Garner Wins Stafford Grand Prix
Location: Swinnerton, Staffordshire, 55 miles
Event: 21 August 2011
Report: Snowdon Sports

EDGING ahead by just one bike length, Mike Garner (Birkenhead North End CC) secured victory in the Stafford Grand Prix road race which covered five laps of the Swinnerton circuit near Coates Heath in Staffordshire.

A competitive field lined up for the 55-mile event, and with primes being awarded on every lap the riders attacked from the off with the decisive break being made on the second lap when approximately 12 riders established a gap of around one minute.

They rode well together and held the gap which stretched out to 90 seconds at one point with an average lap time of 28 minutes.

One group of 4 riders did however manage to ride across to the lead group, taking a full lap to bridge the gap.

The finishing sprint was a close run affair but Mike Garner (Birkenhead North End CC) proved to be the strongest rider on the day and finished a bike length ahead of his nearest rival.

After the race, organiser Alastair Semple extended his thanks to all the riders for making this year’s Grand Prix such an exciting and competitive event, our Commissaries Dave Goring, Guy Elliot and Ian for ensuring it was a safe and fair race, Stafford RC sponsors Graham Kelly (La Patisserie) for laying on some tasty refreshments and John Burton (Henry Burton Cycles) for providing the excellent prizes for all the top 10 riders and providing race service.

Finally, he thanked all Stafford Road Club members and family who came along to signpost, marshal, drive lead cars and run the HQ, for without them the club could not host such a successful event.

Results:

1 Mike Garner (Borkenhead North End CC)
2 David Spencer (Fibrax Wrexham RC)
3 Roy Sumner (Port Sunlight Wh)
4 Chris Edwardson (VC Nottingham)
5 Paul Dring (Team Echelon-Rotor)
6 Oliver Kyte (Wolverhampton Wheelers)
7 Dean Parks (IOPTEX)
8 Lee Buckley (Halesowen A&CC)
9 Nicholas Willsher (Lancaster RC)
10 Nick Giles (Fibrax Wrexham RC)

Prime 1: Roy Sumner (Port Sunlight Wheelers).
Prime 2: Mark Corbett (Worcester St John’s CC).
Prime 3: Dean Parks (IOPTEX).
Prime 4: Mike Whittaker (Beeston CC).