Dan Watts powers to victory in Friction Hydraulics Series
A late course change was just the ticket for Dan Watts as he took his first Friction Hydraulics Series victory.
With the planned round five Prees-Battlefield route out of action due to roadworks, Watts made the most of a switch to the flatter Prees-Tern Hill-Hodnet course to storm around the Nova Raiders 25 in 55 minutes and 14 seconds.
Watts has been tweaking his riding position over the past couple of weeks to produce more power and he was delighted with finally finding the sweet spot.
“I was really pleased with the county win and a course personal best for me,” he said.
Watts saw off a strong challenge from Nova Raiders’ Matt Gibbons, who also set a course personal best as he finished 26 seconds behind Watts to take the runner-up spot.
Gibbons has been a rider to watch as the season has progressed and elevated himself into third place in the Friction Series on the strength of his 55:40 ride.
Gibbons had strong back-up from Tim Beardmore and Ed Middleton, who both earned big points to enter the Top 10 overall in sixth and seventh respectively as Nova Raiders extended their lead at the head of the Top Club Award standings to a big margin of 245 points.
With Series leader Victor Chetta not in action, Bryn Davies took advantage to narrow the gap at the top of the overall standings to 35 points after adding 50 to his tally for finishing in third with a fine 56:06.
But Davies wasn’t finished there as the Hafren CC rider maintained his lead at the top of the Veterans’ standings with a similar third-placed +10:33.
Davies saw his lead narrowed with Stuart Proctor taking the Veterans’ win in +11:02 to move up to third in that event, and Pauline Hughes tightening the pressure on Davies with a runners-up effort of +10:47.
Hughes didn’t have things quite her own way in the Ladies’ despite opening up a narrow five-point series lead after finishing third with a great effort of 1:03:36.
Two classy Mid Shropshire Wheelers’ riders set fabulous times to take the top two places.
The winner was Becky Lewis, no stranger to winning as holder of 10 and 50 mile tandem competition records, with Hetty Niblett, a former junior champion at 10 miles, second.
Lewis beat the hour to take eighth spot overall in 58:46, while Niblett was just 58 seconds over the hour in 13th.
In the Juniors, 17-year-old Sam Morris continued to build a commanding lead with a personal best 58:52.
