The Good, The Bad and the RGT: The Outlandish Wouter Claes shows True Grit to lead the Magnificant Seven over the line whilst group two’s Wild Bunch Blazing Saddles sprint For a Few Places More thrills in West(ern) London VR Race 5.11

NEXT RACE WEDNESDAY 14th SEPTEMBER ENTER HERE – Flat course Ascot-Legoland

But first an apology, we recorded the race this evening but computer gremlins meant that it failed to record properly and we don’t have a copy. We are sorry, not least because this was a fascinating race and the footage would have been rather entertaining. However, Tom Gakes and Niccolo Martinoli did record it, so here are links to their live streams.

TOM GAKES TEAM DRAFT RECORDING HERE

TEAM ITALY RECORDING HERE

This was an out and out power race, the big guns putting on the pressure and breaking away quite early in the race. Ultimately a group of nine powered their way free with some big names caught out and finding themselves in group two, with around 23 riders in it, we mean big names, like James Melville and Ned Bowen! Despite the numbers they could not catch the nine, although ultimately Tom Gakes and Alex Pleger got dropped by the first group and swallowed up by group two, allowing Ned Bowen to do what he does best, and win a bunch sprint to grab 8th place. Nick Greenhalgh won the 2nd place sprint in a thrilling finish, pipping Doug Hart and Johan Oelofse.

Rasio Racing took 2nd and 6th places to stay in touch in the team competition but Tomasz Poniatowski in 21st place ensured that, his points plus Wouter Claes’ 100 were enough for Moon Riders to extend their lead by another 3 points. Team Draft occupy third place

Ellen Lockett is looking like she is heading for the Ladies League title, she has only ridden five races, so could fail yet with only two races left, but she was dominant despite the arrival of Kate Dunscombe who rode really well after an ‘In Real Life’ crash on Saturday during a race, riding bandaged up tonight.

We saw some cracking sprints further back, Stu Thorn and Mike Ade must have broken poor Tom Alsop’s heart. Tom had ridden a briliant solo journey for a long way, only for Stu and Mike to catch him on the line!

Great to see Maria Witzke and Gail Robinson riding well and well done Jose, not a young man, for taking it all at his own pace and enjoying the scenery to take the Lantern Rouge and 70th place. We salute you sir! And we can’t go without mentioning our favourite tail end battler, Jessica Wright, taking 69th place.

