//RACE REPORT: WINTER SERIES

26 Feb

// Winter Series 2024/25. Cyclopark. Sunday 23rd February 2025

// UNDER 6s

First race of the day saw Leo Tanner continue his dominance with a fast start and he barely looked back. The series was already sewn up in the previous round, but it was three from three for him in the win column after today's efforts, making him the U6 boys series champion.

Making a winter series debut was Kit Anderson of Club Cyclopark, and it was an impressive one as he took second place on the day. And, it was another debutant, Hieu Nguyen-Jackson, this time in LEC colours, who rounded out the podium. Jacob Dowell of VC Deal took fourth, securing his place in silver overall, with LEC's Alexander Gatt coming home sixth on the day, to give him the bronze in the series.

In the girls, Gyte Armonaite was unable to race which meant Tina Cavers was guaranteed the series overall before a pedal had been pushed. But just to make sure, she whizzed round the oval here at Gravesend to match her LEC's teammate Leo's achivement of three wins from three. Despite Gyte's no show, she takes silver in the series overall, with independant rider Rosalie Twynam taking bronze after coming second here today at the Cyclopark.

SERIES RESULTS

“Leo Tanner continued his dominance with a fast start and he barely looked back.”

— Coach Graeme

// UNDER 8s

With just two points separating them, and a win a piece in the series the boys race was all about the winner-takes-all showdown between home-crowd hero Woody Shearwood and VC Deal's Joey Wood.

In the end, both Wood and Shearwood were left stumped by Barking & Dagenham's Lucas Roast who took the win convincingly. LEC's Woody gamely hung on for a few laps before losing the wheel, but his second place ahead of Joey's third meant a tie overall for the series win between two great riders.

LEC's Arto Cavers was a battling fourth on the day, and that was enough to secure him second overall with Finlay Gillard completing the series overall podium in bronze position.

In the girls race, Eliza Gillard from LEC had the series in the bag before the race, and was taking on todays race in cleats for the first time. (Chapeau!) She had some competition, with two riders, Daisy Adams of Maindy Flyers and the independent Pippa Fenwick.

It was the Maindy Flyers rider who came flying off the start line, leaving Eliza, Pippa and most of the boys in her wake!

A very impressive ride, and with no girls other than Eliza in the previous rounds, it was enough to earn her a second in the series overall. Eliza came home second on the day, but still a comfortable series win for her, with Pippa getting the bronze position.

“She was taking on todays race in cleats for the first time.”

— Coach Graeme

// UNDER 10s

In the boys race here, the series overall positions were fairly well established. Ellison, Elias and Kasper just needed to keep rubber side down and they'd be the gold, silver and bronze respectively. In a packed field of a dozen riders, it was these three who split off into an early breakaway, with Ellison leading them and Malcolm Nelson of VCL joining to make it a quartet.

It got cagey with some slowing and then attacks throughout the race, with Kasper Rackley doing his utmost to try and stay with the three second year Under 10's. The final lap came with Ellison putting in the killer attack to win in style. Nelson of VCL was second, and Elias took third spot with teammate Kasper coming in shortly after.

In the girls race, it was a similar story for series leader Lola Stewart - stay on the bike and finish third or above to claim the overall. Fresh from her very impressive rides at Chilly Crits, Victoria De Beule took to the start in her first winter series race.

Lola started fast and tried to go with the lead group of Ellison & co. from the boys race, but clipped the grass on a fast corner and went down, smashing her sunglasses on impact and losing some skin. Enyo passed to take the lead, with Victoria following. Lola managed to get back on ahead of Olive so was still in virtual lead of the overall, but not by much. Meanwhile Enyo at the front went into TT mode and motored away from everyone! Lola fought back the tears then a place as she got past Victoria to take second on the day, with Victoria in third. Olive Connor came home fourth on the day, but claimed third overall in the series with Lola top and today's victor, Enyo in silver position.

An LEC lockout on the podium!

