Nopesport

JOK Chasing Sprint Winners

It was the Midlands based foreigners, Swede Linus Kaisajuntti and Estonian Liis Johanson, who flew away with JOK's flying pig trophies as they both won convincingly at today's chasing sprint, held at Banstead Common in Surrey. The terrain was mixed with brambly woodland, brackeny semi open land and speedy open grassland to finish with. Contour detail varied from complex areas of pits, depressions, knolls and earth banks, to flat expanses with solitary depressions scattered about.

Linus Kaisajuntti of Warwick University won both the 5.8km prologue and 3.9km chase of the mens open by comfortable margins, finishing over two minutes clear of Anthony Squire of Interlopers and Nottingham's Peter Forester. Linus, who led by 47 seconds going into the chase, said that he enjoyed the race and the terrain, taking care where it was tricky in the complex areas of pits and depressions. Peter Forester made a valiant attempt at claiming 2nd place, quickly overtaking Ben Stevens of Aire and then eating into the 43 seconds lead that Anthony Squire held over him. Forester then took a slight advantage when Squire missed a pit in the green, but it just wasn't to be and he had to settle for 3rd place as Squire fought back, overtaking him on the run across the open to the final control to take 2nd place by 3 seconds.

Behind them Rhodri Buffett caught the 90 seconds lead Andy Preston had in the chase to take 5th spot behind Stevens who was first junior, while Dave Schorah was a further 20 seconds adrift of Preston in 7th. Joe Mercer made up for a disappointing prologue to post the second fastest time of the chase to finish in 8th spot, moving up from joint 13th with Ralph Street. Racing head to head with Street they passed Richard Guillaume when he missed a tricky knoll, but it wasn't until the fast burn up across the open for the final few controls that he was able to open up the 23 second gap over the young London lad.

With a lead of over two minutes going into the chase, OD's Liis Johanson just had to hold her nerve through the intricate pits, depressions and knolls on the chase to ensure victory, which she did comfortably, taking the 4th fastest time of 22:36 for the 3.6km course. Behind her however the real battles were taking place. After a storming prologue Jene Hoare of Eryri was in 2nd spot going into the chase, only 4 seconds clear of fellow junior Victoria Stevens of Aire while not much further back were the experienced pair of Abi Weeds and Liz Day both from SLOW. Abi Weeds quickly reeled in Hoare & Stevens over the first few legs before being caught by new teammate Day and Helen Gardner on the way to 5. The lead passed between the four over the rest of the course, with Hoare a little way back. It wasn't until the climb up to the 2nd and 3rd last controls that gaps appeared, with the older athletes strength paying dividends as Day opened up a gap to claim 2nd place, 12 seconds clear of Weeds with Gardner 4th, Stevens 5th and Hoare 6th.

Rebecca Roberts in 7th posted the fastest time of the chase with 21:47, moving her up from 12th in the prologue with Oxfords Kat Orekhova in 8th. Behind her Anya Crocker was another who had to wait until the final sprint across the open to the last control before she could overcome Welsh juniors Becky Hoare and Anwen Darlington.

On the Veteran Mens course Martin Ward had a comfortable lead from the prologue which he maintained in the final to finish ahead of Charlie Adams and Dave Rollins with Roger Thetford and Kevin Harding not far behind, only 90 seconds covering the top 5. Jane Halliday won the Veteran Womens course holding off Woo Allen, both women well clear after the prologue and finishing 5 minutes clear of Jackie Chapman in 3rd place.

Kristian Jones of Swansea Bay was another with a comfortable lead into the chase where he maintained his lead, dropping only a second to the chasing Peter Hodkinson of Nottingham. Alan Cherry of Ayrshire took 3rd, holding off a surge at the finish from Jonathan Crickmore, having caught Jonathan almost a minute from the prologue.

The only winner who didn't win both prologue and chase, and the only one to retain their title, was Alice Leake of EBOR who had a head to head battle around the whole course with Rebecca Harding of Happy Herts, eventually opening a gap on the way to the final control. Florence Haines took 3rd, overtaking her sister Chloe in the process leaving her 5th, while Fiona Claxton of Nottingham finished 4th.

Full results & splits available from the JOK website with some photos available from the nopesport galleries and some to appear on the compasssport website soon.

Extract from Men's Chase Map