Tim Stowe

The  Midland Cyclo Cross season closed on Sunday with the final event a Baggeridge Park, near Wolverhampton and Team Jewson—M.I.Racing riders dominated the Veteran races.

Former British Senior and Veteran Champion Steve Knight had a comfortable victory in the Veterans event, his 11^th victory of the season and the largest number of wins by any Midland rider. The 40-49 year old riders started 2 mins ahead of riders 50 and over, in 2^nd place was team mate Phil Blacker, only just recovering from a broken shoulder received way back in September. In the over 50 yrs race Wellesbourne’s Tim Stowe, left all of his rivals way behind, winning by a massive margin of over 5 minutes, and catching all but the first 5 riders in the 40+ race that started 2 mins ahead, a fantastic performance , which has won him the Midland over 50 Series Championship., a sure reminder that Team Jewson, have some powerful riders for next season, their top rider Darren Atkins was on a visit to the World Championships in Belgium.

On Saturday Team Jewson—M.I.Racing –Thule—held their 2012 Team Launch at the Coventry Transport Museum—Star Guest was 81 yr old Tommy Godwin—a winner of 2 Cycling Medals in the 1948 London Olympics, and surprise visitor was team member Clive Pinfold, who only 3 weeks before, had a 5 hour operation to remove a brain tumour. Clive amazed Surgeons with his rapid recovery rate, a tribute to his fighting spirits and superb fitness and received a special ovation at the launch

2011 Josh Teasdale - Junior National Hill Climb Champion

Coventry based "Team Jewson - M.I.Racing"  riders were honoured at the Cycling Time Trials National Dinner and Awards evening last Saturday.

18 yr old Josh Teasdale received the Trophy for winning the British Junior Time Trial Championships in 2011, and the British Junior Hill Climb Championships, as a result of his outstanding performances he has won a 2 month Scholarship to go and live and race in Belgium during 2012 (awarded by C.T.T.) Josh is the fastest ever 16 yr old rider over 50 miles.

Golden Girl ,Michelle King, was awarded the "Rudy Project" National Time Trial series Championship for the 4^th time in as many years, no other lady has ever achieved this. Michelle is the 4^th fastest lady rider in the history of time trialing over the distance of 25 mls.

And ever green Mick Ives was awarded his trophy for winning the Veterans Hill Climb Championships for 5^th time and 2^nd place in the Time Trial Championships.

The other local rider to figure in the awards was Rob Wear from Leamington who was 2^nd in the Veterans Rudy Project series.

In the same race Wellesbourne’s Tim Stow,  achieved a top 6 position despite breaking a seat pillar and having to ride half a lap without a seat before getting to his spare machine. However he still leads the Midland over 50 series, with 1 more event to go.

Team Jewson—M.i.Racing’s-Allrounder  Greg Ashley who lives at Branston ,Nr Rugby, started the new season with a most gruelling event The Ultra 90mile Marathon, --45 mls on Saturday Northampton to Tring and 45 miles on Sunday Tring to Northampton , then off to work in London, early next morning.—race turned out to be 48 miles on Saturday where Greg finished 20^th in 8 hours 13 mins –80 people raced and day 2 was 50 miles long and he finished 22^nd in 10 hrs 17 mins, 50 people raced, only 12 people raced both days and Greg finished 5^th an amazing performance considering he is a Cyclist.and a tough one at that.

This coming Saturday sees the Official 2012 Team Launch for Team Jewson—M.I.Racing—Thule.

It will take place at the Coventry Transport Museum at 11-00am in the Cycle Exibition area on first floor—admission free-- all welcome

Guests include Tommy Godwin , double Medal winner in Cycling at 1948 Olympic Games in London, and David Harman Commentator for Eurosport

Public are invited to come along and see what riders Mick Ives has lined up for his team in 2012.

