Peter Young Memorial Road Race scrapped due to no new organisers

The Peter Young Memorial Road Race, one of the most prestigious early season road races on the domestic calendar, will no longer continue because an appeal for a new organisers proved unsuccessful.

Cycling Weekly reported in November how the race - which would have been held on March 19 - was seeking someone else or another club to take over the running of the race, but their efforts have been in vain.

Based in Chobham, Surrey, the race was promoted by Hounslow & District Wheelers (H&DW).

Stuart Dangerfield, Tony Doyle and Tony Gibb were amongst the winners during its 40 editions.

Due to an ageing club membership, H&DW were unable to carry on the running of the National B event, and despite interest from VC Meudon and Paceline RT in taking over organizational duties, both clubs were unable to commit.

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Pedal Heaven’s Rory Townsend won the 2015 edition of the race, that was first run as a junior event in 1974.

Jeff Marshall, who organised 26 of the editions up until 2013, said: “I find it disappointing that it won’t continue.

“There was a time when our own members would win it but since those days we’ve had some very good fields.

“The biggest highlight for me was the kudos is gave the club to organise this event for elite riders."

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Chris Lovibond, who took over the running from Marshall, commented: “It’s very upsetting. I will try and persuade clubs to run it for next year but I am not optimistic.

“It’s the way cycling clubs are going: they can’t do as much as they used to be able to do.”

One Pro Cycling’s Pete Williams, who won the 2011 event for Motorpoint, remembered: “A lot of races at that level are not actually that long, but that race was on the longer side of racing and at that time of year it helped to get the racing in the legs and early bragging rights.”

The event was known as the Spring Road Race until 2005, before being named in memory of Young, a former H&DW member.