2007 Linc's League Champion!

Ben Dunn, with proud Team owners Graham Clark of VeloSport and Owen Sparnon of GCM Landscapes Ltd. The whole Team played a blinder and considering it was VeloSport GCM's first season on the road it couldn't have gone any better. Mission accomplished!

Linc's League Round 10, Great Limber

National Time Trial Championships

Velosport GCM Landscapes rider Ben Dunn will be contesting the National Time Trial Championships aboard this beauty in a couple of weeks time!

Its a full carbon fibre Dolan frame with carbon fibre tubular wheels and Shimano Dura Ace transmission. It looks fast standing still!

Stay tuned for his results here at the Velosport GCM Landscapes blogsite!

Linc's R.R. League Race 10

Linc's League 2007 winner!

The tenth and final round of the Linc's League took place at Great Limber on the 15th of August. With the final overall placings decided and no points being awarded on the night it was a race for fun followed by the presentation afterwards to recognise Team Velosport GCM Landscapes achievements for the year! With many of the team on holiday it was down to Steve, Eddy, Nigel and Ben to do the honors! Eddy punctured on the first lap and was gutted to have to pull out! As the laps went by the field was torn apart with Nigel pulling out due to the high pace of the race! Steve soldiered on and Ben rode one of his most impressive races so far this season riding with the 'Scratch' group for 90% of the race! With the finishline in sight Ben rode within himself for a fine 8th place on the night!

Ben finished 1st overall as 2007 Lincolnshire League Road Race Champion!

Linc's R.R. League Race 9

The winner, Jay!

Wednesday 1st August. The nineth round of the Linc's League road race was held at Ashby de la Launde near Sleaford. Very warm evening with a tailwind home made for a rapid start to the race! Missing from the event was Ben who was busy with his father Phil, riding their bikes to raise money for charity, meanwhile riding for Ben's lead in the league were Nigel, Eddy, Mark, Jay, Andy, Owen and Martin. With 1st overall in the league hanging in the balance it was down to Nigel, Eddy, Mark, Jay and Martin to keep the 'Scratch' group well away from the front of the race in order for 3rd placed rider Simon Blythe to be kept out of the points! All very tactical! Once again the laps flew by as the Velosport GCM train forged ahead keeping scratch out of harms way! By this time Andy and Owen were sat in the scratch group contributing nothing, much to the annoyance of Simon Blythe and Rapha/Condor's Richard Wilkinson! Coming into the final kilometers Eddy launched not 1 but 2 attacks off the front being reeled in both times, then Mark went to the front peeling off to be followed by Nigel putting in a hard effort, then Eddy buried himself once again before Jay sprinted to the line to grab the win arms up in the air! A perfect lead out to end a perfect nights racing for the team! 1st on the night and 1st overall for the Lincolnshire League!










The Team looking very pleased with themselves!

Linc's R.R. League Race 8

Ben, Eddy, Andy & Scoff!

Wednesday 18th July. Round 8 of the Linc's League road race series was held on the 'Deepdale' circuit near Barton upon Humber. Weather conditions for the event were warm and sunny and the roads dry, perfect for a night's racing on Ben's 'home' circuit! As the groups rolled out at given time intervals it was obvious that the 'Scratch' group containing Andy were never going to be in contention as the 1st group had lapped them before they had even set off! Once again, with barely any wind, Group 1 easily staying clear of the other groups which were making little indentation on their lead, the eventual winner from Lindsey Roads CC Martin Seaton was from Group 1. The points for the league stayed the same as none of the riders in the running managed to get up into the standings. All the Velosport GCM riders finished the race but were a little disheartened by the handicapping of the organisers of this event! Better luck next time!

Linc's R.R. League Race 7

Ben proudly shows his BC top!

