Seventeen is the new black

In early December we had our annual club Dinner and Prize Presentation at The Parrot Public house at Forest Green in the heart of the Surrey countryside. Before the meal a few of us walked up to the Tower and viewing point at the top of nearby Leigh Hill

Leigh Hill Tower

It's the highest point in SE England and the Gothic Tower was built in 1765 to take the height over 1000ft (1029)

I was club Senior Best All Round Time Trial Champion I won for the eight time in a row, I was the recipient of the magnificent silver trophy which dates back to the origin of the club in 1930. My time was 19:58 for 10 miles 51:45 for 25 miles 1:45:56 for 50 miles took my average speed over 29mph for the first time (29.120mph). It was my 10th club BAR the two previous in 1981-82 when the speed was considerably slower (24.687mph) but that included a 100 mile TT instead of the 10 mile (how soft we have become)
I was also the Club and Veteran Time Trial Champion. Fastest 10, 25 & 50 mile TT.

I was the fastest Ten miler of the year with a PB 19:58. This trophy which is named in Honor of my Grandfather Sidney (Syd) who was a SWRC founder member. In all I have won this trophy twelve times, the first four 1979 and 1981-83 when my times were 21:56 ; 21:10 ; 21:45 and 21:42 and done on a conventional road bike without any aerodynamic advantage. And then from 2007 21:06 ; 20:36 ; 21:23 ; 20:40 ; 20:16 ; 20:33 ; 20:07 and 19:58

The committee thought this was the Most Meritorious Performance of the year

Those 10 x 10's

21:10 but the turn was tough

If you look at the Competition Record times in more detail you can see the faster I go the further I seem to be getting behind the holder, this is a little bit worrying. When I did 21:10 in 1981 I was a second short of two minutes behind Dave Lloyd the Ex Professional who was the dominant Time Triallist at the time and won the De Laune promotion with a competition record time of 19:11 Dave put a massive chunk into second place Sean Yates 19:48 (he had held the record with 19:44). My time gave me a top 10 finish that day but Mr Lloyd who was from the Wirral had targeted the event on the A21 at Tonbridge where Yates had set the CR the year before. With it's 'Ski slope' start to get your speed up and carry it slightly uphill to the turn but the ramp up to the turn was ferocious and I could be seeing stars by the time I got to the top.

Lloyd 19:11

Dave Lloyd had trained in the Welsh Mountains but he was the only rider from outside the SE of England to be on the start sheet, I think there was another rider from Southampton which shows you that no other riders thought that much about the course or the CR. Of course as an Ex Pro Lloyd was banned from riding National Championships so he tended to travel to race the competition to prove he was the best in the country. In those days there was not even a National Championship for 10 miles which only came along in 1999 (won by Matt Illingworth 20:17)

 As I have sought out the courses and conditions to go faster and break the club record so I have come up against riders doing the same and my position had plummeted from being inside the top ten in open events to outside the top thirty! And riders travel from all over the country to ride the fast events on the fast courses the dominance of the Hull V718 course on the A63 along the Humber estuary, as you'd imagine its pretty flat but these days with 'Aero' equipment and 'Power' measuring tools the riders are looking for the most even (almost indoor) conditions to gauge their effort

Yates 19:48

In 2012 I rode on this course the same event that Michael Hutchinson set CR 17:45 and although my best at that time was 20:16 I only managed 30:33 on the day putting me 2:48 behind the record
Alex Dowsett is a top class Time Traillist and a Professional, he has won TT's in major Tours now holds the CR and although I did not ride and by all accounts and the other riders times) it was a pretty ordinary day. My time has improved to 19:58 but I'm still 2:38 behind the CR
I think my target for 2015 should be to put myself within two minutes of the CR, now 19:19 seems like an awful lot to take off my current best and the target is a bit arbitrary, all I can hope is that Bradley Wiggins does not start riding 10's in his preparation for the Hour Record and the 2016 Olympics as that could see me slipping back and not closing the gap o7ò

'10' Competition Records

Hutchinson - Time trialling in the current day

World Masters Countdown

Next week I have the World Masters Track from the Velodrome in Manchester. Defending my Scratch race title and trying to do better in the Pursuit and Points Race (Only one place to go there!)
Its going to be a pretty intensive few days, Pursuit on Tuesday, Scratch on Wednesday and Points on Thursday, heats in the morning and finals in the evening so needing to be ready to race at 9.00am and then focused and ready for the rest of the day, late evenings and odd eating patterns. At least we don't have to worry about the weather, but the atmosphere can get very intense and claustrophobic so I'll take a road bike (with mudguards) just so I can get away if it all feels too much.
I will be riding my 35 year old Roberts track bike, a proper steel 'Iron' with chrome and Cinelli components so never mind all that trendy 'Fixie' nonsense some of us are still keeping the faith. My father Philip bought for me on my seventeenth birthday, and I hope he's watching me still. Brother Phil had an identical one (although he does not know where its gone to!)

