TEAM Enable riders Nick Whitley and Lindsay Newman both claimed impressive silver medals at the BMCR National Mountain Bike Championship at Wibtoft.
Whitley and Newman starred for the Coventry-based team as the former finished fourth overall to take the silver medal in the open 50 to 54 age category with the latter 24th overall to claim silver in the women’s 50 to 54 age category.
In the same race, Nick Popham finished eighth overall to place fourth in the open 50 to 54 category.
Elsewhere, the Midlands Friday Night Summer Series of mountain bike races continued with round six taking place in Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire and round seven at Wibtoft, Warwickshire.
In round six, Team Enable’s Ryan Henry finished third in the veterans category with Newman second in the women’s race while Popham and Darren Atkins finished second and fifth respectively in the grand veterans category. And in the under-23 race, Jefferson Tear-Verweij placed second.
And in round seven, Henry won the veterans race with Popham and Atkins first and second in the grand veterans race while Tear-Verweij placed third in the under-23 race.
Team sponsor Garry Townsend (Townsend Vehicle Hire) took part in the super grand veterans race but suffered a mechanical problem and was unable to finish the race.
The series returns with round eight near Kettering on June 28.
And round four of the British Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike Championship took place at Woody’s Bike Park in Cornwall as junior rider and current Welsh national mountain bike champion, Layla Bradbrook, finished 10th on a course full of long climbs and descents.
Road racing continued with Hinckley-based cyclist Oliver Searle riding in the Wyre Forest category 3/4 road race in extremely challenging conditions due to strong winds.
Searle finished in the bunch after completing seven laps of the relatively flat course between Martley and Lower Broadheath.
Rugby-based rider Rob O’Connor, fresh from his recent success in the BMCR Criterium Championships, secured another podium place after finishing third in the BMCR road race near Solihull.
The Summer Series of midweek circuit races, held at Litherland, Merseyside attracted the attention of Team Enable’s northern-based riders Whitley and Lynsey Jones.
Racing in the latest two rounds of the series, Whitley and Jones both finished second in their respective categories with the former fourth in the following race and the latter an impressive second once again.
Nuneaton-based David Mead claimed his fifth consecutive open time trial win, living up to his reputation as one of the most prolific veteran time trial riders in the country.
Competing in the Melton Olympic 10-mile event on the A3/10 course near Nottingham, Mead was the only rider to break the 20-minute barrier in very windy conditions.
Mead clocked a time of 19 minutes 24 seconds to take the race win by over 30 seconds while teammate Simon Law, also from Nuneaton, finished ninth overall in a time of 21 mins 3 secs and Mark Wise, from Leamington, clocked 23 mins 39 secs to finish in 26th place.
Elsewhere, the team’s oldest active racer, Derbyshire-based Michael Allen produced excellent results in recent Veterans Time Trial Association races.
Allen clocked some excellent age adjusted times to finish third overall in two races on the F2/A10 course near Cambourne, clocking 24 mins (age adjusted 18 mins 45 secs) in the first race and 23 mins 49 secs (age adjusted 18 mins 37 secs).
Lastly, in memory of Team Enable’s founder, Mick Ives, who passed away earlier this year, Coventry Olympic Group Sportive (COGS) – the non-racing side of the team, will be running the 2024 Mick Ives Myton Ride on August 25.
Choices of epic, challenge, leisure and family sportive rides will take riders into the Warwickshire countryside from the start and finish point at Baginton.
All proceeds from the ride will be donated to Myton Hospice where Mick was well cared for during the last few weeks of his life.
Entry details can be found on the British Cycling website.
