Event Details
Club: | Lakeland Orienteering Club |
Event Name: | Lakeland Bike O 12 Series 6 |
Date: | 17/07/12 |
Format: | Bike O |
Mapping: | Ordnance Survey |
Time Limit: | 2 hours |
National League: | - |
League: | Lakeland Bike O 2012 (Round 6 of ) |
Electronic Punch: | No |
Event Report
Lakeland Lanequest Event 6
Bryan Singleton once again triumphed in adverse conditions to win the final event of this year’s Lanequest series. In heavy rain, with the lanes wet, slippery and strewn with debris, Singleton was the only rider to visit all 30 controls inside the 2 hour time limit.
Organiser Toby Dalton, of series sponsors Wheelbase, had set a challenging course for the 122 competitors around Staveley, with steep climbs and gated roads, which left many regulars 20 points or more short of their usual score in the tricky conditions.
Behind Singleton (308 points), were Tom Gibbs (278) with Mike Toyn and Trevor Smith (270) equal third. Gibbs (1240 points from his best 4 events) is overall series winner, Singleton (1234) a close second, whilst Toyn’s (1216) consistency was rewarded with third place.
Jo Cleary (220) chalked up her third win of the series in the women’s solo class, with Anne Plant (218) a very close second and Nicki Barron (206) third. Overall, the women’s competition was keenly fought, with last year’s junior winner, Bryony Halcrow (1018), getting the better of Jo Cleary (1010) and Anne Plant (1010).
George Taylor & Gary Thomason (210) were first of the generation pairs, with Jack & James Smith (208) second and Parris Huitson & Stuart Walker (204) third. The Smiths (930) were series winners, with Huitson & Walker (919) in second place and Hannah Cleary-Hughes & Chris Stevens (864) third.
Best adult pair were Sally Ward & Bruce Attwood (230), with Helen Jackson & Paul Vousden (220) and Andrew & Sarah Crozier (200) third. Mike Brooks & Andy Beck (1090) took the series ahead of Ward & Attwood (1040) and the Croziers (979).
Prizes were presented by Toby Dalton of Wheelbase, in Wilf’s Café, where the winners cut the cake for all to share. There was a special award for
series organiser Carol McNeill, who is stepping down after 17 successful years. These popular events are very much Carol’s brainchild, uniquely bringing together orienteers, mountain bikers, road cyclists, cycle tourists and leisure cyclists to enjoy 6 evenings each summer competing or just enjoying a ride in the lanes.
Organiser Toby Dalton saw the optimum route as follows:
4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 8, 5 , 3. 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, 30, 28, 24, 23, 25, 22, 21, 13, 18, 19. The ones to leave were 1 and 2, or just 4.
“It's the first time we have planned a Lanequest event and we really enjoyed it. It was a bit of a brain tester but some great help from fellow Lanequesters made the job easier.
We wanted to produce a course which was a test for the riders at the top of the league but which would produce good scores for those lower down the rankings. With only one person clearing the course in torrential rain I think we did pretty good!"
David Heffernan commented on the weather and road conditions:
“The conditions were pretty desperate. I was having great trouble getting my bike to stop when I needed it to. I almost got run over a couple of times by other riders. I think we need to re-inforce the message that riders need to be careful about their speed on the lanes.
I decided on a clockwise circuit of the southern controls followed by as many to the north of Staveley as I had time for. In the end I had to omit 4 7 9 and 10.
So my controls were16 17 20 26 27 29 30 28 24 23 25 22 21 13 18 19 15 14 12 3 2 1 5 8 11 6.
I lost a little bit of time at 30, which was a little out of place.
My route was 30 miles and 1230 ft = 111 minutes. So I was rather slow.
A route to get all 30, using the same strategy as my route would be 35.3 miles, 1640 ft = 134 minutes. I've no idea how Bryan did all 30 with 4 minutes to spare. That's a quite astounding performance”.
Winner Bryan Singleton described his route:
“Nothing outstanding in terms of route, except that I did 6 and 4 first. Then
5,2,1,3,12,14,15,19,18,13,21,22,25,23,24,28,30,29,27,26,20,17,16,7,9,10,11,8 and in. Decided to do a clockwise top loop as I know the climb to 7 from Stavely is much quicker. Luckily I hit some of the gates when someone had them open - you do that extra sprint to time it when someone else is there!
Got caught (nearly) by Mike at 12, thinking he had done the same route spurred me on a bit as he had told me we were very close overall and it was going down to the wire.
Legs felt good and had no slip ups/near misses luckily. It was a bit desperate though as it was dark in the wooded lanes and there was still plenty of stuff on the ground.
As always the event/series was well organised - such a pity we do not get the same numbers for the Off-road events.
Cheers for now - have a good summer”.
Tom Gibbs was impressed with Bryan’s ride in terrible conditions:
“I've enjoyed the series this year - been a highlight of the week. Shame about the weather.
I think I did the same as most. Went clockwise and got 1-2 early on, left bits above Staveley to the end. Had to drop 6 & 4. Was impressed with Bryan's effort, judging by my legs today I wasn't going full bore last night but even so his ride was the ride of the series - Chapeau x2 !
Though he did say he had some gates open for him - which would make some difference - perhaps he had someone opening the gates for him ?? ;-]
30 seemed ok, but then 2 people were coming out. 15 was definitely wrong and I lost a minute there.
My route was - 5-2-1-3-12-14-15-19-18-13-21-22-25-23-24-28-30-29-27-26-20-17-16-8-11-10-9-7
Chuffed to win the series, especially against such good competition.
I think these events are so successful because they aren't too long and they are during the week. Weekends tend to get filled up with stuff, so I like midweek events”.
Last words to Mike Toyn:
“Despite the weather it was a great finale to another great Lanequest series.
Wheelbase was a great location for the start and the provision of a couple
of Gazebos for the start / finish was a welcome addition for riders and
marshals alike.
The course was challenging and the weather didn't make it any easier. There
were a few corners that had to be taken rather gingerly but in general the
roads were in good condition. I rode anticlockwise with plans to get the
controls around Craggy Woods if I had time. I ended up getting 27 controls
and have to admit standing on the finish line in a state of shock when I was
told that Bryan had got all 30. Chapeau!
The prize giving was well organised and a superb finale to the series and an
excellent opportunity to thank Carol for all her hard work over the past 17
years. Thanks to Wilfs for the venue and cake (I have to confess to going
back for seconds it was so good)
Roll on 2013.”