L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Rachel Adcock and Gerard Flahive win both races at Scottish Dry Slope Championships ...

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

As the Thomson Grand Prix Series came to a conclusion at Stoke, the men's title may have already been decided but the Thomson bursaries were still up for grabs as well as individual honour.  Adam Lee showed that he still has the fight in him to deprive Antony Heaversedge of a Grand Prix win.  Heaversedge skied an excellent first run down the Jez Wood set course to lead after the first run.  With a host of top dry slope racers missing for various reasons, the field was fairly open in terms of places in the top ten.  In the girls race, Jo Ryding underlined how much the others have to do to catch up with her.  If Ryding can transfer this form on to snow then she will make leaps up the world rankings.  Ryding won ahead of a resurgent Shanna Prince and Rachel Adcock.

The second run set by Dave Durgan saw an interesting combination at the bottom of the course.  Racers had the opportunity to take a hairpin from either side and whilst almost all took the direct route, there were many that hesitated as the flow of the course pointed to the other side of the entry gate.  With over half a second in hand over Prince, Ryding secured her fourth Grand Prix win with a comfortable second run.  Interestingly the only race Ryding did not win was the race at Sunderland where she skied out on a course set by her father! Who said having your father set the course was an advantage? With no Jayme Baggio, Prince took second ahead of Rachel Adcock, winner at Sunderland.  The top ten racers in this race have all been in the mix this season and with Harriet Steggles taking fourth, Franki Simonds finally getting down a course in a competitive state (Simonds lost her ski in the start at Swadlincote) to take fifth, Alice Thelwell sixth, Charlotte Evans mixing it with the more established racers seventh, Abby Clifford eighth, Rowan Vernon ninth, Kathryn barber took a well deserved tenth place.

The men's race saw Richard Coupe challenge hard and be rewarded with third overall behind Lee and Heaversedge.  Dan Wyatt just snuck in ahead of rapidly improving Jai Geyer for fourth with David Hatcher sixth and Craig Ruddick seventh.  Andy Roose and Stuart Riches took seventh and eighth, having started with number of 23 and 27.  Dave Blackwell showed that the old legs can mix it with the youngsters as he made the top 10!  With no Ryding or Hunt, previous winners of Grand Prix's this year, Lee added his name to the list of winners this year after having lead at Sunderland but not been able to hold on having skied out.

The age groups went as such: Tom Kirton won the boys Children 1 ahead of Dan Evans and David Askew (who had been racing in the Racer Ready shirt as the most improved from the previous round).  Emily Evans won the girls race ahead of Charlotte Jesse and Olivia Parker (also racing in the Most Improved Shirt from the previous round).

In Children 2, the fast improving Greg Straw won just ahead of Ed Gardner and Michael Thelwell, all finishing in the top 20.  Harriet Steggles took victory in the girls race ahead of Charlotte Evans and Hannah Knowles.

Jai Geyer took fifth place overall as well as winning the Junior 1 age group.  Roose and Riches took second and third meaning that all three of the podium winners in the age group were placed in the top 10!  as in the boys race, all three of the Junior 1 girls placed in the top ten.  Simonds won the race ahead of Abby Clifford and Kathryn Barber.

Junior 2 saw victory for Heaversedge ahead of Dan Wyatt and Andrew Crawford third.  Wyatt moves up to the crowded senior age group next year!  The top three girls overall all came from the Junior 2 age group, meaning a one two three for Jo Ryding, Shanna Prince and Rachel Adcock.

The Senior age group was won by Lee with Coupe in second and David Hatcher edging out Craig Ruddick for third.  Lucy Newman took the Senior Ladies victory ahead of Lucy 'TD' Pyle and Lois Hinx Edwards.

Dave Blackwell's tenth overall place saw him win the Master's age group comfortably ahead of Andrew Hjortt and Paul Bunton.

For full results click here

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