Just one second separated the winner from the runner-up in the Oswestry Paragon 10 at Arddleen – in an event that nearly didn’t take place. Round 14 of the Friction Hydraulics Series looked in doubt as a wind turbine convoy made slow progress up the A483-based course, but thankfully cleared just in time to allow competition to start with a half hour delay. Taking that narrow victory was Rhino Velo rider Matt Davies, stopping the watch on a windy evening in 20 minutes 37 seconds – and revealing that a misjudged effort was probably responsible for that win.
Davies stated: “It was a hard night, and tricky to judge with having to work into a headwind on the way out and have enough to get home. I misjudged the ‘minute to go point’ and ended up ‘gassing it’ for closer to two. A great turn out, and a lovely event with a superb selection of cakes to finish it off. Thank you to all of those involved in putting on the event“.
Going into the red for the last two minutes was instrumental in Davies’ one second win, although runner-up George Evans suffered a traffic hold-up that didn’t help matters. A head-to-head between Davies and Evans was always likely to be tight, with both riders in a tremendous vein of form. Evans commented: “I knew it would be a close race. I was happy with my ride until about two miles to go when a tractor pulled out in front of me and I had to overtake, but that’s racing and I’m happy to still be up there considering that“.
Rhino Velo narrowed Mid Shropshire Wheelers’ lead in the Top Club Award thanks to Davies and team mate Matt Garthwaite, who finished third in 21:32. Garthwaite struggled to judge his effort with the tough southerly wind however stating: “I got my pacing wrong again, but this time I didn’t push hard enough on the way out. A nice wind on the return leg though and a good course“.
In the Veteran’s Championship it was a fine win for Paramount CRT’s Gary Duncan as he recorded a 39 second victory with a great effort of +4:55. This is Duncan’s third Veteran’s win this Series, though he revealed it came as a surprise stating: “I wasn’t expecting much after a hard ride on Sunday, so I was pleased with that. Thanks to Helen Tudor and the team for another great event“.
Duncan’s victory came from another rider in prime form, Bryn Davies who knows where to place his efforts with Hafren CC running events on this same stretch. Davies recorded a fine +4:16 to take the Veteran’s runner-up spot and commented: “It was a tough outward leg but fast albeit shorter return. I was happy enough with the time considering and pleased with 2nd Veteran’s position on the night. A big thanks to Oswestry Paragon CC for organising and rearranging the schedule at the last minute due to the turbines“.
Despite the tough conditions Jenny York not only extended her lead in the Veteran’s Championship, she also took the Ladies win and closed to just five points off Pauline Hughes in that Championship too. York recorded a +3:59 Veteran’s Standard and 25:39 actual to push out a challenge from first-timer Lucy Davies of Hafren CC in 26:08. York stated: “I never seem to be very quick on this course although I really like it. Pleased with a win especially when conditions were tough on the outward leg“.
Also taking advantage to narrow the gap in the Junior Championship was Devon Round, who put in a ride good enough to take 6th spot overall in 22:09. Round now lies just 35 points behind Sam Morris with three rounds to go. He commented: “I was happy with my result, its a shame the outward leg was so windy otherwise it would’ve been a much faster night. Glad the event could go ahead despite the traffic issues“.