Darren Atkins

Steve Davies won Round 5 of the British National Series at Bradford, his 8th victory in as many races in the U.K.-Steve who is the Current British over 50's Champion, and current National Series Champion, has won the last 4 events in the series, having missed the first one in Middlesbrough, He has now taken over the Overall Lead in the Championship , with just one more event to go, and looks set to retain  his title. Meanwhile Kenilworth's Darren Atkins finished 3rd in the Bradford Race for riders over 40, but still retains 2nd position in the series. Darren will be competing on home soil, in a few weeks time , when he will be part of an 80 up field , in the Coventry Road Clubs Boxing Day Race on Kenilworth Common, the longest running Cyclo Cross event in the UK.  The event attracts Thousands of spectators each year, admission free

"Jewson's" Pete Smith won the 50+ Cyclo Cross at Hillingdon , the final event in the Central Region series, and has won the overall series as well.

And Wellesbourne 55yr old Tim Stowe finished 6th Veteran (40+) in the Didcote Cyclo Cross event at Harwell--Tim is the current leader in the Midland series..

With a field of over 50 riders from all over the U.K. contesting a tough but testing circuit, including steep descents and climbs in the wooded section combined with fast road and grass sections, and 2 running sections, Event organizer and course designer, 5 times World Masters Champion, Mick Ives, said "it was always going to sort the men from the boys, personally I was hoping for some rain to make conditions tougher, but it stayed dry all day."

Following his usual slow start, reigning Champion, and former British Senior Champion, Team Jewson rider ,Steve Knight, ploughed his way to the front, with a masterly display of riding, being the only rider in the event to ride one section of the course, that even Mick Ives thought would be impossible, this he did on each of the 8 laps, with out any problems. Knight won in convincing style, winning the Race and the 40+ Championship, next season he will contest the 45+ event Lorenzo Buratti finished 9th and 4th in the 40+ Championship Further success for the Team , with 54 yr old Pete Smith a former British Road Race Champion---finishing 4th in the Race and a clear winner in the 50+ Championship,, Team mate Tim Stowe (Wellesbourne) who won the Championship last season , and who lives just 2 miles from the course, finished 3rd to take Bronze Medal In the 60+ Championship --John Gabriel (Hinckley) finished 2nd, and Team mate Martin Hackley (Dunchurch) finished 3rd, both winning their first ever Cyclo Cross Championship Medal.

The 70+ Championship was dominated by the reigning Champion, Mick Ives (Baginton) who has now recorded his 75th British Cycling Championship, an all time record, that may never be beaten! Team Mate Graham Clements finished 3rd, New Lady team member Hanneke van der Werffinished 4th in the Ladies race.

Had there been a Team Championship, Team Jewson would have won that too, with 1st, 4th and 9th in the race.

What is more impressive is that 3 of their " Big Guns " didn't compete--Darren Atkins and Mark James , part of the current National Championship Team winners, both had to work , and British 50+ Champion,--unbeaton this season,  who was expected to push Knight for overall victory  in their event, went down with a heavy cold in the week and was advised by Team Director Mick Ives, not to race.

These 3 British Championships, now brings Team Jewson--M.I.Racings tally to 21 National Championship wins plus 2 Team Championships, this season--no other Team in the UK can compete with that .

Pete Smith 2011 LVRC National Cyclo Cross Championships

Photos are now available online:

Andrew Taylor's Gallery : http://phototaylor.co.uk/galleries/2011-lvrc-national-cyclo-cross-championships/

Matthew Smart's Gallery : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2655697793733.2149742.1294480439&type=1

Darren Atkins

Team Jewson—M.I.Racing—Thule—Kinesis –CNP, once again demonstrated that they have the most powerful and most successful Veteran Racing Cyclists in the U.K.

The Coventry based Team, were is cracking form over the weekend, with 4 victories across the UK.

The big event in the U.K. this weekend was Round 3 of the National Cyclo Cross Trophy series, held at Southampton.

Kenilworths Darren Atkins, the reigning champion, showed his outstanding class and form to ride clear of the U.K.’s best riders in the race for riders 40 yrs and over-- for a 25 sec victory in the 50 minute race, held on a course that required extreme skill over the very greasy surfaces, coupled with speed on the fast sections. This performance will give Darren great confidence, for his next major event the defence of his Midland Championship.in December.

Team mate Steve Davies, fresh from his outstanding performances last week in Belgium repeated his victory in Round 2 with a clear victory in the 50+ race, (both events were separate races). Davies is also the reigning Champion of the National series—Steve has his eyes on bigger targets, that is to retain his National Championship title and possibly go for the World Championships in America, both in January.

