18th and 25th March 2006:  

Peterborough Cycling Club riders had it all to ride for in the final round of the Northants NCRA road race series last weekend. Last year the Peterborough Cycling Club dominated the series with Jeremy Harrison riding away with the overall win. This year Harrison had two other former national champions in the team, in the form of Brett Harwood and John French. However, the first three rounds had not gone to plan, as illness forced both Harrison and Harwood to miss an event and in the other rounds, the fast men at the back had been unable to catch the early starters. The last round was the team's last chance for success and at two thirds distance it looked like they were going to pull it off. Harwood had escaped from the scratch group and had been joined by Harrison on the main hill of the course. The two riders were now gaining on the the group of John French and if the three could get together they would surely be unstoppable. Meanwhile one group was left ahead containing other Peterborough riders Ian Wild and Zed Dhanji, making the whole race swing in favour of the defending champions. However twelve time national time trial champion Ian Cammish was still back in the scratch group and not about to let the Peterborough riders take the honours. He put in a huge effort and with two miles to go the whole race was coming together. Just before the junction was made two riders from the first group made one final effort to prevent the scratch group swallowing them up and managed to open a gap. The two riders, Jake Elston and Lloyd Bettles just managed to hold on to take first and second, as all the rest came together in the sprint for third. It had been a brave effort from the Peterborough CC riders, but it had left them nothing for the finish and Harwood managed the best in tenth place. Matthew Barrett from Lutterworth took the overall honours, with Harwood and Dhanji equal ninth, but all the Peterborough riders left knowing the form had returned and a win cannot be far away.

Brett Harwood and Jez Harrison