Preview of Preston Park Points Championships
on 11 July 2009
by Gavin Smith
With our third cancelled meet of the season just behind us, surely everyone is looking forward to some top, exciting competition in the Points Championships Meet next Wednesday (15 July).
This will be our third championship meet of the season, and as usual there will be title-races for each age-group from seniors to U8s, double points for the championship events, the podium and medal presentations, as well as a full supporting programme of races. And if all that excitement isn’t enough, there is – yet again! – the prospect of the final battle for the “B” league title between Andy Parle and Richard Bailey.
How can we possibly forecast the senior points championship winner? For a start, we don’t know if the usual favourites will be racing. If Felix English is on the start-line for the 25-lap race, he will be nigh-on unbeatable as the current league leader and winner of this event for the past two seasons. The 2006 points champion Lee Povey, recently-crowned National Masters 35-39-years Sprint Champion, has his sights set solely on the European Masters championship later this month, so don’t expect him to figure on this occasion. Last year’s bronze winner Adam Gent has been going very well at Preston Park despite a distinct lack of miles and he will be well up there. If Jean Spies makes a welcome return to PP, he will undoubtedly feature, as will classy Mark Burgess who, incidentally, could well be the overall league leader after Wednesday if the past few weeks are anything to go by. Others who cannot be ruled out, especially if a small opportunistic breakaway forms, are Jason Salter, Martyn Potter, Driss Jones and Brock Duncumb-Rogers. My forecast for the podium: 1st Felix, 2nd Mark, 3rd Adam.
(Has Gavin’s got his predictions right - check out the results on this site)
If the youth championships are true to form, we shall see U16 Elliot Tabraham-Dowers, U14 Ashley Dennis, U12 Amy Barnes, U10 Douglas McCauley and U8 Dominic Kazlauskas on the top step of the podium after the various age-group races.
We’ve been unlucky recently, with a damp track last Wednesday and two previous meets also rained off. However, I’ve just seen the latest forecast for Wednesday 15 July. It reads:
“Thrilling racing, great atmosphere, friendly competitors,
delicious refreshments.” Don’t miss the Points Championship Meet.
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