Both riders were honoured at the Team Jewson—M.I.Racing Dinner and Prize presentation at Dunchurch Park Hotel,on Friday Evening,  where over 90 Sponsors/Guests and Riders gathered, to celebrate the Teams success’s which includes 19 British Individual, and 2 Team Cycling Championships so far this season. No other team in Team UK can match that success.

Team Director, Mick Ives, said "The performances that our riders, have and are continuing to  produce are outstanding, we should win more Championships this coming weekend at the LVRC National Cyclo Cross Champs, where we won 3 Titles last year, bring it On"

Other Victories over the weekend came from  Team Boss , Mick Ives in the Elizabethan C C Cross event nr Sedgeley, Staffs , where he easily won the 70 + class, Team mates Tim Stowe ( Wellesbourne ) finished 2^nd in the 50+ class and Martin Hackley (Dunchurch) was not so lucky, crashing on the first lap he had to extract his Cycle for a tree before he could continue, then towards the end of the race, crashed very heavily on a technical stoney descent, ripping his legs, and knees  needing first aid treatment, causing him to retire from the event

The following morning Tim Stowe (Wellesbourne) travelled to Surrey to compete in the Gorric Mountain Bike race, which he duly won , by a narrow margin of 6 secs, after a hectic last few laps.

Next Saturday, The Team field a very strong line up at the LVRC National Cyclo Cross Championships to be held at Moreton Morrell College, Nr Wellesbourne---Start 1-00pm, Admission Free.

Tim Stowe defends the 50+ Championships, Steve Knight defends the 40+, and Mick Ives defends the 70+, additionally the team have Lorenzo Buratti, Pete Smith, and Top Man --Steve Davies, along with Martin Hackley, John Gabriel, Graham Clements , and new signing, Dutch rider Hanneke van der Werf.

The Championship is sponsored by JEWSON , and promoted by M.I.Racing.

Steve Davies

Steve Davies from Coventry, the current over 50 National Cyclo Cross Champion, National Trophy series Champion, and National Mountain Bike Champion was in fantastic form over the weekend racing in Belgium.

In his 2 events, Davies finished 4^th on the Saturday, and 2^nd on the Sunday, where he battled it out with the current U.C.I. World Champion, what made the performances more remarkable was that he was placed at the rear of the field in both events and had to work his way past over 60 riders, the World Champion was on the front row of the grid.

Davis will be riding the forthcoming LVRC National Championships at Moreton College, Moreton Morrell on Saturday 19^th November, and his other main targets will be to retain his British Championship in January at Ipswich, where he has already won on the course, the National Trophy series, and possibly the U.C.I.World Championships in America in January.

Next weekend Davies will be one of the star riders attending the “Team Jewson”—M.I.Racing Dinner at the Dunchurch Park Hotel.

Darren Atkins

Kenilworth Racing cyclist, Darren Atkins, who rides for the Elite Coventry based "Team Jewson M.I.Racing Thule" squad wins with style at Misterton Hall.

Once again, this weekend he has forsaken taking part in the Midland League Veterans event  in favour of riding the race for Professional and seniors, over a longer distance, and once again he has proved to be in a class of his own.

On Sunday Darren competed in round 7 of the Midland Cyclo Cross series at Misterton Hall, near Lutterworth, Leics and even a puncture on the 3^rd lap could not prevent him winning again. He rode on a flat tyre to the pits area losing a lot of time in the process, changed to his spare machine and promptly started to work his way through the field, catching the leader on the last lap and riding clear to the finish. The course was very fast and tricky.

Mean while team mate and former British Champion, Steve Knight took control in the separate Veterans race, winning his 6^th event in a row with ease, repeating last weekends result with the 2 Jewson riders winning  both Pro/Senior and Veteran races.

Success for Mark James –Team Jewson—in the Friday Ev, Floodlit Cyclo Cross race at Camarthen , S.Wales, James is also in devastating form, having won his last 5 races.

And at Oxford, fresh from competing in the 6 day Tour of Mallorca Road Stage Race, Pete Smith finished 2^nd Veteran and first over 50 in the Oxford Cyclo Cross.  Smith has been selected to ride for the Southern region in the forth coming Inter regional Champs, at Milton Keynes.

