Press 

“Although last year’s Mini-Fest was regrettably cancelled due to a lack of entrants for the Fenland Flyer Gravel, we were delighted that we could resume our very popular yearly cycling event. It was wonderful that the Grass-Track racing made a welcome return to the line-up, around which the other events were based.” explained Mark Burchett, chairman of the organisers, Mildenhall Cycling Club.

The full day of cycling began in the morning with the riders setting off against the clock at one-minute intervals in the Fenland Flyer Gravel Time-Trial.

After the previous day’s rain, the 20km course of almost entirely off-road consisting of farm tracks, droves, by-ways and a small section of minor road, was challenging! But that didn’t stop Ian Day (ROTOR Race Team) nudging the winner of the previous two stagings of this event, Mark Powell (Stowmarket & District CC) into second by just 10 seconds!

The 55-year-old Day from Kettering powered round to stop the clock in 38 minutes and 39seconds and they were the only two riders inside 40 minutes. Velouse Flyers Tom Middleton was the next quickest rider over the grass-track finishing line in a time of 40minutes 31seconds, just nine seconds ahead James Cobb (Performance Cycles).

From the host club Garth Collier finished in 21st with a time of 46minutes 11seconds and his fiancé Darcy Fairchild finished in 28^th place in a time of 1hour 4minutes 18seconds – she was the third-placed lady. However, these times reflect that Collier had already ridden the course earlier that morning, to check that all the signs on the course that they had both put out the previous day, were still there.

London based Harriet Lowden who rides for Rapha CC was the fastest lady stopping the clock in 44minutes 32seconds in 17^th place overall. The 32-year-old said afterwards “It was such a great event, we had so much fun and looking forward to coming back next year for it!”

The Fenland Flyer Gravel is held on a unique type of course that only the Fens can offer and the organisers this year extended this to include a category for those aged 13-16 years of age over a shortened course that was entirely off-road. The honour of winning the inaugural staging of the juvenile event went to Samuel Brook from local club West Suffolk Wheelers, who completed the 10km course in just 23minutes 16seconds. George Wightman (Revel Outdoors) and Nathaniel Lemanski (Lee Valley Youth CC) finished second and third respectively.

By the time Samuel Brook, who later in the day was to take the honours in the Juvenile Grass-Track Omnium, had left the venue heading out into the Fens, all of the Cyclist Car Booter’s were set up around the grass-track selling everything from frames, helmets, tyres & inner tubes and everything cycle related in between.

Entries in the grass-track racing saw an increase in riders, which after a two-year absence was superb to see. The highlight of afternoon’s programme had to be the inaugural running of the Alex Pendleton 5km Memorial Trophy race, which was a captivating race over 20 laps to watch.

Afterwards, Max Pendleton, former grass-track organiser and National 8km Grass-Track Champion, gave a very moving speech in memory of his son, Alex, before presenting the winner, David ‘Mitchy’ Mitchinson (Cinnamon Cafe-SaddleDrunk RT) with a striking trophy in Alex’s memory.

Alex, twin to Olympic Champion Victoria, had suffered from childhood leukaemia and sadly succumbed to a brain tumour last year, at the age of just 42!

‘Mitchy’ narrowly lost out in the Men’s Omnium though, to regular rival on the grass Martin Smith (Chesterfield Coureurs) by just one point. They were head and shoulders above the rest of the field of 20 plus riders, contesting all of the individual events, with John McClelland (WardPerformanceUK.com) their closest rival in third place.

Tilly Gurney who now rides for the University of Nottingham CC has been a regular at the Mildenhall Festival since 2011 competing in the Children’s Duathlon and Juvenile’s Grass-Track since she was 10 years of age.  The former Spalding CC rider was the clear winner in the Ladies Omnium, dominating every single race! Alice Codling (Cambridge CC) was her nearest rival finishing runner up to Gurney in each race.

The annual cycling event, now in its 38^th year in various guises, was held at its now traditional venue of West Row Village Hall, near Mildenhall, where Mildenhall Cycling Club members were serving home-made refreshments and at lunchtime Jacket Potatoes with a variety of fillings.

Although camping is no longer be available on site, with West Row boasting three campsites there were many familiar faces from previous Mildenhall Rallies and Festivals renewing friendships as well as also enjoying the local area.

All of the results and 

A full list of results images of the Mini-Fest action can be found at www.mildenhallfestival.bike

29th August 2024

_____________________________________________