Shutt Ridley RT had a busy weekend with riders involved in the Equipe Velo MK Bowl race and the early season Spring Chicken Road Race before hosting its own Cotswold Cyclo Sportive on Sunday.
Shutt Ridley RT riders Justin Belcher, Ash Mahoney and Simon Clarke were first off in the EV MK Bowl race. Mahoney and Belcher played it quiet and spent most of the race following wheels and conserving energy. Most active was Mahoney who could be seen chasing on whenever anyone looked like going clear. In the final few laps Isaac Pucci of Strada Sigma snuck off the front escaping the notice of all 3 Shutt riders. Mahoney in particular would rue letting this go... Last lap and a strong pull by Belcher set Ash Mahoney up with a superb sprint to take what he believed was the win! Only to discover that the Sigma rider Pucci was out in front. Gutting for Mahoney as he looked very capable during the race.
The Sprint Chicken was a comparative disaster for Shutt Ridley RT riders Ian Munday, Kieran Munday, George Day and Luke Souter. In a truly cagey first lap some dangerous riding in the pack saw an inevitable touch of wheels and sent Day crashing to the floor. Kieran Munday also hit the deck and his dad Ian had to take an off-road swerve to avoid the crash himself! All 3 riders then found themselves too far off the back of the rest of the group to play any further part in the race. Only Souter remained until a second lap puncture saw his chances also deflate.
Sunday was the teams first foray into hosting an event with the Cotswold Cyclo Sportive. 110 local riders braved the Cotswoldian climbs in what turned out to be a glorious spring day. Feedback from the riders was positive who praised the friendly approach of the riders and the stunning but challenging course. Keep an eye out for this event next year!