Wellesbourne’s Tim Stowe, finished 3^rd overall and 2^nd best 50 + rider in the L.V.R.C. Cyclo Cross also at Misterton Hall, but on Saturday, for riders over 40 yrs, team mates John Gabriel finished 13^th and 2^nd 60 + rider and Mick Ives (Baginton) finished 16^th and was a clear winner of the 70+ race, and Martin Hackley (Dunchurch) 17^th and 2^nd 60 +.

Next weekend Team Jewson , field 6 riders in the British Hill Climb Championships at Whaley Bridge, N.Derbyshire, the largest entry by any local team/ The oldest rider in the event will be Team Jewson ‘s Team Director, Mick Ives, who will be out to win his 74^th British Championship, competing in the 70+ age group, his biggest rival being John Bettison, a former stage race winner in the Tour of Britain, Milk Race when it finished in Coventry. He first rode the Championship in 1961—50 years ago, the team will also have 3 of the fastest Juniors in the UK riding.

Mick Ives will be organising the “Jewson” sponsored LVRC National Cyclo Cross Championships at Moreton Morrell Agricultral Hall , on Saturday 19^th November, entries will close 1 week before, details on LVRC web site    www.lvrc.org.uk

Michelle King July 2011

"KING IS KING" - another National Championship.

Team Jewson M.I.Racing Thule CNP leading Lady Time Trial rider, Michelle King has set a new record, by winning the season long "Rudy Project" National Ladies Time Trial Championships for the 4^th year in a row.

Michelle, a former World Masters Time Trial Champion, led the completion all season and finished it off in brilliant style winning round 7 at Loughborough by almost a minute, covering the 15 ml course in 35 mins 46 secs.

Michelle has had a fantastic season and her British Championship victory makes it 10 British Cycling Individual Championships plus 2 British Team Championships this season for the elite Coventry based team with more expected before the end of the year. No other U.K.Cycling Team can boast such a record.

At the same event at Loughborough 17 yr old Josh Teasdale won the Junior race in a fantastic time of 34 mins 18 secs.

Josh followed this up with second place (against seniors), on Sunday morning in the tough Cleveland Hill Climb, an event he won last year.

Mick Ives defied his age when he won the 70+ section in the Classic "Horse Shoe Pass" Hill Climb,in N.Wales beating all of the 65+ and finishing only 1 second behind the winner of the 60+ section. The last time he raced up the Horse Shoe Pass was in the 1965 Milk Race Tour of Britain, (46 yrs ago) as part of the Gt Britain Team, that stage was from Llandidno to Wolverhampton a distance of 130 mls, and he was involved in 2 crashes, a day he will always remember.

The  Teams former British Senior and Veteran Cyclo Cross Champion Steve Knight was again in unbeatable form, winning the "Top Barn" event near Worcester by a massive margin, team mate  Lorenzo Buratti was 3rd.

Knight has ridden in 4 Cross events this season winning the last 3, he was 2^nd to team mate Phil Blacker in the other. Team Jewson are the British Veteran Team Champions.

Not only do Team Jewson M.I.Racing win a lot of events, they also put a lot back into the sport and next week end is an example. Next weekend see’s the British Veteran Time Trial National Championships—sponsored by "Jewson" which will be held on the very tough 20 ml circuit around Napton—Southam—Priors Marston—Charlwellton—Badby—Napton, in S.Warwickshire.

The event starts at 10-30am, with H.Q. at Napton Victory Club., The event which is organised by "Team Jewson—M.I.Racing" has attracted almost 100 riders from all over the UK .inc Lady Veterans.

Team Jewson expect Mick Ives to be in the medals, as he has won the Championship for his age group, 7 times in the past 8 years and former British 50 ml Time Trial Champio , John French is expected to do well in the 55+ section.

Championship Jerseys Medals and Awards are to be presented by newly crowned British Champion, Michelle King.

The dates for 3 new LVRC Cyclo Cross events have just been announced, Sat 22^nd Oct—Sat 12^th November ,and the LVRC National  Championships on Sat 19^th of November, all details are now on LVRC website http://www.lvrc.org.uk