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Jock
Wadley Memorial Road Race
9th
March 2008
On Sunday 9th
March, Colchester Rovers Cycling Club promoted their
26th road race in memory of Jock Wadley, one of the
finest cycle-racing journalists this country has
produced. Wadley pioneered UK reporting on continental
racing and covered the Tour de France twenty times
during his career.
Five VCR riders:
Paul Dewberry, Hugo Hocknell, Joe Skipper, Brett Travers
and Dick Wood were part of the 80 man (predominantly
Elite and 1st category) bunch of riders that
left Birch village hall - race HQ - under cool
conditions.
The 138
kilometre race consisted of 12½ laps
of a circuit through the villages of Layer Breton, Great
Wigborough and Layer de la Haye. From the start the pace
was high and the race winning break was formed on the
first lap. Unfortunately, this resulted in Dick Wood,
who was riding with a heavy cold, losing contact with
the main peleton.
Bad luck was to
plague VCR’s team; Paul Dewberry was also forced out
early due to a problem with his rear wheel; Joe Skipper,
after some impressive riding early on in the race, had
to abandon with a loose saddle.
When Brett
Travers punctured on the fifth lap it seemed that VCR
would be left with just one rider (Hugo Hocknell) in the
race, however, after a rear wheel change, he regained
the bunch after a half lap chase.
The high quality
field meant that throughout the race riders were
constantly trying to distance themselves from the bunch
in an attempt to join the lead break. After his chase to
regain the bunch Brett Travers was forced to ride
defensively and Hugo Hocknell, in his first road race of
the year, was content to get some race speed in his
legs.
“I was quite
happy tapping along at the back being tail gunner,
clocking in some race miles. I felt very comfortable,”
Hocknell confirmed.
Luke Rowe from
the Rapha Condor / Recycling.co.uk Team won the event
from his team mate Graham Briggs.
Brett Travers |
