September has been another successful month for WSW in a range of disciplines - TT, track and cyclo-cross, at both regional and national level and at all age ranges - from u-14 to veteran.

Saturday 12th was a busy day for some of the club’s racing members. Alan Trolove, having won the Eastern Region Under 14 championships for Circuit Racing, Grass Track, Cyclo-cross and Time Trials decided to forego the chance of a full house at the Regions Hard Track Championships by riding in the National GHS junior and juvenile Time Trial Championship in the Midlands. He recorded 24:24 for the 10 mile event, coming home 4th in his age group and 38th overall, from a field of 130. Esther Colman also rode, fresh from representing the Eastern Region in the National Schools Games at the Newport Track, and marked a great return to form with second U14 girl. Terrific results.

Meanwhile, our foremost ‘tester’, Peter Balls, was making his track debut at the Regional Track Championships, borrowing Adrian Grimwood’s bike, to record an amazing 3:29 for 6 laps (2800m) to take the Pursuit title at his first attempt!! Adi, Steve Newman and Barry Denny also took part, but all with times the wrong side of 4 minutes. However they all teamed-up for the Team Pursuit, with the unusual, but predictable tactic of letting Peter do all the work at the front, with the others hanging on for grim death. Well, Steve and Adi did and with the third man counting they stopped the clock at 3.43, good enough for third place ~ but don’t ask how many teams started! Steve and Adi also contested the 10 mile Scratch Race, each surviving about half distance when the hectic pace broke the field into many pieces, surprise winner being ever green veteran, Trevor Burke.

Ed Ballam, the reigning U12 Champion, this year moved up to U14 and had a meeting-long tussle with Ryan Owens, of the organising club, these two sharing the spoils in a group of 6 riders. Ed won the 200m flying TT and the three lap pursuit, with Owens second in each, but he turned the tables on Ed in the sprint and scratch race, but by the narrowest of margins. This made them level on points, but the title went to Owens, being decided by the highest placed of the pair in the Scratch race.

The senior results and ladies and youth omniums results are available on the Welwyn Wheelers website.

The Cyclo-cross season kicked off on Sunday and saw three wheelers in action. Alan Trolove now has to compete in the U16 category and finished a creditable 5th. James Carpenter marked a return to competitive action with a mid-field placing and Trish Dennison had a baptism of fire in her first cross event, but kept upright in the race after a couple of falls in practice and lived to tell the tale – and contemplating having another go!