Stratford Cycling Club have exclusive session at Derby Velodrome, hold Zwift Championship and annual Reliability ride and win awards at West Midlands Cyclocross League ceremony

FOUR of Stratford Cycling Club’s most hotly-anticipated annual events have taken place.

Two weeks ago Juniors and Seniors joined together to ride the boards of Derby Velodrome. The two-hour exclusive session was an excellent combination of training, experience and racing, culminating in a round of Keirin racing behind a Derney motorbike with the riders summoning their inner Chris Hoy or Laura Kenny to sprint across the line.

The racing continued indoors on Tuesday night with the club’s own Zwift Championship. This was the finale after a season of tight-packed racing, with Stratford fielding three teams in the respective international leagues. Twelve laps of a fast virtual course saw a tactical game played out front and the eventual winner, Nick Green, broke away from the chasing group of clubmates inside the last lap to secure victory by nine seconds ahead of a sprinting bunch.

Ninety-eight riders turned out on a sunny Sunday morning for the club’s annual Reliability ride. A traditional test of winter fitness for a 59-mile road ride through the Cotswolds to Stow-on-the- Wold and back. Introduced this year was a popular 44-mile option. Several local clubs joined in with visitors from Kenilworth, Warwick, Evesham, Shipston and Wellesbourne.

Finally, several clubmates travelled to the National Conference Centre for the West Midlands Cyclocross League awards ceremony.

Juniors Scarlet Ford (U16F) and Lucas Shepherd (U10M) collected their individual awards for victory in their categories. The club also won the Mick Ives Participation Award, given to the club with the most riders and appearances over the season. Stratford beat larger clubs in the area, such as Solihull and Wolverhampton, to take this coveted award.

Stratford Cycling club is always welcoming new members. The club takes part in a broad range of disciplines from Gravel racing, Bike packing and Cyclocross racing to Sportives, time trials and social rides. If you would like to improve your riding and find some new challenges, email membership@stratfordcyclingclub.co.uk, or join them for a ride on Sunday morning, departing at 9am from Box Brownie café, Henley Street, Stratford.