Wednesday 4th July. A torrential downpour half an hour before the start greeted Team Velosport GCM at North Cotes for round 7 of the Linc's League road race series. Fielding a strong team of seven riders for the event the aim was to win what is the team's 'home' event! As the race got started under clearing skies the pace was high as Graham and Martin drove group 2 on with little help from the rest of their group! As the laps went by groups 1 & 2 got together and drove further ahead with the other groups making little impression on their lead. Eddy was unlucky to puncture and Mark found the high pace on the flat course just a little too hard going. Coming into the final lap Graham and Martin were still out in front but tiring towards the end Martin fell back leaving Graham to bring the group in to the finish straight where he was quickly worked over by the wheel sucking Velo Lincoln riders and finished in the bunch, riders from the groups further back were then involved in a pile up going into the second to last corner with Ronnie ending up on the ground! No harm done thankfully and Ben and Andy finished safely with Andy winning the sprint out of the bunch. So no win this time around, but a class ride by the team all the same.

Brighouse Town Centre Circuits

Ben reports again about his exploits in the Brighouse Town Centre races:

Tuesday 26th June. It was a cool night in Brighouse Yorkshire were the circuit race was going to take place. Senior race was first then the youth race. At 7 o'clock we all took to the line and it was all out from the whistle with attacks going left, right and centre, with 1 lap to go a rider from Bradford took to the front and on the second to last corner crashed in front of everyone following. All the riders managed to avoid the fallen rider and the race continued. A swift attack came after the crash and i followed it which led me out perfectly and I out sprinted my rivals to take the win quite comfortably. What made the night was the presentation on the podium afterwards, that was special! Plenty of prizes, flowers for Mum but no kiss from a podium beauty !! (next time maybe).

Check-out the British Cycling website for further coverage and some great pics of Ben in action here.

National Youth Circuit Championships

Report from Ben of the National Youth Circuit Championships:

Saturday 16th June, Curborough, Staffs. Sunshine and heavy showers. 80 Youth A competitors - two heats - top 20 from each heat through to final. Came 10th in heat - circuit dry. Final - crashed in group of 5 riders on first corner. Bent front wheel. Blood and grazes. Race restarted. 1Hr race - last 5 laps in heavy downpour. Further 8 rider fall - avoided this one. Nearly lost it (wheels slipped out) as paced hotted up on last two laps. Cautious finish in bunch. 19th overall. Better chance next year when a 2nd year Youth A. Top ten in under 15's

Linc's R.R. League Race 6

Round 6 of the Lincolnshire Road Race League was held at Harlaxton near Grantham. A dry warm but windy evening greeted a slightly smaller than usual Velosport/GCM Landscapes team. Riding on the night where, Scoff, Jay, Steve, Owen, Andy and Ben with many of the other members missing due to work commitment's this was going to be a tough race to control! As the groups started to come together and the miles rolled by it was down to Velosport/GCM super domestique Owen Sparnon to drive the field along in pursuit of the leading group and try to force a group sprint finish for either Andy or Ben to take advantage of. With 2km to go Owen buried himself with Andy and Ben on his wheel catching the leading group. As the wind up for the sprint began it was down to Ben to try for the win, but with a couple of hard charging sprinters in the group it just wasn't to be, having to settle for yet another 3rd place. Andy, Owen and the rest of the team once again finished safely in the bunch pleased with yet another top 3 placing for the team!

We are awaiting confirmation, but we are now sure Ben is leading the league at the moment.

Next up is our 'home' race at North Coates on July 4th, hope to see you there!

Lindsey Roads Road Race No. 2

Tuesday 12th June. Andy Johnson, Jamie Ward, Jez Walton, Owen Sparnon & Graham Clark of Team VeloSport GCM lined up in the second round of the Lindsey Roads series. Run on a very fast Fulstow circuit the pace was hectic from the start. All the groups came together towards the end of the last lap (except Gra who failed to get on the back of group 4 as it came by!) with Andy taking first in the sprint and Jamie bagging second. Owen showed too for a very strong seventh. The event was marred by a crash in the closing stages with several riders hitting the tarmac and five ending the evening in hospital! Luckily no one was seriously injured although one of the riders was kept in for almost a week. Despite this it was a great result for Andy who's been there or thereabouts all season. Full results here.

