ride the complete course in a fixed gear as his gear change failed before the start line. Next valley club rider was Derek Schofield in 1:25.00 with Mick Taylor 67th in 1:26:58 and Adrian Watts 77th in 1:32:39 knocking an impressive 3 minutes off his previous time for the circuit.
With an increased interest in criterium racing and reasonably local facilities, the Rossendale Club will be starting a regular Monday evening session for allcomers at the Steven Burke cycling centre in Barrowford. The sessions will be from 7-8pm.starting on 31st March and will be of particular interest for those who wish to train in a safe environment on a traffic-free road. The sessions are open to seniors and juniors alike, with further details to be published on the club’s social media sites.
Photos
The victorious Rossendale CC V60 team
Katie Taylor and Elsie Haygarth in action at Salt Ayre
Jacqui Simcock (left) taking a well deserved V55 Ladies award