“The final lap came with Ellison putting in the killer attack to win in style”

— Coach Graeme

// UNDER 12s

Series leader Kien Chu had a precarious lead going into the final race with just 1 point his advantage over Woolwich’s Jake Kalogiannopoulos. Chu’s LEC teammates in 3rd and 4th overall, Daniel Furlong & Lucas Perilla were hoping for a disaster for the top 2, that they could capitalise on!

The race set off at a blistering pace and as the lead pack came out of the dog leg and back into view it was a surprise to see Kalogiannopoulos missing! The ever stronger Tejus Savulionis-Ptasnikas led this trio of chasers and as lap one was chalked off news came in on the race radios that Kalogiannopoulos had dropped a chain but was chasing to get back. Was this going to be the moment that Chu and Perilla would seize Kalogiannopoulos crown?.... No! With no one wanting to do the work and Kalogiannopoulos’ TT prowess, he was soon back in the front group as lap three commenced. With a lull at the front, Furlong was in fifth but suffering with the pace, LEC’s Euan Williams was not far being and being closely pursued by Southborough’s Cameron Houslop-Duffy.

With a couple of laps left, Kalogiannopoulos put the hammer down and snapped the elastic to Perilla and Chu to take the race win and with it, the series crown. Chu did enough to hold onto second in the series and a fabulous ride from Perilla saw him claw his way onto the podium, finishing joint third with Furlong.

“Kalogiannopoulos put the hammer down”

— COACH TOM

// UNDER 14s

The final round was all but a formality for our series top three. Barking and Dagenham’s Taylor Green was runaway leader with LEC’s Floyd Connor and Dylan Hagerty sitting pretty in second and third respectively. In this one though there was the return of a familiar face as former LEC legend, Riley Mahoney had ditched this current 4T pirate kit and donned his LEC mother club’s colours for the finale.

In a race that was being combined with the U16’s, the pace was expected to be fast and, FAST it was! After the opening lap the field was blow apart. Mahoney and Green had held onto a front group of U16’s in which the pressure was being piled on by the some Bigfoot boys. Connor had settled nicely in a group of four, third in the U14’s and Hagerty was a little further back but suffering with the pace.

Elsewhere, U14 female series leader, Edie Wright was embroiled in a nip and tuck battle with Barking and Dagenham’s Gabriel Allet and Maxwell Nelson from VCL. Wright had already convincingly wrapped up the series but determined not to let the boys in the race get the better of her.

As the race went on there was little change in the U14 males, Mahoney took the win with Green on his wheel, Connor came in third. Overall in the series, Green was crowned champion, Connor took second and Hagerty in bronze. Wright went long on the last lap, managing to surprise and split th boys but lost out in a sprint with Allet. She convincingly took the U14 female series crown.

“the pace was expected to be fast and, FAST it was!”

— COACH TOM

// UNDER 16s

Male series leaders Barney and Elliot Howard would have their work cut out in this one with the invasion of Bigfoot and Southborough riders, although with the brothers tied on points at the top of the standings it was a straight, winner take all between them.

Elsewhere, LEC’s Alex Campbell just needed to keep Bigfoot’s Lochy Weston at bay to take the final podium step in the series.

With the race started it was obvious that the Bigfoot duo of Brodie Wilkinson and Tom Watkins were not going to give the field an easy life as a blistering pace saw the field explode. With half of the race remaining, Wilkinson and Watkins power proved too much as they broke free from the field and time trailed off into the distance.

Campbell remained well placed, and more importantly ahead of Weston in the battle for the final series podium step. The final sprint, on the final lap of the final race was a fitting end to the series as Wilkinson and Watkins went head-to-head to the chequered flag. Wilkinson took the bragging rights by a few millimetres over Watkins, further down the field, Campbell came home in third.

Overall in the series, Barney squeezed ahead of his brother to take the series crown, Elliot did enough for second and Campbell sneaked onto the podium to take third.

In the U16 female category, Preston Park’s Megan Costello was tied at the top of the series standings coming into Round Three but a no-show from LEC’s Keira Smit meant that Costello simply needed to cross the finish line to claim the U16 female crown. A simple task was made to look equally simple by Costello who took the chequered flag to secure the top spot in the series.