Cycling round-up: Hales continues to set the pace
Tomos Hales continues to set the pace in the Denso and Tern Cycles Evening 10 Series.
Hales sits top of the overall standings following victories in round five and six.
A favourable easterly wind helped riders up the toughest part of the Shawbirch-Cotwall Bank circuit in round five and Hales took advantage to win in a superb time of 21 minutes, 20 seconds.
The fast-improving Ben Wood took second place in 22:41, while Hayley Wells took another win in the Women’s Series, finishing sixth overall in 23:50.
In the Road Bike classification, Hamish Maclean took the overall win in 23:39, but Rich Smith narrowed Peter Julers' series lead to just three points after crossing the line in 24:59.
Round six saw Hales claim another maximum-point haul with a strong 21-minute-18-second effort. He finished 1:47 ahead of his nearest challenger, George Coombes of Newport Shropshire CC, who stopped the watch on 23:05, with the unattached Paul Edwards third.
In the Women's Series, Wells took the honours again in 23:31, with Karen Sherriff second in 28:52.In the Road Bike Series, visiting riders Jack Ward (Sharrow CC) and Tim Burn (Sitwell CC) came home first and second respectively in 23:52 and 25:14.
Matt Price took the maximum six points on offer for Wrekinsport members in 25:40.
Mower Mec 2-Up Series
Oswestry Paragon’s Peter Fletcher and Jack Young top of the Mower Mec 2-Up Series standings after round two following a narrow eight-second victory in less-than-ideal conditions in North Shropshire Wheelers’ 10-mile event.
Fletcher and Young stopped the watch on 23 minutes, 33 seconds to edge out the North Shropshire Wheelers’ pairing of James Neale and James Powell (23:41).
Speaking for the team, Fletcher was delighted with this result, which sees them open a 12-point advantage over Emma Brown and Liz Hagen.
North Shropshire Wheelers’ Richard Kay and the unaffiliated Darren Hollins crossed the line third in 25:02.
As well as holding the runner-up spot in the overall competition, Paramount’s Brown and Hagen also extended their lead at the top of the Mower Mec Female Series.
They finished in 28:01, with Market Drayton’s Jane Morris and Jenny Cooper second in 29:18.
