Lewes Crits Report #3

Whilst Shaun Reed of Bayeux made a break on the bell lap and took the lead to finish first it was our very own Driss Jones who crossed the line ahead of the rest of the pack to claim not only second place but was clear leader in the overall for the 3 races.

Again this report comes courtesy of Mark Winton LWCC.

With the damp and slippery roads drying rapidly the riders heading out to the final round of the Lewes Criterium series had dry roads upon which they could battle for final overall honours. With just 2 points separating the overall leaders going into this race and with double points on at the end of the race this was sure to be a competitive race.

At the first prime Driss Jones (VC Etoile) took full points with George Higgs (Brighton Excelsior) taking second place to even up the general classification. On the next the Lewes Wanderers own Stephen Comben crashed when he hit is pedal on the corner, brother Andrew waited and was able to pace Stephen back onto the back of the bunch.
Ian Jones (Bayeux Landscapes) took full points at the second prime, significantly George Higgs took second spot, regaining the overall lead over Driss Jones who finished third.
The next lap, Andrew Comben had recovered from helping his brother and took full points at the final prime. Driss Jones took third place, with George Higgs failing to score, just one point separated the riders for the final showdown.
At the bell lap Shaun Reed (Bayeux Landscapes) who has won these races many times before had a 30 second gap on the main bunch. Despite efforts from many of the clubs including Lewes Wanderers, Brighton Mitre and Brighton Excelsior Shaun was just too strong and with the help of some excellent tactics by his team mates Shaun was able to sit up to take the applause at the finish, even having time to zip up his jersey. With double points, this result gave Shaun enough points for 4th overall.
Just a handful of seconds later the bunch thundered into view. Dan Clark (Brighton Mitre) looked like he had the bunch sprint in the bag, however, you could see the determination on the face of Driss Jones who managed to come round Dan just centimetres before the line and with it take the overall award. Paul Gosling and George Higgs were next across the line with Paul Hudson (Kinesis) taking the final points on offer at the finish.

Prime 1
Driss Jones
George Higgs
Stuart Nibett

Prime 2
Ian Jones
George Higgs
Driss Jones

Prime 3
Andrew Comben
Paul Gosling
Driss Jones

Race 3 Result
Shaun Reed (Baueux Landscapes)
Driss Jones (VC Etoile)
Dan Clark (Brighton Mitre)
Paul Gosling (Brighton Excelsior)
George Higgs (Brighton Excelsior)
Paul Hudson (Kinesis)

Final Overall Classification
Driss Jones 45
George Higgs 36
Paul Gosling 25
Shaun Reed 24
Dan Clark 14
Merek Siwicki 14
John Powell 12
Ian Jones 11
Andrew Comben 10
Nicholas Jeffrey 9
Stuart Nisbett 9
Doug Baldock 8
Martin Brass 7
Paul Hudson 6
Charlie Sayer 4
Paul Winkley 3
Chris Howard 3
Neil Lewold 1