Had a look back in my diary to see how I did target wise for the season, only 36 seconds out in the '50' a mere 6 seconds in the '10' and an impressive 5 seconds out in the '100' Not surprisingly my 50.46 for '25' was the only target I bettered but I had aimed to beat the Club Record by under 10 seconds so to beat it by a minute more was very pleasing. The one time/distance I was way out on was the 12 hour, (280 miles what was I thinking?) even if I'd ridden a perfect race I'd have been happy with over 270 but I only rode the one and unlike the seven '100's (count them) I guess you can't expect to have the perfect ride on demand
For the BBAR I held out the hope that these rides would give me a top 10 place, my times would have given me 12th in the last couple of years but it was a competitive year with Ian Cammish back in the reckoning (2nd) for the first time since 2004 and two new Turks in the top ten in the shape of Andy Baston (5th) and Bradley Johnson (7th) while there were quite a few other movers and shakers the 25.5mph to get into the top 10 has stayed fairly consistent the last 10 years and I'm not quite there yet. I had to settle for 15th (25.374mph Av.) in the end, I guess I have to be happy with that and knowing I can/could have gone faster especially in the '50' even though I did a 3 minute PB in May I never got another good day, but in a pretty bad summer weather wise I was not the only one in the top 20 this happened to. This always happens Yes you could always go faster on a faster day on a faster course but then so could other riders and the status quo is maintained
Paul Alderson put in some pretty solid rides to end up breaking into the top 40 for the first time, 39th (24.029mph Av.) and I feel the club is to be congratulated in having two riders in the top 40 for the first time in our history. Not many clubs have two 'home grown' riders capable of this and in the results week in and week out Jon Thomas got his fair share of attention and put in some sterling rides especially his PB in the the API '50' only 11 seconds behind Paul's best to become the 3rd fastest SWRC rider ever at the distance, all of us currently riding we should have a crack at the National team in that event next year.
With the VTTA Veterans BAR (Welcome Paul!) I moved into the top ten (from 12th last year) for 7th with +6.394 the winner again 55 year old Ken Platts (Cambridge CC) +8.414 with 51 year old Cammish 2nd here too +8.281 these two were well out infront but as if to reinforce the increasing competitive nature of this competition 26 riders had a + 5 mph, last year only seventeen. I'm still well off the pace On Standard but still up from 58th to 33rd. On straight out time I was placed 5th 6.25.20 from the winner 42 year old Barry (Baz) Charlton (Lyme RC) 6.04.59 my 50.46 making me the 2nd fastest 25 miler over 40 in the country.
On the track I said a Masters medal but I was too caught up riding '100's to fit those in so the LVRC Gold/Silver while not as competitive late in the season. still the times I posted would have got me in the top four at the Masters (6th in Europe) so plenty to go on for next year. I had hoped to win a 2nd Cat Road Race but this proved beyond my capabilities (both physically and tactically) the best chance I had was in the LVRC Nationals when I was up with the leaders but as with every other RR I had a bad attack of cramp and lost my chance. Busted down to 3rd for the coming season I should be more competitive.
I should have said to win an 'Open' TT which was one of my targets from the year before that never quite materialised (2nd Congleton '50') but this year I achieved that elusive goal, in the N Mids & Herts '100'(13th July) and It was touch and go as I had doggy gears and had to get off and manhandle them at 40 miles knowing that I could not use them in the more challenging second half of the ride. Level with an 'Unknown' rider Andy Stuart (VC St. Raphael) with 10 miles to go I pulled out 30 seconds for my second open win over a quarter of a century after my first, Alan was there getting all excited and I was glad to share it with him as there are too many times when I have done a good ride only to miss out and have that lonely drive home with the thought in my head as to how I could have made my effort on the day be the difference and win the day. On top of that I missed out in a 2 Up bu a single second and another of the '100's by 36 seconds (instant karma or what!)
Targets for next Year? I'm not telling but apart from having a go at the team '50' at the Nationals the VTTA National record for a 47 year old is 1.44.00, that would be something!
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