The 41st edition of the Jock Wadley Memorial proved to be one of the fastest and most fiercely contested in recent memory, with Jacob Vaughan successfully defending his title in what he later revealed was a lightning-fast 47kph race average – the fastest edition by some margin.
The National B classic, hosted by Colchester Rovers Cycling Club, is a race that rarely disappoints. Despite the flat terrain near Abberton Reservoir, the twisty lanes, never-ending drags, and a leg-sapping kicker inside the final kilometre make for a selective and unpredictable contest. This year’s race played true to form, with attacks flying early, breakaways forming and reforming, and a late-race selection ultimately deciding the outcome.
After an opening couple of laps of controlled racing, Foran CT were the first to ignite the fireworks, launching wave after wave of attacks that eventually led to the formation of a 12-rider move. The breakaway contained three Foran CT riders—Danylo Riwnyj, Alexander Mayer, and Dom Jackson—along with Portsdown Classic winner Jordan Giles (DAS-Richardsons), Tyler Hannay (7 Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines), Nathan Levitt (Lee Valley Youth CC), Zak Machin (BCC Race Team), Ross Fawcett (Stolen Goat RT), Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution) and a handful of others.
The move gained a maximum advantage of a minute by the halfway mark, but with teams behind sensing the danger, the gap began to dwindle. Riwnyj was the first to try his luck solo, but the move was quickly snuffed out. Next, Giles and Mayer combined in an effort to escape, but as they crossed the line with two laps to go, their lead had been reduced to a precarious 10 seconds. It wasn’t enough.
With the early attackers reeled in, a fresh counterattack emerged, featuring Thomas Springbett (Foran CT), Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Dylan Belton Owen (VC Londres), and Hannay. Four powerful riders, each with a keen eye for victory.
Sensing the move’s danger, Jacob Vaughan, Chris McNamara (Sigma Sports RT), and Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT) countered, successfully bridging across to form a high-powered seven-man front group. With all the key teams represented, the leading riders worked together smoothly, holding off the chasers behind.
In the final kilometre, it was Springbett who struck first, launching a powerful attack. Davies followed, with Guerrini latching onto his wheel and Vaughan tucked in behind, sheltering from the cross-headwind.
Davies tried to seize the moment, but Vaughan—displaying the race nous that saw him take victory last year—bided his time. Belton Owen, a rider Vaughan has trained with all winter, opened up his sprint first, forcing Vaughan to go slightly earlier than he might have preferred. But the defending champion still had a final kick left, unleashing a perfectly timed sprint to claim victory for the second year running.
Behind, Belton Owen’s second place was an impressive statement of intent from the 17-year-old VC Londres rider, while Hannay, a former Junior Tour of Wales winner, rounded out the podium.
After the race, Vaughan reflected on the tactical battle that unfolded:
“We were doing chaingang. I don’t know who was chasing behind, but whoever it was would have had to do some pretty big turns, so I was quite confident. They put a car in between us and the break, so I wasn’t too worried and was happy to back my sprint.”
On his final effort, he added:
“Dylan Belton Owen, the VCL rider, who I have been training with all winter – I knew he was going well. He launched his sprint, and I knew I had to go maybe a little earlier than I would have liked. But I had a pretty good sprint and luckily had a little bit left in the legs.”
A second consecutive Jock Wadley Memorial victory for Vaughan underlined his strength and race craft, while Belton Owen announced himself as a rising star with an outstanding second-place finish. Meanwhile, Foran CT once again showed their aggressive racing style, but despite shaping much of the race, they came away empty-handed.
The 41st edition of the Jock Wadley Memorial proved to be one of the fastest and most fiercely contested in recent memory, with Jacob Vaughan successfully defending his title in what he later revealed was a lightning-fast 47kph race average – the fastest edition by some margin.
Featured image: Mark James
Report
The National B classic, hosted by Colchester Rovers Cycling Club, is a race that rarely disappoints. Despite the flat terrain near Abberton Reservoir, the twisty lanes, never-ending drags, and a leg-sapping kicker inside the final kilometre make for a selective and unpredictable contest. This year’s race played true to form, with attacks flying early, breakaways forming and reforming, and a late-race selection ultimately deciding the outcome.
After an opening couple of laps of controlled racing, Foran CT were the first to ignite the fireworks, launching wave after wave of attacks that eventually led to the formation of a 12-rider move. The breakaway contained three Foran CT riders—Danylo Riwnyj, Alexander Mayer, and Dom Jackson—along with Portsdown Classic winner Jordan Giles (DAS-Richardsons), Tyler Hannay (7 Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines), Nathan Levitt (Lee Valley Youth CC), Zak Machin (BCC Race Team), Ross Fawcett (Stolen Goat RT), Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution) and a handful of others.
The move gained a maximum advantage of a minute by the halfway mark, but with teams behind sensing the danger, the gap began to dwindle. Riwnyj was the first to try his luck solo, but the move was quickly snuffed out. Next, Giles and Mayer combined in an effort to escape, but as they crossed the line with two laps to go, their lead had been reduced to a precarious 10 seconds. It wasn’t enough.
With the early attackers reeled in, a fresh counterattack emerged, featuring Thomas Springbett (Foran CT), Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Dylan Belton Owen (VC Londres), and Hannay. Four powerful riders, each with a keen eye for victory.
Sensing the move’s danger, Jacob Vaughan, Chris McNamara (Sigma Sports RT), and Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT) countered, successfully bridging across to form a high-powered seven-man front group. With all the key teams represented, the leading riders worked together smoothly, holding off the chasers behind.
In the final kilometre, it was Springbett who struck first, launching a powerful attack. Davies followed, with Guerrini latching onto his wheel and Vaughan tucked in behind, sheltering from the cross-headwind.
Davies tried to seize the moment, but Vaughan—displaying the race nous that saw him take victory last year—bided his time. Belton Owen, a rider Vaughan has trained with all winter, opened up his sprint first, forcing Vaughan to go slightly earlier than he might have preferred. But the defending champion still had a final kick left, unleashing a perfectly timed sprint to claim victory for the second year running.
Behind, Belton Owen’s second place was an impressive statement of intent from the 17-year-old VC Londres rider, while Hannay, a former Junior Tour of Wales winner, rounded out the podium.
After the race, Vaughan reflected on the tactical battle that unfolded:
“We were doing chaingang. I don’t know who was chasing behind, but whoever it was would have had to do some pretty big turns, so I was quite confident. They put a car in between us and the break, so I wasn’t too worried and was happy to back my sprint.”
On his final effort, he added:
“Dylan Belton Owen, the VCL rider, who I have been training with all winter – I knew he was going well. He launched his sprint, and I knew I had to go maybe a little earlier than I would have liked. But I had a pretty good sprint and luckily had a little bit left in the legs.”
A second consecutive Jock Wadley Memorial victory for Vaughan underlined his strength and race craft, while Belton Owen announced himself as a rising star with an outstanding second-place finish. Meanwhile, Foran CT once again showed their aggressive racing style, but despite shaping much of the race, they came away empty-handed.
Results
Provisional results.
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