SCRL Circuit #8 - 23/05/25
Women’s 2/3/4
George Cory, British Cycling Commissaire, shares a laugh with the three riders on the start line of the Women’s 2/3/4 race..
Emma Kuusela sets the early pace.
Sometimes, it’s about making the most of the race at hand. With only three riders, the contest evolved into an intense tactical battle.
Gemma Lewis (Sussex Revolution VC) drives the pace at the front, while Libby Spong (Wolfox CAMS Le Col RT) stays sharp behind.
Emma seizes the moment, launching from the back of the group in a bold bid to break away.
Emma a Libby break clear by a few seconds.
The change of pace, left Gemma having to battle to get back on.
After a couple of laps, Gemma regained contact, and the pace eased as each rider began to read their rivals' strengths and weaknesses.
Libby and Emma quickly change the pace, again, challenging Gemma to respond.
Gemma, does respond, and gets back on. Emma once again sets the pace.
Emma drifts to the back, fully aware that only a shift in pace will crack the competition.
Gemma stays vigilant at the front, keenly aware of the looming threat from behind.
Again, Emma attacks, with Libby closely tracking her wheel, leaving Gemma to fight to get back on.
The threat of the break looms larger as Libby takes a turn on the front.
Gemma, not shying away from the chase.
The leading duo begin to second-guess their tactics hesitant to do too much at the front. This hesitation offers a glimmer of hope for the ever-persistent and determined Gemma.
Gemma goes all in to get back to the leaders, earning applause from the watching spectators. The pace eases, and the race turns tactical—with no-one wanting to get to the front, and Emma’s looming attacks shape it into a track-style ‘Longest Lap.’ As some slow laps tick by, Emma catches the humour in it, flashing a knowing smile.
5 laps on the board the pace starts to pick up, with Emma riding at the front. Libby remains attentive and lets Emma take on the work until the final lap.
Emma starts the sprint from the front with Libby gaining fast.
Emma edges ahead and holds on to take the win by less than a bike length! The race may not have had the numbers, and each rider may not have experienced anything quite like it, but there's always something to learn. Judging by the smiles and post-race conversations, they embraced it for what it was.
Top 3:
Emma Kuusela
Libby Spong, Wolfox CAMS Le Col RT
Gemma Lewis, Sussex Revolution VC
Open 3/4
It was another full entry for the Open 3/4 with George Cory, briefing the 33 riders at the start line.
Recent results have shown that riders with stronger representation are enjoying greater success. Clubs like Brighton Mitre CC, Dorking Cycling Club, Southdown & District Wheelers, Strada Wheels RT – Lucentsys, VCGH, and VC Londres were once again present with healthy numbers—aiming to turn individual performances into a collective team triumph.
Early on, Dorking Cycling Club looked to have a plan, with Ryan Pierce setting a strong pace at the front.
Jack Bartholomew (Stolen Goat RT) hunts down the early breaks, looking to shape the race in his favor, with Josh Worley (VCGH) and Jamie Mackenzie (Dorking Cycling Club) in close pursuit. Several riders make individual attacks off the front but nothing sticks.
David Fuller (Southborough & District Wheelers) spends time at the front, looking to stir things up. Dorking Cycling Club riders remain close, watching intently and staying committed to their plan.
Mark Day (Brighton Mitre CC) makes a move, hoping to draw out company from Joseph Bacon (Rapha Cycling), David Fuller, Michael Faulkner (Dorking Cycling Club), and Omar Malik (Southborough & District Wheelers). A slight gap appears.
David Fuller makes an effort for teammate Omar Malik, aiming to turn the breakaway into a real threat.
Jack Bartholomew manages to jump across from the small gap from the peloton behind.
The group breaks up when the peloton gains ground.
Ryan Pierce bridges to the leaders, but the peloton quickly reels them back in.
Josh Worley and Tye Taylor worked hard to reel in the leaders, dragging the peloton with them. The VC Londres teammates begin to make their presence felt.
Ryan Pierce makes a break for it!
The effort is short-lived under pressure from an active peloton, but the intent is unmistakable.
Mark Day goes again as riders start attacking from the front of the peloton.
With Mark Day brought back into the fold, the peloton backs off to take stock.
As with the previous races in this series, any respite in the peloton is fleeting.
Alastair Weinberg (Strada Wheels RT – Lucentsys) surges clear of the peloton, gaining several seconds before his effort begins to fade. Jack Bartholomew reacts, launching his counterattack.
Milo Clarke (VC Londres) bursting from the peloton, unable to make his effort stick.
Ryan Pierce times it perfectly, breaking clear of the peloton. With many riders recovering from their earlier attacks, a gap begins to open.
David Fuller takes on the chasing role at the front of the peloton.
Ryan extends his lead to nearly half a lap.
Dorking Cycling Club teammates riding at the front of the peloton in an attempt to control the pace and allow Ryan to get further away.
David Fuller punches through the Dorking Cycling Club defense, grinding out hard laps as he methodically reels in the leader, Ryan.
After several laps, Ryan’s lead is agonisingly clawed back by David’s relentless chase. Meanwhile, Dorking Cycling Club lurks right behind, enjoying the tow.
As soon as the leader is reeled in, the attacks reignite—Josh Worley is first to strike.
It's Finlay Young time! His VC Londres teammates, patient yet consistently holding strong positions, begin manoeuvring for a decisive move.
With just a few minutes before the 5-lap board goes up, a small group begins to form. But with the peloton driving a relentless pace, there's no time to organise—gaps are clawed back almost as quickly as they appear.
Five laps to go, Joshua Guest (Oxted Cycling Club) followed by Milo Clarke (VC Londres) make a long bid for home—but their effort ultimately comes to nothing.
