Press 

Tom White (SES Racing) beat his teammate and reigning Champion Andy Leverton in an entertaining and fiercely fought Men’s National 400m Handicap Grass-Track Championship final at the weekend’s Mildenhall Cycling Festival.

The rising second-cat rider has now added the National 400m title to the National 800m title that he in Norwich earlier this month.

As had been expected White and Laurence Lisher (Cinnamon Café) proved to be the main protagonists to Leverton retaining his title, with the British Cycling Academy Sprint Coach fending off Lisher who had to settle for the bronze position.

The in-form White, formerly of Colchester Rovers, is currently leading this year’s National Short Distance Grass Track League, just two-points ahead of 1^st Cat rider Dave Mitchinson (Cinnamon Cafe-Contour Cycles). Whereas in the Endurance League he isn’t quite the same force, so it was no surprise that he had no answer to James Ambrose-Parish (TAAP Cervelo) in the latest round at Mildenhall, in the Men’s 5km on Saturday. The elite rider took control of the race very early on and although Mitchinson did subsequently manage to join him, no one else threatened them from the remaining bunch. Ambrose-Parish had clearly kept enough in reserve to out-sprint Mitchinson to claim maximum points.

With all grass-track meetings this year seeing a drop in the number of riders, it was pleasing to see nearly thirty senior riders competing over the two-days of racing. It proved to be a fitting tribute to grass-organiser Max Pendleton, who it was announced would be standing down from organising grass-track meetings.     

Mildenhall Cycling Club President, Dave Sennitt, a renowned grass-track rider himself in his day who then went on to promote meetings for several years before handing over the baton to Max, praised him for his service to the sport. Pendleton had a very successful amateur racing career, especially on the grass enjoying the accolade of being a National 8km Grass-Track Champion.

The two-day Festival being held in and around West Row Village Hall, began on Saturday with a near-full field in the Fenland Flyer Gravel Time-Trial. The thunderstorms that hit the area on Thursday meant the torrential downpour had dampened down the sandy stretches of the course, making it much easier going.

Mark Powell from Stowmarket & District CC impressively repeated his victory of last year in this event and even managed to go 54 seconds faster over the same 18km course. Just 30 seconds behind him was the Diss based Kieran Jarvis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing).

Roy Havis (Ely & District CC) repeated his third-place podium finish in last years event, again with an improved time of 33minutes and 13 seconds. While Maciej Malyszka (Velouse Flyers) also stopped the clock quicker than in last year’s event, finishing in 33minutes 26 seconds, but unlike his runner’s up place in 2021, it only earnt him fourth position this year.

Sunday morning had expected to see the return of a ‘Mildenhall’ classic – the Mildenhall Mad Madison. But as the Cyclo-Cross organiser Mandy Burchett explained “Due to lack of Seniors it was decided the entrants should ride separately, instead of alternate laps as in a Madison.

The Commissaire made it more interesting by adding in a handicap, so Abigail Coles (North Roads CC) needed to complete 6 laps to Kieran Jarvis’s (Brother-UK Orientation Marketing) 10, with David Spauls (Iceni Velo) and Ian Chatton (Aylsham RC) with 9 & 8 laps respectively. It meant if Kieran didn't manage to lap Abigail 4 times, despite being the clear favourite, he wouldn't win”

However, she added “They all enjoyed the racing, treating it as a good training session and with the prizes which were donated by Pedal Revolution and local businesses SJ Parr & Sons and Barry Atkin, normally awarded on a lottery basis, each rider was given the pick of a prize each, with Abigail having first dibs being the winner”

Speaking on behalf of the organiser’s Mildenhall Cycling Club, Chairman Mark Burchett said “Numbers visiting the festival were down, despite the weather forecast for the weekend being very good, which was disappointing. Although having said that everyone that did take part thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

There were certainly a lot more visitors on the second day, boosted by a very successful Cyclists Car-Boot Sale. They were spread out amongst the track riders around the 280m grass-track which helped create a great atmosphere” the chairman added. 

A full list of results from the Festival are available at www.mildenhallfestival.bike

29th August 2022

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Andy Leveton (SES Racing) will be looking to retain his Men’s National 400m Grass-Track Handicap title this weekend at the Mildenhall Cycling Festival.

The British Cycling Academy Sprint Coach is likely to face stiff competition from team-mate Tom White and Laurence Lisher (Cinnamon Cafe-Contour Cycles) who finished second and fourth respectively, when he beat them in last year’s Championship held at Plomesgate Cycling Club’s track-meeting.

Leveton is no stranger to the outdoor hard & grass tracks, as well as the indoor ones, having honed his cycling skills in East Anglia growing up in Hertfordshire. He’ll need to be at his best though as eight of the riders, from the strong field of 15 men, pushed him all the way in the heats last time out.

