Rich and Matty Stokoe made their weekly visit to the Aerodrome at North Weald on Tuesday evening; conditions were warm but with a 15mph cross wind blowing across the circuit . Due to the circus coming to town the riders were using the old circuit tonight.
As an added attraction Rich and Matty were joined by local boy and Movistar Pro Alex Dowsett just to add to the excitement and no doubt the presence of Dowsett brings a few extra mph out of all of the riders. After a fractured start where the A group started and some of B group decided to go as well, leaving a bunch on the line, everyone went off together. Unfortunately Rich was in the second B group which had a mad chase to try and get on the back of the first group.
Rich in time trial mode
Rich’s group splintered quickly and left riders scattered all over the circuit so Rich joined forces with a Met Police Rider and they time trialed together for about 40 mins until they were caught by the main bunch. Rich sat in with this bunch until the elastic snapped and ended finishing the last 8 laps with a dropped pair from the fast group .
After the race Rich remarked “It was a hard night and I felt it afterwards”.
Matty had faired better in his group sitting in as two riders rode off the front one lap before the prime. Matty chased off after the pair who had about half a lap hoping he would get some help in the chase but none arrived so he bridged on his own catching the pair 30m before the finish line and collecting £10 for his trouble .
Not long after the prime Matty was joined by Alex Dowsett and a few junior riders he was pacing round and Matty jumped in with this group. Matty rode with Dowsett for a lap and decided to attack, dropping the other two juniors and Dowsett; gaining about a quarter of a lap before being brought back by the Dowsett group . Matty rode to finish strongly with the juniors averaging 20 mph for his efforts .
Well done to both Matty and Rich.
