Archer Road Club   

The Archer Spring and Junior road races 2009

The Archer Spring and Junior road races on Sunday, 19 April, attracted near full fields to the surprise of the organisers who wondered if riders would accept the challenge of the hilly 15 mile lap based on Hughenden Valley village in the Chilterns that would have been used by the now cancelled Premier Calendar Archer GP.

Joint organisers Stuart Benstead, Archer RC and Doug Collins, Twickenham CC, found that riders from 1st down to 4th category wanted to ride on an old fashioned tough road race course and were prepared to take on the famous Whiteleaf hill three times in the 45 mile races, plus Longdown and Hughenden hills, on the basis it is the same for everybody .

The Spring RR had 85 and the Junior race 71 entries. The Archer Spring entries were headed by Andy Betts, Sigma Sport, last year's winner, with his predecessors in the Spring or Junior races including such notables as Graham Webb, Steve Heffernan, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Roger Hammond in their younger days all on their way to world, or Commonwealth championships, and similar professional glories.

The races covered three laps of a 15 mile circuit starting and finishing near to The Harrow public house. Map below.

Stuart Benstead said; Most encouraging to get full field for Spring RR and almost full for Junior RR despite the very tough circuit with three hills, including the famous Whiteleaf. Nevertheless both races ended with a sprint finish by a decent sized peloton, with a second peloton in the Spring RR and a good number of single or duo riders determined to finish.

Most riders, especially the 3/4s, welcomed the opportunity to race on a 'real road racing course' as one of them put it and many said they hoped the events would be put on again next year when they can enter again and, in some cases, prepare more thoroughly.

Both races climbed Whiteleaf three times, which is interesting as the BC Road Racing Commission had stipulated that the Archer GP, if it had been held, should be reduced from five to four climbs of Whiteleaf to meet the capabilities of a Premier Calendar elite field! ! That could be embarrassing if consultations with today's Archer Spring RR shows that they are willing to race an extra lap to also climb Whiteleaf four times.

Provisional results

Archer Spring RR

45 miles/73km

Course map