Linc's R.R. League Race 5

An overcast cool June evening set the scene for Round 5 of the Linc's League run once again on the Ingham circuit but this time featuring 9 laps. Velosport GCM were without some key riders for this event but still fielded 7 riders to keep the pressure on for the league title. The race started with 5 groups being set off at intervals and as the race progressed the regroup to one large 'peloton' came with 2 laps to go. As the riders came up the climb Rapha Condor rider Richard Wilkinson attacked the group followed closely by Ben, this gave Andy Johnson a 'breather' and forced league leader Rick Lister to do some work for a change or loose the race! Once Wilkinson was away there was only ever going to be one winner as he crossed the line almost a minute ahead of a 3 man sprint containing our very own Ben. In the sprint Ben's tired legs showed and he came home 3rd in the sprint and 4th overall, the following pack came in later with Andy, Owen and Steve all making it over the line. Once again Velosport GCM showed well and have finished in the top 5 in all 5 races!

Come on Velosport GCM.

Linc's R.R. League Race 4

A warm evening greeted the Velosport GCM team for round 4 of the Lincs League on Wed 23rd May. The race was held on the Withern circuit between Louth and Alford with a field of almost 90 riders. The pace was fast right from the off with all the groups coming together just before the last lap. Coming into the final section of the race the group were jostling for position ready for the uphill finish. It was a fine finish for Velosport GCM as Ben Dunn and Andy Johnson showed they are a force to be reckoned with coming second and third respectively after a hard charging Simon Blythe just snatched the win with less than half a wheel on Ben! Once again Owen, Jay and Ronnie buried themselves for the leaders, Eddy made his return to the league with a fine ride and a finish! Scoff was unlucky to puncture and Martin just didn't have the legs, DNF! Team Velosport GCM have scored top three finishes in every Lincs League race this year in what is only their first season together!

Grimsby Bikeathon

On Sunday 20th May Team VeloSport GCM rolled out to support the Leukaemia Research Bikeathon that was held at Christmas World, East Ravendale. Mark, Nigel, Jamie, Owen and Graham completed the 40 mile route (and were the first riders home!) while club mascot Molly finished the 10 mile family route with her mum and dad! Michelle Lineker was on hand to see the riders off on what was a gloriously sunny day. Great event and a great cause, more info about Leukaemia Research and their fundraising efforts can be found here.
Thanks to Trek UK rep Mark Jaggard for helping VeloSport with facilities that enabled them to provide mechanical support for the event.










Mark, Nigel, Jamie, Owen & Graham













Molly & Uncle G!

U16 Lincoln Grand Prix

Ben Dunn continues to put Team VeloSport GCM in the headlines with it's best result by far, first place U16 Lincoln GP! Yep, top step of the podium! The event on 13th May took place before the Lincoln GP, one of the biggest races on the UK calender, and it goes without saying that the team are overjoyed with Ben's effort. GREAT work Ben!

LVRC Race (Withern Circuit)

Another good result for Andy Johnson when he brought the bunch home in the LVRC Race on the Withern Circuit near Louth on Sunday 13th May. A Break went away on the first of five laps containing 4 riders, on the last lap another small group jumped away but couldn't bridge the gap to the leaders, Steve Marrows won the race with Jono winning the sprint from the bunch!

Linc's R.R. League Race 3

Well, despite heavy rain Team VeloSport GCM put in a very strong showing in the latest round of the Linc's League on the 9th May at Revesby. Results are yet to be confirmed but it looks like Andy Johnson took a fantastic 2nd place with several other of the team placing in the top ten! We think Ronnie, Jay and Owen all placed well. Official results to be posted when available.

It's in the comic ...

... so it must be true!