Ryan Edwards (Horsham Cycling), with Hadley Davis (VC Londres) making a strong bid for home, however, the peloton is moving fast!
Inside the peloton teams are forming. Nathan Cozens, not pictured, starts a big effort bringing his Brighton Mitre CC teammates toward the front of the peloton.
The final lap, Mark Day takes control, reeling in Ryan Edwards and sacrificing himself with a phenomenal pace—ensuring no one can break away as the bell sounds.
With Mark Day’s effort done, teammate Jack Smith (Brighton Mitre CC) takes on the sprint from the final bend.
Jack Smith takes the win in style, powered by a fantastic leadout. Finlay Young secures second, with George Batchelor just centimetres behind in third. From Dorking Cycling Club’s efforts to protect a solo breakaway, to VC Londres staying involved at every move, to Brighton Mitre executing a well-timed sprint leadout—it was Brighton Mitre’s tactics that won the day.
Top 10:
Jack Smith, Brighton Mitre CC
Finlay Young, VC Londres
George Batchelor, Dorking Cycling Club
Jamie Mackenzie, Dorking Cycling Club
Joseph Bacon, Rapha Cycling Club
Omar Malik, Southborough & District Wheelers
Ryan Pierce, Dorking Cycling Club
Nathan Cozens, Brighton Mitre CC
Stephen Langham, VCGH
Hadley Davis, VC Londres
Open E123
George Cory brings some lighthearted banter to the 11 riders on the E123 start line. Two teams are well represented—Brighton Mitre CC boasts five riders, while Strada Wheels RT – Lucentsys, with Martin Gibbs switching his entry from the Open 3/4 after an unfixable puncture and a borrowed wheel, fields three. Team numbers could prove influential.
Jamie Pullen (TAAP Kalas) got the race moving setting the pace of the early laps.
But it didn’t take long for a breakaway to happen! In form Marek Shafer (Brighton Mitre) goes on the attack with James Bullen (Strada Wheels RT - Lucentsys) trying to hold his wheel.
The break becomes one, Marek goes solo.
All riders, excluding Brighton Mitre CC start the chase.
Rory Barrett (Southborough & District Wheelers) puts the work in.
Rory’s effort brings Marek within reach, and just as the gap narrows, Cosmo Derangi seizes the moment with a counterattack.
Cosmo’s effort splits the peloton, but as other riders join him the pace settles a little.
Robert Lovett (Strada Wheels RT - Lucentsys) breaks from the peloton!
It doesn’t take long for Robert to gain a considerable gap.
John Tindell (Brighton Mitre CC) wants some of the action and commits to the chase.
The peloton, led by Alwyn Frank (Brighton Mitre CC) and Martin Gibbs, eases off as teammates hold back from the chase. The gap to the leaders continues to grow—Jamie Pullen puffs his cheeks, knowing the responsibility falls on him to bring them back.
And after a few laps, Jamie does pull them back!
It’s only a matter of time before the next attack starts.
It’s Marek Shafer that goes again, followed by Alwyn and James Bullen.
Jamie Pullen, outnumbered but not outclassed once again on the chase.
It wouldn’t be a race without James Bullen launching yet another attack off the front!
Respect is earned when the entire peloton is racing against you. Jamie Pullen flips defence into attack.
Jamie working hard to break the peloton.
Hang on a second—an E123 peloton taking a breather? Jamie’s effort peters out, offering the pack a brief moment to regroup.
Normal service resumes—Robert Lovett goes on the attack once more, with John Tindell in swift pursuit.
With teammates up the road, the peloton holds back from chasing. Jamie casts off his sunglasses—he knows exactly what he has to do.
John Tindell and Robert Lovett start working well as a team.
James Bullen, asking the commissaire to put up 5 laps on the board. The peloton, still riding patiently, appear happy in not chasing.
Marek Shafer bursts from the peloton, catching everyone off guard as he goes all-in on the chase to the leaders. No one follows—no one can! The 5-lap board is up, and Marek has over half a lap to bridge.
Impressively, Marek makes it!
The crowd may be small, but they’re fully invested—a well-deserved round of applause erupts as Marek bridges the gap with three laps to go.
Jamie Pullen, determined yet weary, gives everything he has to close the gap.
The penultimate lap, with the breakaway beyond reach, Robert Lovett goes on the attack on the back-straight.
Marek holds his wheel it’s now a race between the two.
On the final lap, Marek digs deep for one last effort to distance Robert and secure an impressive victory—becoming the first rider in this series to win both an Open 3/4 race and an E123.
Robert Lovett takes second place.
John Tindell manages to hold off the peloton to take third.
The sprint for the remaining places saw Cosmo Derangi surge from the pack to claim fourth.
After leading out the sprint, Alwyn Frank edged out the battle-weary Jamie Pullen by millimeters to take fifth.
Top 10:
Marek Shafer, Brighton Mitre CC
Robert Lovett, Strada Wheels RT - Lucentsys
John Tindell, Brighton Mitre CC
Cosmo Derangi
Alwyn Frank, Brighton Mitre CC
Jamie Pullen, TAAP Kalas
Martin Gibbs, Strada Wheels RT - Lucentsys
Rory Barrett, Southborough & District Wheelers
Ernesto Battinelli, Brighton Mitre CC
Cesare Massett, Brighton Mitre CC
Once again, many thanks to all the volunteers that helped make the event go safely.
Special thanks to George Cory (British Cycling Commissaire), Glyn Durrant (Surrey Cycling Racing League) for sign-on, Wayne Stuart for medical services, William Davis, and dedicated marshals John Tindell (Brighton Mitre), James Bullen (Strada Wheels RT - Lucentsys), amongst many others.
Circuit race #9 - 13th June. Entries open now
Photographs
Photos from this race and others in the series are available for download here:
