NECCL NEWS UPDATE. ROUND 6- 13th Dec 09, Sports Centre, Meadowfield, Durham.

NECCL NEWS UPDATE. ROUND 6- 13th Dec 09, Sports Centre, Meadowfield, Durham.

Come and take on the grounds of the Sports Centre at Meadowfield. Many riders will be battling for points to count for their final league positions. The course will be very similar to the Autumn Series that was run this season taking in the singletrack section through the woods, climbing and descending on the bank side at the bottom end of the course and the short but steep ups and downs adjacent to the new all weather area and Sports Centre gable end. This year the race will be run in a clockwise direction.

The Round has been Sponsored by RINGLAND SCAFFOLDING & WESTBROOK CYCLES and supported by DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL. The total prize fund exceeds £220 worth. There will be 12no cash prizes, 3no FREE Race Entry Vouchers for Rd 7, Spot prizes for all 3no races & goodie bags for all U12’s.

Parking is based on the new car park on your right as you come off the main road. Registration is based in the rear of the sports centre NO MUDDY SHOES inside please. Facilities include- changing, toilets, drink/snack machines, signing on / presentation.

Directions- Leave the A1 at junction 62 and follow the A690 through Durham, Nevilles Cross, Langley Moor then the Sports Centre is on your right hand side. It will be sign posted off the A690. Postcode for sat nav users – DH7 8RS.

RD 5 PRESTON PARK & MUSEUM, STOCKTON. SUN 15th NOV 09

RD 5 PRESTON PARK & MUSEUM, STOCKTON. SUN 15th NOV 09

We return back to this venue which has been used many times before in the past by the old ‘Durham Cycle Sport Club’. It was always a very popular venue as the grounds are very varied with a fantastic mix of all terrains including the ‘singletrack woods’. Alan has gone to great effort to put this venue back on the calendar and has plotted the course’s out ready (click on news section & scroll down). It is going to be a fantastic day out for all.

Directionshttp://www.stockton.gov.uk/contact/loca … estonhall/
Preston Hall Museum and Park, Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees. TS18 3RH

From the South A19
Branch left, then turn left onto the A67 (signposted Yarm A67)
Travel 1.22 miles at roundabout take the 2nd exit onto Thirsk Road – A67 (signposted Stockton, Darlington) Entering Yarm
Travel 1.28 miles onto Yarm Road – A67. Entering Eaglescliffe
Travel 0.02 miles at traffic signals continue forward onto the A135
Travel 1.69 miles arrive at TS18 3RH, Preston Hall Museum on Right

From the North A19
After the Tees Viaduct take 2nd turning on left, then merge onto the A66 (signposted A66 Stockton, Darlington, Airport)
Travel 1.63 miles and continue forward (signposted Darlington)
Travel 0.53 miles onto the A66. Entering Stockton On Tees
Travel 0.88 miles branch left (signposted Stockton West), then at roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
Travel 0.39 miles at roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
Travel 0.55 miles arrive at TS18 3RH, Preston Hall Museum on left.

From the East A66
Follow A66 entering Stockton On Tees
Branch left (signposted Stockton West), then at roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
Arrive at TS18 3RH,Eaglescliffe

From the west A66
Join A66 at Darlington (signposted Teesside)
Travel 6.80 miles then branch left, then at roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
Travel 0.39 miles at roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A135 (signposted Yarm, Teesside Airport)
Travel 0.55 miles arrive at TS18 3RH, Preston Hall Museum on left.

A few reviews on the venue – http://www.stockton.gov.uk/citizenservices/environment/parksandopen/countrysidesites/32277/
http://www.stockton.gov.uk/citizenservi … afeteespp/
http://www.stockton.gov.uk/citizenservi … 2277/tsgr/

“Preston Hall Park – Parkland popular with families, with its extensive picnic areas, well equipped and spacious children’s safe play areas, and a large outdoor aviary and pond. After all the exertion undertaken in exploring the many rambling riverside pathways, there is a much needed respite to be found in the cafe, adjacent to the children’s play area.”
“Butterfly World -For a complete change of climate why not visit Butterfly World? This tropical environment has been recreated to support the myriad of highly coloured butterflies on show here.See how these delicate and beautifully marked flying creatures evolve from those nasty crawling things.Explore the pathway as it winds among exotic plants between the tropical pools teeming with aquatic creatures.”
“Preston Hall Museum is set in 100 acres of beautiful parkland overlooking the River Tees. The museum has displays of art, armour and social history. Visitors can discover what life was like in the home since 1825 and stroll back in time along a typical local street of the 1890s where the museum’s resident traditional craftspeople can be found at work. As well as the museum, Preston Park also has a range of permanent attractions including exotic bird life in the aviary and wildfowl pond and many riverside and woodland paths. You can walk amongst hundreds of beautiful butterflies at Butterfly World, take a ride on the Tees Small Gauge Railway or boat on the river. There’s also a safe surface play area for children and a café.”

Round 4 – Killingworth Lake – Update

The week leading into Round 4 at Killingworth Lake was an organisers nightmare with strong winds, heavy rain, dark skies and a forecast scary as Halloween! Thankfully it was warm and dry on the day but it  was showing some signs of the effects of the weather, with a few soggy spots scattered across the length of the course sure to make the legs ache.  The course itself was yet another variation to test every rider including an altered direction and some testing off camber turns and short climbs.

In the Under 12s Matthew Worton made the very best of the shortened senior course making a break off the front and pulling out a gap to second place Angus Brown. Matthew held onto his first place to take the win with Angus claiming second and Nick McWhirter coming in a very respectable 3rd.

Activ Cycles’ Adam Martin dominated the U16/u14/Novice Lady pulling out all the stops and taking a well deserved top spot with Alex Hopper pushing hard coming in a fine second with Joe Brown chasing hard for second but ultimately settling for 3rd.

The Senior race had a 63 strong field and a great team presence, it was a real spectacle. When the whistle blew, to coin a phrase it really was a “cavalry charge” with everyone exploding off the start line and belting down the long straight fighting for the first bend.

Once the pace “settled” if you could call it that, Tony Fawcett stamped his authority on the race and began pulling away from a chasing pack that contained James Anderson (Picarsso Pulman), Tony Glover(Derwentside CC) and the two Hambleton RC boys Darren Binks and Steve Middleton.

Tony Fawcett however continued to stretch out his lead until the final two laps when James Anderson began to slowly pull the leader back but time was against him and Tony took the win.  Tony Glover came across the line in 3rd followed by a great battle between Darren Binks and Steve Middleton seeing Darren taking the honours and coming in 4th.

What a great day – big thanks to everyone that came, racers, spectators and organisers including Geoff Turner, Jason McCourt, Brian Bayne, Dave McLean and the boys from the Sage Cycle Club: Andy Palmer, Colin Edgar and Phil Healey who we expect to see racing shortly (no pressure!)

RD 4 BOATING LAKE, KILLINGWORTH. SUN 25th OCT 09

NECCL NEWS UPDATE. ROUND 4- 25th Oct 09, Boating Lake, Killingworth, Tyne & Wear.

There is no excuse for the ‘Northern’ riders not to have a race in our series with the course set around the scenic setting of the Boating Lake at Killingworth. The course is set within the park / woodland to challenge you with singletrack through the woods, several gentle climbs, wide grass sections for overtaking and flat out speed. Geoff will probably throw in a couple of hurdles as well just to slow you down a little! Signing on will be in the car park and the start/finish over on the course. After the races please DO NOT WASH your bike in the Lake. There will be 12no cash prizes on the day and al ittle something for all the U12’s.

Directions– A19 heading North turnoff onto A1056 (Killingworth Way), 2nd roundabout turn left onto B1505 (Station Road) then turn left then right onto West Bailey road, follow the road around and the car park is on your right. A167 North from Newcastle turn left onto A189 North, turn right A1056 (Killingworth Way) rest as above. For Sat Nav users etc postcode is NE12 6TW

 

Hold on one second, why does this all sound very familiar? ( … Griff )

Round 3 – Eston Hills Results

Ok, the results can be viewed here.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tyzFBnjrwykSAWEsSEu71tw&output=html

NECCL RACE REPORT. ROUND 3- 11th Oct 09, NHS Trust Centre (Formerly
Flatts Lane College) Eston Hills, Middlesbrough.

*The first race of the day for the Under 12 took place on a slightly
shorten course to last year but just as tough and challenging .
Following on from last week, saw a start to finish win for Matthew
Worton of Stockton Whrs in a field 11 riders. Hetton Hawks rider Angus
Brown  followed up in 2nd place.  3rd place going to Nicholas McWhirter
of Merida Cycles.  Again following on from last weeks win, Alex Hopper
Cleveland Whrs took the honour  also in a start to finish win in the
Under 16/14 with Joe Brown Hetton Hawks taking 2nd place.  Joe’s  team
mates  Alex Harris clinched the battle for 3rd spot overall and 1st
placed U14 from  James  Edmond Ferryhill Whrs where the pair had been
neck and neck for 4 of the 5 laps in 30 minutes on the full course.

The main event saw Tony Fawcett NFM RT go one better that last week to
win this week in a time of 49:40. Covering 10 laps of tough terrain with
long wispy meadow grass, with up and down sections  leading in to
compulsory  dismounts  and  some  technical single track though the
trees. Tony Glover Derwentside CC made up for his technical mishap of
last week where he dropped back from 2nd place to 8th, by staying there
this week. Again as in the U16/14 race there was a race long battle for
3rd spot between James Anderson of Picarsso Pulman  and Alan Nixon Adept
Precision with Alan just pipping James in the final up hill sprint to
the finish line.  James was leading Vet. The leading Junior was William
Brown Cleveland Whrs who finished in 11th overall.

Record field for Darlington Cyclo Cross

Perfect conditions and the popularity of the now well established Branksome School venue in Darlington, resulted in another record entry for the Ferryhill Wheelers promoted Cyclo Cross.

100 riders signed on over the 3 races, in bright, dry conditions, with the course conditions the firmest and fastest the venue has known in its 7 year history. 78 riders competed in the main race for the seniors, the biggest field the north east has seen in many years and highlights the growing popularity of the sport. With a relatively short lap, fast conditions and big field, it made for an exciting race.

Steven Ward of MTS Cyclesport led from the start and never gave up his lead, quickly pulling out a 10 second gap over nearest challenger, Tony Fawcett (NFM RT) who won the preceding round at Hetton Lyons, but barring crashes or mechanicals Ward never looked like giving up his lead. The main scrap was for the 3rd spot, between Keith Murray (Hope Factory Racing) and Alan Nixon (Adept Precision RT), with Nixon eventually taking the place by pulling out a few second advantage on the final lap. Malcolm Lewis (MTS) came in 5th 10 seconds later. 5 Juniors competed in the main race, all finishing in the top half of the placings, with Joe Home (K Home International) the highest placed in an excellent 7th overall. Barry Kipling, also of MTS, was first Vet home in 9th, with Karen Howard the first Lady finisher.

Riding the same course as the seniors, 7 riders took part in the youth race, with Alex Hopper (Cleveland Wheelers) the clear winner in the Under 16’s event, with Joe Brown (Hetton Hawks) second. James Edmond of the promoting club, Ferryhill Wheelers, took the Under 14’s event in his first race in the category, with Elliot Davidson (Hetton Hawks) second.

A healthy field of 15 riders in the under 12’s race saw some spirited riding from children as young as 6. Eleven year old Matthew Worton (Stockton Wheelers) came home first after 7 laps of a shortened but still tough course, with Thomas Mein and Emma Brady (both of Hetton Hawks) in second and third.

The event was again supported by Darlington Borough Council, ensuring all entrants in the youth races went home with spot prizes for their efforts
Round 3 of the North east Cyclo Cross League takes place at the NHS Trust Centre (former Flatts Lane College), Eston Hills on Sunday 11th October, promoted by Cleveland Wheelers. Further information on the league can be found at its website www.neccl.co.uk

Round 2 – Even More

We return to Award Winning Venue for another Darlo Challenge. As the years have gone over this venue has improved vastly with one of the best turnouts for the series in previous years. There is a great variety of terrain inc technical sections through the woods and streams to open grassy sections weaving through the trees. The round is very kindly sponsored/ promoted by DARLINGTON BOUROUGH COUNCIL & WESTBROOK CYCLES. There will be 12no cash prizes and spot prizes available for the kids so please stay after the race for the presentation.

Directions from the A1M- turnoff onto the A68, turn right Prior Street, turn right Newton Lane then left onto Egglestone View, over the speed humps & the course will be on your left. Continue up to the school and left in at the far gates. Parking is around the very sharp bend to the rear carpark.

Directions from A167- turnoff onto A68, turn left Cockerton, straight on Green Lane then left onto Egglestone View, rest as above. For sat nav users the postcode for the school is DL3 9SH.


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