NEXT RACE WEDNESDAY 14th SEPTEMBER ENTER HERE – Flat course Ascot-Legoland

CHECK OUT ALL OF THE STANDINGS HERE

	West London VR Series 5
	RACE 5.11 31-8-22 From Poland With Love
Position	Rider	Time	w/kg	Points
1	Wouter Claes [ṀṚ] ṀṚ	19:15.2	4.44	100
2	Nick Greenhalgh [ЯƦ] яʀ	19:18.8 + 3.542	4.41	99
3	Doug Hart [pdl] Pedalers	19:18.9 + 3.703	4.56	98
4	Johan Oelofse sanz	19:19.0 + 3.742	4.48	97
5	Kjell gunnar Gjerdal [nzbro]	19:19.4 + 4.199	4.77	96
6	Mark Rowbottom ЯƦ яʀ	19:29.2 + 13.952	4.68	95
7	The Legend eCKD(GP)	19:40.7 + 25.513	4.65	94
8	Ned Bowen [D]	19:44.8 + 29.584	4.09	93
9	Danie Steyn sanz	19:44.8 + 29.593	3.38	92
10	James Melville	19:44.8 + 29.610	4.47	91
11	Alex Pleger [яʀ] яʀ	19:44.9 + 29.666	3.95	90
12	Niccolò Martinoli [ita] Team Italy	19:45.0 + 29.783	3.45	89
13	Tim Cummins	19:45.0 + 29.796	4.44	88
14	Mathias Bergkvist	19:45.0 + 29.826	4.02	87
15	Carl Dickason (sanz)	19:45.0 + 29.840	4.01	86
16	Jørgen van bers [яʀ] яʀ	19:45.1 + 29.883	4.02	85
17	Tom Gakes [d] [D]	19:45.2 + 29.944	3.99	84
18	Johan Arrhen	19:45.5 + 30.244	3.37	83
19	Tim Cooke 3r 3R	19:45.5 + 30.255	3.88	82
20	Alasdair Mcalpine	19:45.5 + 30.318	5.03	81
21	Tomasz Poniatowski [ṀṚ] ṀṚ	19:45.6 + 30.432	3.07	80
22	Grant Webb	19:46.2 + 30.975	3.81	79
23	Torleif Solli [ЯƦ] Ra	19:46.4 + 31.180	3.78	78
24	Jan-hendrik Visser	19:46.6 + 31.416	3.41	77
25	Rob Miller 3r 3R	19:46.7 + 31.502	4.1	76
26	Stevie Couper	19:46.8 + 31.578	4.43	75
27	Gordon Jackson otr OTR-keas	19:47.1 + 31.925	3.92	74
28	Andrew Beale c We	19:47.2 + 32.029	3.63	73
29	Andrzej Krajewski ЯƦ яʀ	19:47.5 + 32.274	3.81	72
30	Peter Austin otr OT	19:47.5 + 32.293	4.03	71
31	Jeppe Snæver (tbs) BlackSheep	19:47.6 + 32.416	4.4	70
32	Even Oistensen (3r) 3R	19:48.2 + 32.948	3.78	69
33	Mike Wareham [ṀṚ] ṀṚ	21:08.1 + 1:52.913	3.24	68
34	Jurgen Janssens Pedalers	21:08.5 + 1:53.300	3.97	67
35	Francisco Zapata	21:08.8 + 1:53.622	2.97	66
36	Martin Jessen GRASSY	21:09.0 + 1:53.818	3.62	65
37	David wcc Buckley wcc	21:09.1 + 1:53.855	3.27	64
38	Paul Pudel (otr) OTR Dev	21:09.7 + 1:54.451	3.73	63
39	Marcin Szkudlarek [ṀṚ] ṀṚ	21:09.8 + 1:54.556	3.74	62
40	Julian Fussell SDW	21:11.3 + 1:56.126	3.62	61
41	E. Llen_lockett	21:14.4 + 1:59.220	3.56	60
42	Harry Smits	21:17.0 + 2:01.793	3.94	59
43	Stu Thorn	22:01.8 + 2:46.561	3.49	58
44	Mike Ade OTR Racing	22:01.8 + 2:46.581	2.56	57
45	Thomas Alsop	22:02.0 + 2:46.743	3.34	56
46	Francesco Orabona (ita) Team Italy	22:03.0 + 2:47.805	3.42	55
47	Chris Peeters	22:03.1 + 2:47.863	3.21	54
48	Christophe Mathieu	22:23.7 + 3:08.468	3.11	53
49	Rafael Nunez	22:25.2 + 3:09.948	3.3	52
50	D. Irty dan ddrt ddrt	22:32.7 + 3:17.478	3.2	51
51	Andrew Sutherland	22:56.0 + 3:40.745	3.21	50
52	Sam Roelich	22:56.7 + 3:41.538	3.67	49
53	Thomaslaunois Totolekoala RGT France	22:57.5 + 3:42.242	3.19	48
54	Bob Meikle	22:57.9 + 3:42.664	4.01	47
55	Tom Yates-ijaz	22:57.9 + 3:42.721	3.3	46
56	Bhavesh Mistry	22:57.9 + 3:42.727	2.81	45
57	Adam Schuster	23:21.0 + 4:05.808	3.18	44
58	Brett Stevens	23:21.6 + 4:06.429	3.46	43
59	Hildegunn Solli	23:58.7 + 4:43.492	3.42	42
60	Robert Gilmour	24:03.2 + 4:47.978	3.3	41
61	Kate Dunscombe	24:17.9 + 5:02.726	3.51	40
62	Paul Smith	24:19.6 + 5:04.345	2.9	39
63	Rick Van der laan	24:42.1 + 5:26.874	2.97	38
64	Tommy MØller (sec)	24:45.7 + 5:30.457	2.4	37
65	Gail Rob (tcc)	25:05.5 + 5:50.269	3.12	36
66	… Not realrides	25:11.4 + 5:56.168	2.85	35
67	Coco Maisie	26:54.6 + 7:39.392	2.07	34
68	Ma. cristina Witzke(g/a master team)	27:59.4 + 8:44.203	1.71	33
69	Jessica Wright	29:35.8 + 10:20.629	2.02	32
70	Jose Espinosa(mg)	40:42.6 + 21:27.376	1.02	31