The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding Cycling Club were once again represented at the popular Heckington Show, which this year celebrated its 150th anniversary.
There was a packed programme of Go Ride racing for the juniors, while the seniors took on three National Championship events – the 800m for men and women and the 8km endurance race.
Local talent was out in force for all the events, with teams from Spalding, Boston Wheelers, Bourne Wheelers, Sleaford and Witham Wheelers in the Go ride competition.
Meanwhile, Tilly Gurney (BowlPhish Racing), Sian Botteley (Cycle Team On Form) and Sleaford Wheelers’ George Thompson rode in the seniors’ events.
A lack of eligible riders meant that Spalding looked unlikely to put up a team for the Go Ride competition.
But Boston Wheelers, who had a similar issue, allowed two of their members – Bradley Worth and Connor Wilkinson – to join up with Jack and Velvet Bowser, Ed Gurney and Tom Wright.
The composite Spalding/Boston had limited training time with coaching from Shane Norton and Tilly Gurney, but they gelled quickly and finished fourth overall by a narrow margin of 20 points from the third placed Bourne B team.
In the Girls CDE category sprint, Velvet Bowser took a fine second place while in his Boys category D sprint, Jack Bowser stormed across the line to win.
A string of third places for Tom Wright (boys A), Wilkinson (boys C), Worth (second of the boys B heats) followed.
Ed Gurney’s fourth place in the boys’ B heat was also a fine result in an event dominated by Bourne Wheelers and Sleaford team members.
The Team Sprint event – in which all team members take a turn at the front to set the pace – is always a crowd pleaser and fast.
Led off by Wilkinson and with Worth as last man, the Spalding/Boston team did not disappoint setting a time that put them in third overall at the end of their ride.
In the boys C&D Scratch Endurance race Jack Bowser and Connor Wilkinson rode strongly with Jack making a huge attack to take an early lead but fading in the last lap finishing fourth with Connor in fifth.
The boys’ A&B Scratch race gave Tom Wright another third place while Bradley crossed the line in seventh and Ed in seventeenth.
An impressive day of racing for Tilly Gurney ended with second place in the 500m handicap behind Sian Botteley and third in the Ladies Mile, with Jo Smith of Thanet RC Race team second and Botteley once again on the top step of the podium.
The main focus of the day for Tilly though was the 800m National Championship.
Bronze medallist in 2016, when Jo Smith was crowned national champion and on her home track, hopes were high.
It was attacking racing over the two laps, culminating in Smith just getting ahead of Botteley and Tilly Gurney to take the crown again.
Off the bike, the club was also active with Suzy Bowser – who finished the 10-mile run in 1.38hrs.
