LAKELAND LANEQUESTS – 6th event –Wheelbase / Wilfs Cafe, Staveley

The final event of the Lakeland Lanequest 2009 series started from Wheelbase at Staveley. Mike Toyn and Anne Plant were both already assured of retaining their series titles for the Men’s and Ladies Solo class’s respectively, but many others positions in the other categories remained to be finalised and were to be hard fought over in the final event. Dick Courchee the event organiser had sited the main group of controls around an area from Hubbersty Head, Crosthwaite and Underbarrow and with the two links from the start at Staveley, to them via Crook or Ings, and
the gated road and then via the Wild Boar. This gave the option of a clockwise or anticlockwise route choice, and both choices had some challenging climbs to further test the riders.The first three places in the Men’s Solo class was a repeat of the previous week with the same three riders visiting all 30 controls; David Heffernan, David Hollingham and Mike Toyn all scoring a maximum 300
points, Ray Morris visited all 30 controls, but time penalties gave him a score of 292, closely followed by Ben Oglesby 290, and then both David Switzer and Steve Ormerod with 280.

Anne Plant in the Solo Women class maintained her 100% win record when she scored 270, with Mary Ockenden 240, Sue Woods 224 and Lisa Whetter 215. In the Generation Pairs Garry & Eve Dixon led with 260 points from Tom & Matthew Phillips on 240, Matt & Katie Woods 224 and Karen & Bryony Halcron 220. The Young Juniors class saw Jack Wilson & Peter Thompson
score 200 from Annie Jo Gregory & Lucy Downham 188, and in the Juniors class a superb 276 from Tim Crozier. Jack Simpson / Matthew Murgatroyd scored 278 in the Adult pairs/3s class
followed by David White / Chris Schofield 262, Ian Childs/ Andrew Douglas 260, and both Fiona Drake/ John Roberts / Jo Jackson and Sharon Hutchinson / Sheona Southern with 240.

During the ‘Winners Cut The Cake’ (best 4/6) to announce the league winners, Carol McNeill, the series organiser, said the events had been more popular than ever, with record entry numbers, the highest being 160 and an average of 140 per event. Carol had a special mention for the heartening entry of over 30 in the Generation Pairs class. Wheelbase vouchers were presented to all the winners by Toby Dalton from Wheelbase the series sponsors.

The Mens Solo class title had already been secured by Mike Toyn with his 1200 points, maximum scores in the first four events, Toyn continued to complete all six events with 300 maximum score in them all, a quite stunning achievement. David Heffernan who had been unable to ride the first two events due to illness, was able to snatch second place with his final event 300, to give him a series total of 1160, Ray Morris improved his overall series score by 12 points at Staveley to give him a total of 1142, and take third place from Henry Syska who scored 1138 overall.

In the Solo Women class, Anne Plant won all six events to ensure she retained her overall series title, with a total overall score of 1060, followed in second Mary Ockenden 942, and third Lynn Woods 896. The Generation Pairs saw Garry & Eve Dixon win overall with 1030 from second Matt & Katie Woods 984 and third Tom & Matthew Phillips 954. In the Juniors class a superb overall 1076 saw Tim Crozier victorious. The Young Juniors class saw a great overall score of 704 from Annie Jo Gregory & Lucy Downham for them to win their class. In the Adult pairs/3s class Andy & Sarah Crozier scored 1058 overall to win, from second Vicky & Nicky Jones 978 and third Jack Simpson & Matthew Murgatroyd 968.

This year’s series of six events has raised more than £2,000 for charities, which means over the last 14 years the events have been able to give a total of around £12,000 to charities, as well as giving fun to lots of cyclists, of all ages.

Toby Dalton, of Wheelbase, confirmed that they would like to continue as sponsor for next year’s series of Lakeland Lanequests, Mike Toyn said he would plan/organise the last one at Staveley next year and Carol McNeill announced that she had already recruited some other organisers for next year, and so the series looks to be assured of another great year to come.

For full results and details of further events see www.mintcakemtb.co.uk and www.wheelbase.co.uk