CYCLING: Seven wins in a week for Mick Ives' team

PICTURES: Rugby’s Rob O’Connor winning the Worcester Saint Johns circuit race in preparation for the circuit national championships there later this month, and also Rob finishing second in a sprint a few weeks ago in the national championships. Rob returned to the sport last year after a nine-year break.

Team Jewson-MI Racing-Polypipe, continued to pile up their tally of Open Cycle Race Victories, by winning seven more events over the past week, more than most teams win in a season of racing!

British Champion Mike Twelves a Hinckley member of the team, played with the opposition in winning the Circuit race for riders 40 years and over at the Milton Keynes Bowl on Tuesday evening.

Fifty-year-old Twelves covered every move throughout the race and attacked on the final circuit to win by five seconds.

Not to be outdone Dunchurch team member Martin Hackley won his 65+ race in a sprint finish, and has increased his overall lead in both the National series and the Milton Keynes Bowl series.

At York Mick Allan, fresh from setting a new National Age related 25-mile Time Trial record two weeks ago, showed that he has lost none of his road racing class, when he won the 60+ Circuit race at the new York purpose built closed circuit. His team mate and training partner, former professional Derrick Woodings won the 70+ race.

More success, this time at Stourport on Severn Circuit, in Worcestershire, for Phil Blacker one of the team’s leading cyclo cross stars, and former World Mountain Bike Firemans Champion. Phil broke clear in the one hour race with three other riders, never to be seen again by the rest of the field. He won the special Sprint competition within the race, and easily outsprinted his three rivals at the finish.

Rugby member Rob O’Connor repeated the team’s success in the 50+ race. Rob chased down an early leader, caught him and left him behind, eventually lapping the whole field in a fantastic performance. Rob was racing on the tricky circuit for the first time and using it as a practice for the National Championships on it in two weeks time.

The team’s leading veteran lady mountain bike rider Lindsey Nell continued to impress when she won the Southern Mountain Bike Cross Country race at Pippingford. Lindsey is currently lying third in the National series, in her first mountain bike season.

MI Race Team promote the Classic ‘Omloop van der Dries Dorpen’ race on Sunday, July 10, start and Finish at Flecknoe, near Daventry. The race is unique in that a third of the course is offroad, and requires bike handling skills as well as fitness. Top local riders are represented including Darren Atkins (Ride–Coventry), Mike Twelves and Phil Blacker (Team Jewson MI Racing). The event starts at 10am. Further details from [email protected].