Isle of Man Youth Tour, National Youth Championship Series

May 4th -6th

Team VeloSport GCM rider Ben Dunn competed in the Isle of Man Youth Tour, National Youth Championship Series against a field of sixty riders from England, Scotland, Wales and Holland.










The weekend kicked off with a sprint prologue time trial of 1.3km up and down the prom in Douglas. Ben came 13th in the Youth Cat A for 15 & 16 year olds (Ben being 15 in Feb), 3rd fastest in his age group.

Sat at 3pm saw the road stage set off in a hilly part of the isle. Five circuits, six hills, 22 miles, topping off at 48mph. Ben sprinted up the final hill to come in a fantastic 7th overall. Tenth in the Cat A General Classification

Sat evening – Criterium around a very tight street circuit in Douglas – a slow start meant Ben had to work his way up through the field, finishing 13th, but lost some vital seconds and slipped to 10th in the GC.










Sun lunchtime, final stage, criterium in Port Erin, downpour just before the race. Desperate to claw back some time, Ben decided to overtake on a bend – too fast, wet road – CRASH !! Got back in the saddle – but too much adrenaline and blood led to a further spin off, and another – finally calling it a day.













A great weekend of racing – had fun – spread the VeloSport GCM message and learnt a lot.

Event to be shown on Sky Sports around 24th May.

GREAT work Ben!

Scunthorpe Track League 1

VeloSport GCM rider Ben Dunn continued his great season with some very impressive results in Round 1 of the Scunthorpe Track League. He took 2 first places and a second at the event that took place on 27th April. Full results can be found here.

Thumbs up from the team mascot!

Meet Molly, Team VeloSport GCM's mascot!

Ben makes the news at Trek ...

News of VeloSport GCM rider Ben Dunn's exploits have come to the attention of the guys at Trek UK. Read the full article here.

Team VeloSport GCM jerseys available to buy!

Get this seasons must-have jersey here.

Linc's R.R. League Race 2

Team VeloSport GCM claimed it's first victory of the season last night in Round 2 of the Linc's R.R. at Aisthorpe in Lincolnshire. Ben Dunn showed a massive improvement on his fifth place finish in Round 1 to score the team's first ever win in only it's second full event. What made the win even more incredible was that he solo'd it after the first lap! The result was slightly marred by a crash on the last lap that took out VeloSport GCM hardman Eddie Loftus who was in line for a top 5 finish at that point. Following a hospital visit he has been advised to rest from racing this weekend but as is usual with Ed there was no moaning and he still enjoyed his post-race Stella!









Nigel, Eddie & Mark set off.









Ronnie leads Group 4 over the top.









Nigel looking strong on the climb.













Andy powers up the climb.









Ben ready to set off after lap 1.









Team Director Martin Clark and Ben after the victory. Ben's proud mum looks on.









Team owners Graham & Owen celebrate with a nice cup of char!

Linc's R.R. League Race 1

Team VeloSport GCM got off to a flyer last night in the first Linc's League race of the 2007 season at Long Bennington near Newark. Andy Johnson, Steve Cole, Eddie Loftus, Mark Scoffin and Ben Dunn did the new team proud with a 3rd place finish for Andy and an awesome 5th place for young Ben. Martin Clark, Team Director, was overjoyed with the result and praised the great work done by all the team. With such a great start the season certainly bodes well!










Steve, Andy & Eddie after all the hard work!










Ben looking fresh after a fantastic ride for the new team.










Team work does the trick. Scoff looks like he worked extra hard!

The Velo GCM train ...

First result and its a good one!

15 year old Ben Dunn brought home a great first result for Team VeloSport GCM on April 12th when he broke the course record for a juvenile rider in Barton Wheelers Deepdale Challenge 10.5 mile TT. Ben's time was an amazing 27min 17sec (previous course record 27min 32sec) and landed him a 5th place overall. Go Ben!

Sunny & warm April!

Some of the guys on an early season training ride.

A new team is born ...

VeloSport and GCM Landscapes Ltd are proud to announce the formation of a new racing team for the 2007 season.