Race Previews
40th Severn Bridge Road Race
51st Eddie Soens Memorial Cycle Race
Saturday 3rdMarch 2012 will be the 51 st edition of the Eddie Soens Memorial Cycle Race, the classic season-opening event in Merseyside cycling. The race consists of 30 laps of the Aintree Club Circuit atAintree Racecourse, which is around 49 miles. It’s open to riders of all categories and is run on a handicap basis.
ZakDempster's winning sprint © Chris Rhymer Photos
Bristol Road Club will be celebrating 40 editions of their early season road race this year. The 65 mile E/1 /2/3 takes place onMarch 4th and will be using the 6-and-a-halfmile Olveston course.
Zak Dempster won last year’s race for Rapha-Condor- Sharp, sprinting home ahead of 2009 winnerMarcin Bialoblocki (Motorpoint), Matt Jones (Team Raleigh) and Simon Richardson (Sigma Sport-Specialized). These four riders had been part of an eight man break which had managed to get clear of the rest of the field at around the halfway mark.
The race starts at 11am with the HQ at Olveston Sports and Social Club. The start and finish is at Old Down with the route taking inAlveston, the B4461 to Elberton, Olveston, Tockington with the climb ofOld Down Hill (prime/King of the Mountains climb) towards the end of each of the ten laps.
Confirmed entries for this year’s race include the Wilier/Live2Ride team, Team Corley Cycles and Metaltek-Scott. Also, the organising club have a four man team entered which includes Steve Thomas who will be racing in this event for the 25th time.
The event has a prize fund of £1 ,500 this year, courtesy of sponsorship from several sources, including Giant Bristol, Mud Dock, Blast Bikes, Argos Cycles and LifeCare. Entry has now closed for this race.
Created by Kirkby Cycling Club, the event held its inaugural race in 1962 and is now promoted byMerseyside Cycling Development Group. The race has an impressive roll call of former winners, including BMC rider Steve Cummings, Team Sky’s Ian Stannard and former British Road Race Champion Rob Hayles. Doug Dailey and Tony Gibb share the honour of ‘most wins’ , both having secured four victories.
2011 ’s 50thAnniversary race was won by Team UKYouth’s rider, James Stewart. Stewart won a tight sprint from Rapha- Condor-Sharp’s Andy Tennant andMatt Kipling (Team Raleigh) after a group of 11 riders managed to break clear five laps from the finish. It was a fitting and particularly pleasing win for James Stewart as he began his riding with the original organising club, Kirkby CC.
The race has a maximum field limit of 200 riders. Riders eligible to enter are Elite, 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th category Senior & Junior men and women. The race starts at 9.30 with the women riders, 3rd and 4th Cat Juniors and 4th Cat riders getting under way first with a one minute head start over the 3rd CatMen and 1 st and 2nd Cat Juniors. 2nd Cats go at thirty seconds after that with the Elite and 1 st Cat riders off at 9.33.
To enter, you will need to be a member of British Cycling and have a valid 2012 Racing Licence or you can take out a single event licence (cost £10 non BC member, £5 BC Bronze member, Free BC Gold & Silver members). You can also enter 'on-the-line' on the day of the race. Entry fee: £15.00 all categories, closing date: 24th February 2012 Entry on the line: £20.00 On-line Entry can be made via the race website,
http://www.ccs-
uk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Soens_Home.htm Postal entries can be sent to C J Lawrenson, 80 SouthAvenue, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 1LZ For individual entrants need to complete a standard BC Road Race Entry Form, team entrants need to complete a standard BC Road Race Team Entry Form
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