Result
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series – Round 14
| Pos’n | Name | Club | Time | Points |
| 1 | Matt Davies | Rhino Velo RT | 20:37 | 60 |
| 2 | George Evans | SCCA Private Member | 20:38 | 55 |
| 3 | Matthew Garthwaite | Rhino Velo RT | 21:32 | 50 |
| 4 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | 21:57 | 45 |
| 5 | Gary Duncan | Paramount CRT | 22:04 | 40 |
| 6 | Devon Round | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 22:09 | 35 |
| =7 | Andrew Tamplin | Revolutions Racing | 22:37 | 30 |
| =7 | Alex Leek | SCCA Private Member | 22:37 | 30 |
| 9 | Tim Beardmore | Bridgnorth CC | 22:48 | 20 |
| 10 | Nigel Keyworth | Paramount CRT | 23:37 | 15 |
| 11 | Neil Coles | Oswestry Paragon CC | 23:58 | 10 |
| 12 | Andrew Rose | Nova Raiders | 24:18 | 5 |
| 13 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | 24:30 | 5 |
| 14 | Rob Kerr | Oswestry Paragon CC | 24:32 | 5 |
| 15 | Darrell Walsh | Oswestry Paragon CC | 24:47 | 5 |
| 16 | Simon Evans | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 24:48 | 5 |
| 17 | Philip Gardener | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 24:55 | 5 |
| 18 | John Robertson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 24:58 | 5 |
| 19 | Andrew Davies | Oswestry Paragon CC | 25:11 | 5 |
| 20 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 25:39 | 5 |
| 21 | Dave York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 26:03 | 5 |
| 22 | Lucy Davies | Hafren CC | 26:08 | 5 |
| 23 | Chris Marrs | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 26:25 | 5 |
| 24 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 26:57 | 5 |
| 25 | Alex Durnell | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 27:44 | 5 |
| 26 | Steve Taylor | Hafren CC | 29:40 | 5 |
| 27 | Dave Nicholas | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 30:46 | 5 |
| Ceris Eslava | Paramount CRT | DNS-A | ||
| Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | DNS-A | ||
| Stephen Elcocks | Revolutions Racing | DNS-A | ||
| Stephen Humphreys | Oswestry Paragon CC | DNS-A | ||
| Simon Harrison | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | DNS | ||
| Damien Platek | Revolutions Racing | DNS | ||
| Jade Chapman | Nova Raiders | DNS | ||
| Kirk Vickers | Rhino Velo RT | DNS | ||
| Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | DNS | ||
| Scott Harris | Nova Raiders | DNS | ||
| Steve Chapman | Nova Raiders | DNS |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship – Round 14
| Vets Pos’n | Name | Club | Vet +/- | Vets Points |
| 1 | Gary Duncan | Paramount CRT | +4:55 | 60 |
| 2 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | +4:16 | 55 |
| 3 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +3:59 | 50 |
| 4 | Tim Beardmore | Bridgnorth CC | +3:30 | 45 |
| 5 | Nigel Keyworth | Paramount CRT | +3:23 | 40 |
| 6 | Andrew Tamplin | Revolutions Racing | +3:22 | 35 |
| 7 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | +3:14 | 30 |
| 8 | Neil Coles | Oswestry Paragon CC | +3:01 | 25 |
| 9 | John Robertson | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +2:46 | 20 |
| 10 | Andrew Rose | Nova Raiders | +2:18 | 15 |
| 11 | Simon Evans | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +1:53 | 10 |
| 12 | Andrew Davies | Oswestry Paragon CC | +1:48 | 5 |
| 13 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | +1:42 | 5 |
| =14 | Philip Gardner | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +1:41 | 5 |
| =14 | Dave York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +1:41 | 5 |
| 16 | Darrell Walsh | Oswestry Paragon CC | +1:12 | 5 |
| 17 | Chris Marrs | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | +0:39 | 5 |
| 18 | Dave Nicholas | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | -0:53 | 5 |
| 19 | Steve Taylor | Hafren CC | -1:26 | 5 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Ladies Championship – Round 14
| Ladies Pos’n | Name | Club | Time | Ladies Points |
| 1 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 25:39 | 60 |
| 2 | Lucy Davies | Hafren CC | 26:08 | 55 |
| 3 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 26:57 | 50 |
| Ceris Eslava | Paramount CRT | DNS-A | ||
| Jenny Newton | Nova Raiders | DNS-A | ||
| Jade Chapman | Nova Raiders | DNS | ||
| Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | DNS |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Junior Championship – Round 14
| Junior Pos’n | Name | Club | Time | Junior Points |
| 1 | Devon Round | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 22:09 | 60 |
Top Club Award – Round 14
| Pos’n | Club | Points |
| 1 | Rhino Velo RT |
110 |
| 2 | SCCA Private Members |
85 |
| 3 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers |
75 |
| =4 | Hafren CC |
55 |
| =4 | Paramount CRT |
55 |
| =6 | Oswestry Paragon CC |
30 |
| =6 | Revolutions Racing |
30 |
| 8 | Bridgnorth CC |
20 |
| =9 | North Shropshire Wheelers |
5 |
| =9 | Nova Raiders |
5 |
Cumulative Standings after fourteen rounds
Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series
| Position | Name | Club | Cat | Best 12 |
| 1 | Matt Davies | Rhino Velo RT | S | 605 |
| 2 | Andrew Tamplin | Revolutions Racing | S | 495 |
| 3 | Victor Chetta | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | S | 485 |
| 4 | Tim Beardmore | Bridgnorth CC | V | 320 |
| 5 | Richard Kay | North Shropshire Wheelers | V | 305 |
| 6 | Devon Round | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | J | 295 |
| 7 | George Evans | SCCA Private Member | S | 290 |
| 8 | Matt Garthwaite | Rhino Velo RT | S | 260 |
| 9 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | V | 250 |
| =10 | Gary Duncan | Paramount CRT | V | 195 |
| =10 | Kirk Vickers | Rhino Velo RT | S | 195 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Veterans Championship
| Vets Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 530 |
| 2 | Tim Beardmore | Bridgnorth CC | 460 |
| 3 | Andrew Tamplin | Revolutions Racing | 415 |
| =4 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | 370 |
| =4 | Richard Kay | North Shropshire Wheelers | 370 |
| 6 | Gary Duncan | Paramount CRT | 330 |
| 7 | Bryn Davies | Hafren CC | 280 |
| 8 | Andy Hazell | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 265 |
| 9 | Terry Icke | NewportShropshire CC | 250 |
| 10 | David Drew | North Shropshire Wheelers | 220 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Ladies Championship
| Ladies Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Pauline Hughes | Revolutions Racing | 715 |
| 2 | Jenny York | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 710 |
| 3 | Helen Tudor | Oswestry Paragon CC | 440 |
| 4 | Ceris Eslava | Paramount CRT | 410 |
| 5 | Tracey Billington | Wrekinsport CC | 345 |
| 6 | Amanda Whitmore | Revolutions Racing | 265 |
| 7 | Susan Jeffery | Wrekinsport CC | 185 |
| 8 | Jade Chapman | Nova Raiders | 120 |
| 9 | Jennifer Morris | Wrekinsport CC | 90 |
| 10 | Amanda Witty | Wrekinsport CC | 85 |
Friction and Hydraulic Services Junior Championship
| Junior Pos’n | Name | Club | Best 12 |
| 1 | Sam Morris | Revolutions Racing | 450 |
| 2 | Devon Round | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 415 |
| 3 | Kieran Morris | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 115 |
| 4 | William Hints | Ludlow CC | 105 |
| 5 | Matthew Tilson | Ludlow CC | 95 |
| 6 | Jamie Holmes | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 60 |
| 7 | James Bell | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 45 |
| 8 | Ewan Grivell – Mellor | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 40 |
| =9 | Ben Pierce | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 35 |
| =9 | Matty Redworth | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 35 |
Top Club Award
| Position | Club | Total Points |
| 1 | Mid Shropshire Wheelers | 1465 |
| 2 | Rhino Velo RT | 1060 |
| 3 | Revolutions Racing | 960 |
| 4 | SCCA Private Members | 630 |
| 5 | Nova Raiders | 595 |
| 6 | North Shropshire Wheelers | 460 |
| 7 | Paramount CRT | 440 |
| 8 | Hafren CC | 390 |
| 9 | Bridgnorth CC | 310 |
| 10 | Wrekinsport CC | 300 |
| 11 | Ludlow Brewery RT | 190 |
| 12 | NewportShropshire CC | 165 |
| 13 | Ludlow CC | 150 |
| 14 | Oswestry Paragon CC | 145 |
| 15 | Clee Cycles | 65 |
| 16 | Evolve | 30 |
| 17 | Oswestry Peloton | 20 |
- Round 15 of the Friction Hydraulics Series, the Wrekinsport CC 25 has been cancelled due to Shawbirch road works. Round 16 takes place on 13th August when Nova Raiders run their Charity 25 on the Prees – Market Drayton course.