Daniel Kogan writes:

ERRL Crest CC Road Race.

First success for new Glendene team. 4th March 2007

An overcast day greeted the six juniors and one senior rider who set out on the first road race of the year at the local Crest CC race in Ugley. With the majority of the junior team present and also Steven Griffiths of the senior team the riders were quietly confident of a good result.

A 9 am start saw near to 60 riders set off from the Crest Club hut on what was to be a rather wet and cold 70 mile race. Glendene showed their hand early with Ben Plain jumping away on the first lap with a Milton Keynes rider and soon building a strong 3-minute lead. With the rest of the team controlling the main bunch the break looked assured to stay away. Next to go were Toby Meadows and Daniel Kogan who attacked up the main climb and gained a small lead over the top only to be caught after a few miles. With the two leaders looking strong and the team controlling the race from behind the riders bided their time.

The third lap, and the grit and slightly wet roads put paid to Daniel’s chances as he punctured half way round the circuit and, with no service vehicle, had to pull out. Half way through the race now and attacks started to come thick and fast with Sam Webster chancing his arm and Mark Christian jumped across to the lead two. With a lap to go Steven Griffths made an attack as well and was soon leading a small group in pursuit of the four leaders. With Shaun Hurrell and Toby Meadows in the bunch monitoring the chase the four leaders crested the final lap of the 7-lap race.

With the rain coming down sprint sensation 16 year old Mark Christian took the win with a number of bike lengths from the Milton Keynes rider. He was followed closely behind by Sam Webster and the race-long breakaway rider Ben Plain, who pulled off a brilliant ride to take a well-deserved 4th place. Only 32 seconds behind, Steven Griffths showed his obvious sprint talent by taking an easy sprint for 5th against his small breakaway compatriots. Shaun Hurrell and Toby Meadows followed in a few minutes later in the main bunch. With a 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th place and with the team dominating the race the upcoming Martyn Ashfield National race should be an interesting one.

1 Mark Christian Glendene/Biketrax 115k 3.13 2 Martin Quill Team Milton Keynes 3 Sam Webster Glendene/Biketrax 4 Ben Plain Glendene/Biketrax @ 20 secs 5 Steven Griffiths Glendene/Biketrax @ 32 secs 6 Mick Gray Api/Metrow Foods 7 Sean Kilroy Glade CC 8 Vince DeVine Finchley RT 9 Kevin Chambers Api/Metrow Foods @ 40 secs 10 Tony Couchman Glade CC @ 42 secs

Daniel Kogan writes:

Sam Webster triumphs at the Martyn Ashfield Classic Road Race

Saturday 23rd March signified the first round of the Junior Series, which took place on a mountainous Welsh circuit in Brecon. 67 riders began the race that would take them 67 miles around some of the most testing terrain in Wales. Representing Glendene Junior team were Andrew Griffiths, Sam Webster, Toby Meadows, Daniel Kogan, Mark Christian, Shaun Hurrell and John Murphy. Unfortunately Ben Plain couldn’t make it due to illness. All the same Glendene had a strong team which hoped to dominate the race. Yet with some of the best riders in the country present this race wasn’t going to be plain sailing. With most of the team on their new Specialized racing bikes for the first time the mood amongst the riders was that of excitement. Noon signalled the start of the race as the riders hurtled down the mountain with Glendene riders leading the way. Within a few miles the attacks began to go as 3 riders slipped off the front.

With Daniel Kogan, instructed to get the King of the Mountain title, sensing the danger he jumped across the gap taking another rider with him. Working well together the 5-man group gained a maximum of a minute and 20 seconds lead. Coming up to the King of The Mountains climb Daniel Kogan took the points. Yet the hard climb took its toll on the breakaway and the riders were absorbed by the chasing pack. With the Glendene boys controlling the pace the second lap began with a rider peeling off the front. Kogan attacked again taking Andrew Fenn with him. With the second King of the Mountain climb looming Kogan picked up second place giving him enough points to lead the King of the Mountains with his breakaway companion. Yet the pace of Fenn soon became too much for Kogan who was dropped at the beginning of the last lap and was caught by the main bunch. Now the attacks really began to fly as the chase was on after Fenn. Up the final 18% gradient and the race split into a number of group’s with all Glendene riders except Murphy and Hurrell making the front group.

With the lone rider still ahead by about a minute and less than 10 miles to race Webster, Griffiths, Meadows and Christian got to the front and drove hard down the hill. Round the roundabout and beginning the final 5-mile climb. Hurrell, clearly very strong, had managed to get back to the front group. With a few miles to go Toby Meadows attacked but it wasn’t to be as he was quickly brought back. The decisive move though went in the last few miles with Sam Webster bolting off the front followed by an Irish rider. Quickly passing Fenn these two riders rode neck and neck up to the line where Webster easily out sprinted his breakaway companion to pick up a sensational win. Andrew Griffiths followed in shortly after in 7th place with Mark Christian, Shaun Hurrell, Toby Meadows and Daniel Kogan in short succession. A brilliant ride by the team who controlled the race, got two riders in the top ten, won the King of the Mountains classification and set up Webster for what was to be one of the best wins of his career to date. A great start to the season.