Local Riders,Local Races

Bob Jolliffe reports.....A GRADUALLY rising wind on Sunday morning led to a raft of rapid times in the rescheduled Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers’ 25 at Upton.Former 25-mile competition record holder, Poole Wheelers’ Gary Dighton produced the winning ride of 52min 39sec, 44 seconds faster than second-placed Simon Berogna of Velo Club St Raphael, while Tom Alliban of Revo Racing claimed third, four seconds adrift.Second claim New Forest CC member Martin Beale (VC StRaphael) finished in ninth place in 56-40, his fourth 56-minute ride of the year.

First claim New Forester Stuart Peckham went sub-hour for the second time with 59-47, 27 away from his best, set two weekends previously. It earned him 22nd place.

Another second-claim Forest rider Stuart Grace (GA Cycles) was 23rd with 1-01-27.Sotonia CC veterans Colin Crocker and Norman Harvey clocked 1-03-17 and 1-12-24 respectively.

A small field of six faced timekeepers Roger Bacon and Margaret Gannaway in New Forest CC’s pair of hill climbs on Buddle and Ogdens hills at Hyde near Fordingbridge.Junior Hugo Walters repeated his win of last year, nipping up Buddles Hill in 1-49.20, 4.5 seconds slower than his climb last year.But in the shorter, sharper climb of Ogdens which followed he was 1.4 seconds faster than 12 months previously, sprinting up in 37.02 seconds. Stewart Ward ran him a close second in both events with times of 1-52.09 and 38.16 for an aggregate time of 2-30.25 against 16-year-old Walters’ 2-26.26.Walters’ dad Patrick took a deserved third place with 1-57.42 and 41.92 (agg 2-39.34).Richard Rajski was fourth on Buddles with 2-08.32 beating Nick Williams, who had ridden from Andover to compete, by more than six seconds.But Williams turned the tables on Ogdens, taking fourth with 49.09 against Rajski’s 51.83. Rajski clocked the faster aggregate of 3-00.15 against Williams’ 3-03.45.Martin Balk propped up the field with respectable rides of 3-15.57 and 1-02.92 for an aggregate time of 4-18.49).

Local Riders,Local Races

Bob Jolliffe reports…….WITH a yell of delight New Forest Cycling Club’s Morgan Williams crossed the line ahead of the rest in the final round of UK-Biking’s Moreton Race Series road race in Dorset.It was Williams’ first race back after a season spent gradually building up fitness after suffering a knee injury last September which resulted in a cartilage operation in February.Considering that at one point he was wondering if he would ever be able to race again, he hit the ground running, passing the winning post with a clear lead over Gillingham & District Wheelers’ James Chant.“I was over the moon with it really,” he said. “It was a last minute decision to ride. My friend Jason Eastwood said ‘Go on, give it a go and see where you are’.“So glad just to be back on the bike as there was a time this winter when I thought I would not ride again. Nice to come back with a win!” He is now looking forward to continuing to build on his fitness with some late criteriums at Portsmouth, the possibility of some track racing and some time trials next year.
30mph-plus for Julia
New Forest multi-national champion Julia Shaw became the second woman to beat 30mph in a British time trial at the weekend when she won the Bridlington CC 10 in a competition record time of 19-47.The 47-year-old Drag2Zero rider, who lives in Bramshaw, took advantage of good conditions and clipped three seconds off the previous national best set by Olympian Wendy Houvenaghel in 2007.Shaw beat Ilkley CC’s Katherine Pimlott, her nearest rival in the Bridlington event, by a full 2min and 51secs. Third place went to Andy Cults of Birdwell Whlrs a further 19 seconds in arrears with 22-57.She can add her new competition record to the others in her collection: 50-01 for 25 miles set in South Wales last year, her 2010 50 national best of 1-46-46 and her 3-45-22 100, also set in 2010.First place in the accompanying men’s race went to former British Best All-Rounder Jeff Jones, also of Drag2Zero, who clocked a rapid 18-29 to beat Andy Jackson of Team Swift by 29 seconds. Third went to Sri Chinmoy’s Tejvan Pettinger with 19-07. A total of 77 riders in the field beat 22 minutes.Shaw and Jones will be among the stars of New Forest Cycling Club’s Rudy Project promotion on a lengthened version of the Bull Hill circuit on August Bank Holiday Monday.Also down to ride are this season’s 100-mile champion Matt Bottrill, former 25-mile comp- record holder Gary Dighton (48-07 in 1997) of Poole Whlrs, his ace veteran clubmate Terry Icke, Blair Buss of Pedalsport RT and Isle of Wight’s Dave Dent (Wightlink Offshore RT).New Forest CC is fielding six riders – first man off at 8.01am Chris Grant, Stewart Ward, James Bannister, Martin Balk, John Heffernan and Stuart Peckham; plus second claim members Martin Beale and Rob Ellis (who has just clocked a PB 58-minute 25) both of VC St Raphael.Event headquarters is Boldre War Memorial Hall, just a few yards east of the picturesque thatched Fleur de Lys, the New Forest’s oldest pub.