He will also be one of the favourites in the penultimate round of the National Endurance League, in the 5km scratch race.

There will also be events for Women and Juveniles on both days (Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28th August) starting at 1pm.

The Festival is located in nearby West Row with its wonderful facilities set in a peaceful and tranquil rural setting around the Village Hall, where refreshments will be provided from over the two-days.  It is just under three miles from Mildenhall which can be reached very safely by cycle using the tarmacked Wamil Way bridleway.

The whole event begins at 9.30am on Saturday when a full field of 50 riders will set off at one-minute intervals in the Fenland Flyer Gravel Time-Trial.

The riders, aged 16 and over, will be racing individually against the clock over an 18 km course of almost entirely off-road consisting of farm tracks, droves, by-ways and a small section of minor road. This is a unique type of course that only the Fens can offer.

On Sunday morning the Mildenhall Mad Madison Cyclo-Cross returns to the line-up, with pairs of riders aged 16 and over racing alternate laps. There will be the more traditional Cyclo-Cross events for children under 16 with Youth (12-15), Under 12 and Under 9 categories on a shortened course.

Also on Sunday, will be the Cycle Jumble from a car boot, with sellers this year having to pre-book their pitch.

On both days there will be skills events for children. Local cycle retailer KL Cycles, will be on site offering cycle repairs, as well as spares and clothing.

Although camping on site will unfortunately not be available, West Row has three campsites and the organisers are very much encouraging regular visitors to previous events to still come and spend the weekend in Suffolk cycling and at the Mini-Fest.

The Festival and its predecessor the Cycling Rally, have always attracted many up and coming names from the world of cycling and in addition to Victoria Pendleton, there have been Laura Kenny CBE, welsh starlet Nicole Cooke MBE, Ben Swift, Jason Kenny OBE and Steve Burke MBE before they went onto international acclaim.

Further details of the Festival are available at www.mildenhallfestival.bike

24th August 2022

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This year’s Mildenhall Cycling Mini-Fest will be expanded over two days of the August Bank Holiday.

This will be great news for cyclists across the UK, after the 2021 Mini-Fest was restricted to just one day and the 2020 event didn’t take place at all, because of the Covid-19 pandemic

"We are delighted to be able to extend the programme of events over two days, as it allows us once again to hold grass-track racing on both afternoons and re-introduce a much-loved Mildenhall speciality – the Mad Madison Cyclo-Cross explained Mark Burchett, Chairman of the organisers Mildenhall Cycling Club.

The two-day event will take place on Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28th August 2022 based on the West Row Village Hall and playing fields, with its wonderful facilities.

Headlining the grass-track racing will be the Men's National 400m Championship on the Sunday, while on Saturday the Mini-Fest will play host to a round of the Short Distance League.

The Mini-Fest will begin on the Saturday morning with the Fenland Flyer Gravel Time-Trial. The riders, aged 16 and over, will be racing individually against the clock over an 18 km course of almost entirely off-road consisting of farm tracks, droves, by-ways and a small section of minor road. This is a unique type of course that only the Fens can offer.

On Sunday morning the Mildenhall Mad Madison Cyclo-Cross returns to the line-up, with pairs of riders aged 16 and over racing alternate laps. There will be the more traditional Cyclo-Cross events for children under 16 with Youth (12-15), Under 12 and Under 8 categories on a shortened course.

Also on Sunday, will be the Cycle Jumble from a car boot, with sellers this year having to pre-book their pitch.

On both days there will be skills events for children. Local cycle retailer KL Cycles, will be on site offering cycle repairs, as well as spares and clothing.

“After last year’s successful venture letting visitors and competitors to buy/sell from their vehicles, we will be offering the same service on the Sunday. The only difference this year will be that anyone doing so, will need to pre-book” added Mr Burchett.

Although camping on site is no longer available, West Row has three campsites and the organisers are very much encouraging regular visitors to previous events to still come and spend the weekend in Suffolk cycling and at the Mini-Fest.

Day admission is by donation and this includes free day parking.

The Festival and its predecessor the Cycling Rally, have always attracted many up-and-coming names from the world of cycling including the Mildenhall Club’s very own Golden Member Victoria Pendleton CBE who was a multi-Olympic and World Champion before retiring and more recently Laura Kenny CBE, who is Great Britain’s most successful female Olympian winning five gold medals so far in a glittering career.

Other well-known cyclists to have ridden at Mildenhall before going onto international fame include Welsh starlet Nicole Cooke MBE, Ben Swift, Jason Kenny OBE and Steve Burke MBE.

Further details of the Mini-Fest will be available at www.mildenhallfestival.bike

1st June 2022