Published Date:
28 May 2009
Andy Morrison Memorial Road Race
Richard Wood of Team Milton Keynes made it a hat-trick of wins in the Andy Morrison Memorial Road Race, run over 18 laps of a 2.5 mile circuit around a tricky Cranfield course.
The race was flat out from the gun with riders being shelled out of the back of the peleton early on, as the Team Milton Keynes riders went up against cyclists from all over England.
The first few laps saw several efforts by groups of riders trying to ride themselves off the front of the main bunch, but none of them managed to stay clear.
But on the sixth lap into the race the decisive move was made by Team Milton Keynes' very own Richard Wood.
Having already been part of the early race breaks, and sensing a general apathy in the peleton, the 32-year-old decided to go it alone for the remaining 12 laps in a move that ultimately won him the race.
And what then followed was a textbook example of a team controlling the race for their leading man up the road.
Milton Keynes team mates James Fox, Luke Smulders and Niall Frost did a great job of neutralising any attempts from the bunch to reel Wood back in.
In the meantime the man himself delivered a great solo effort and time trialled for the remaining hour of the race to cruise to finishing line and the race win, with Smulders, Frost and Fox fighting it out on the sprint for the remaining places.
Wood had previously won the competition in 2005 and 2006.
>> Yvonne Gurney of Team Milton Keynes won the ladies' competition in the Bossard Wheelers 10 mile time trial held near Leighton Buzzard, with a personal best time of 27m 07s.
The team competition was also won by the MK riders thanks to Jason Gurney, Simon Cannings and Geoff Perry.
Jason Gurney also just missed out on a podium place in the solo event as he finished in fifth place in a time of 21m 44s, just behind race winner Terry Gibbs with 20m 41s.
Meanwhile Clive Faine was ninth fastest veteran against standard time – an age adjusted handicap system to encourage the older riders to push that extra mile.
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Last Updated:
28 May 2009 9:48 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Milton Keynes