Local Riders,Local Races

Bob Jolliffe reports .....RAPID Totton veteran racing cyclist Stephen Whitewick took another win at the weekend when he clocked a time of 51min 33sec in the Hounslow & District Wheelers’ 25-miler at Bentley near Alton on Sunday.His Contre la Montre teammate James Gilfillan finished a further 23 seconds in arrears, Bramshaw’s multi-champion Julia Shaw (drag2zero) was on form with 54-32 and second claim New Forest CC member Martin Beale (VC St Raphael) was pleased to continue his return to form with 56-43. Crabwood CC veteran Dave England also went sub-hour with 59-33. Other south-central times included Poole Wheelers’ aces Terry Icke and Gary Dighton who clocked 54-02 and 54-39 respectively.
Aussie winner in Arrow 10
Australian visitor Mark Fenner (Nowra Velo) set a standard no-one could beat at the latest Bournemouth Arrow CC 10 on the Ringwood to Sopley road when he powered around in 20min 35sec.(Course Record)Contre la Montre’s James Gilfillan was second with 21-21 and Martin Beale took third with 22-44.Bournemouth Jubilee’s Ian Diaper was fourth with 23-34 and New Forest CC’s Stuart Peckham fifth with 24-07.Others (Bournemouth Arrow unless stated): Pete Wilson 24-17, Geri Robinson (NFCC) 24-37, Tony Strickland 25-00, Howard Doe (NFCC) and Mark Valentine (Poole Whrs)tied with 25-05, Kevin May 25-20, Gary Plumb (NFCC) 25-59, Richard Rajski (NFCC) 26-06, Brian Garrard 26-15, Rob Wickham (Poole Whrs) 26-16, Richard Wyeth 26-17, Peter Redhead (private trial) 26-46, Josh Lavis (private) 26-50, Adrian Watkins 26-53, Will Soloman (private) 26-56, Steve Shepherd 26-58, Michael Bird 27-02, Martin Atkins 27-48, Tim Mcdowell (private) 29-41, Ian Taylor 30-06.Season’s best
Suffolk domiciled New Forest CC member Chris Jolliffe clocked his season’s best 10 of 25-41 in the Team Cambridge event won by Tim Davies (Icknield RC) and David McGaw (Team Cambridge) who tied with 20-38.
Wessex’s Fred in National 24-hourPoole’s Fred Newton (Wessex Road Club) (finished the National 24-hour Championship, organised at the weekend by Mersey Roads CC in Shropshire, with a distance of 387.958 miles.Sotonia CC’s Malcolm Matcham finished with 338.594 miles and CC Weymouth’s Andrew Preston, 335.862 miles.Gold medallist was Rapha Condor’s Ultan Coyle with 488.993 miles.