I had a final race on Saturday North Midlands VTTA '10' on 010/3 the latest incarnation of the famous 'O' course on the A1 from Ranby to Blyth where the Competition Record for the Ten Mile was set by Ian White (Clifton CC) in the mid 70's. 20:50 was a good ride for me on 100" fixed if I had not been held up at a level crossing on the way to the start and so I had 2:27 late start against my name that cost me 5th place on Standard, Fastest was Dan Barnett (drag2zero) with an astounding 19:15 but one of the most improved riders of the year and now being trained/mentored by Matt Bottrill (go figure!) Ride of the day and winner on Standard was Ron Hallam (South Pennine) with a time of 25:02 (+8:15) an age record at 84 years o7ò



World Masters Track Website

North Midlands VTTA '10' Result

Main Course - National '10'

Training bike 'Lloydy'

Traditionally the National 10 Mile Time trial is the first big event of the 'Testing' season but this year its at the tail end and on the fastest course in the country or a version of it, the powers that be decided for reasons of their own to turn it off the fast dual carriageway and do the last mile along a bumpy B road so that it can finish near the headquarters, this will entail riders to negotiate a slip road a turn and a roundabout (together) when coming to the end of their ride so should be interesting. My last four rides on the traditional version of this course 20:08, 20:07 last season 20:13 and 20:08 this season so while I am informed that I have not experienced it under 'Superfast' conditions (apparently) they have been consistently fast. Now when I saw the National was going to be the tail end of the season a month or so before the World Championships my major objective of the year I planned to target the event as the start of the build up to the main course.

Oldskool style (and time) 23:38 (Pic Taceys Photos)

By way of preparation I had a full Bank Holiday of riding, first the local Leicester Forest CC '10' on A46 Six Hills. and then the VTTA National '25' at Newmarket on the Sunday early! They had tried to run this earlier in the season and it was cancelled half way completed by one of those torrential rainstorms in June. I had not entered the original event, this was to be a complete re-run.

Winner - Matt Sinclair 19:46

I rode a single fixed in both events my steel 'David Lloyd' (Lloyd'y), a modest 92" on my training bike with 'non aero' as there was a Road bike prize and I did not want to stuff my legs, it was important to get two hard rides without overdoing it as this would be my first back to back racing of the season. The only race wheels I have for the Saturday are over 30 years old 28 spoke Campag SF, my best track wheels in the day, elliptical spokes and super-light Argent 10 rims (can you feel the nostalga?), the front tyre (a Clement No6) still shellacked on (Google it!) for that real Oldskool experience. Advanced in their day but would I be able to compete with geared riders on their carbon aero road biked and wheels (No Disc or Tri bars allowed)

'Bands' get an outing

I wanted to change the bars and stem to get a better racing position (on the drops!) but the stem stuck fast, I did a nice warm-up on the rollers and it felt great that gear spinning around at 110 RPM. The race however was another thing, strong cross-winds made it tough both ways on the DC section, some were having problems with their deep rims, not me on my 'skinny' Mavics. I was off number 50 so I knew I would be caught by David Mead (Hinckley CRC) who usually beats me by half a minute or so in the Tuesday evening 10's but without the aero aids he was on me at half distance. To be fair I struggled in the conditions and did not get into my riding even though I was not over-geared and even the fast last 3 miles was a struggle, my time 23:38 only good enough for half way down the 100 rider field but I did manage to get third on the Road bike event and got my entry back, so a result of sorts I don't think I could have bothered the winner Matt Sinclair (Lutterworth) 19:46 by a second from Brett Harwood (Terry Wright RC)


On the Sunday I rode my Pursuit/Fixed Time Trial bike an alloy Cervelo SL which is 'Super Lite'  it comes in only 80 grams over the UCI minimum weight for bikes and makes a lovely 'stiff' TT bike and this was the first time this year I've stepped the gear up to 106" (56 x 14). The conditions for the 6.30 start were not ideal (cold, windy and early!) at least I was off in the last half hour (125) and had time for a 10 mile warm up on the roads this time as the organisers did not want riders disturbing the locals with Turbo's or Roller's at this un-earthly hour.

VTTA 'NuSkool' (Pic Kimroy)

It was a bit of a struggle going out, I could see I was not handling the uphill sections on the bigger gear and then not able to take advantage of the downhill until the way back when I got into my stride and managed a 30mph last five mile split (9:47) But I'd lost too much over the rest of the ride my dad's maxim "You only ever loose time!" ringing in my ears, still 53:30 good enough for 10th overall but only 16th on VTTA Standard (+14:56) Defending Champion Rob Pears (Pro Cycling) went fastest 49:46 at only a year younger than my 25 years but could not match the 'Old Guys' and 6th on Std +18:18. Local 84 year old Eric Marsh (Cycles Uno) +22:11 was the winning plus (1:03:21) over a minute ahead of Scot Derek Stewart (Deeside Thistle) a mere youngster at 78 with 58:22 but Brian Sunter (Condor RC) 54:33 at 71 only good enough for third +20:03

These are the times you need to win at this level, Rob Pears would have to break Competition Record to win today, on a slower/harder course where he is on the roads longer and the 'Old Geezers' suffer more power loss than the younger man they are clear winners even though the Standards have been adjusted (from their 1943 original) in the past few years to allow the younger man to be more competitive as riders are better even though they are getting older.

So the National '10' is this Sunday and I'm off just before 2.00pm No 55 of the 150 man field (Juniors and Ladies at Alcester) so that means there are 95 riders faster than me at the present time (or the time of entering, rider No 2 did a 19:11 in the Swift Charity '10' on the Championship course last week!) so a place in the top 50 could be considered a good one. I would still like to break Roger Hammonds club record 19:49 but that would require half a mile per hour improvement in speed to shave off the twenty odd seconds (two a mile!) needed to go from my personnel best. I would like to be within two minutes of the winner, the last time I managed that of last man Michael Hutchinson was 2010 on the windiest day I have ever raced and that too was on the V718, he just scraped a 30mph ride with 19:57 and I did 21:34 so maybe I should wish for tough conditions but that would mean my ambition for the club record would go out the window and it seems like I have been trying to attain that for most of the ten years since I came back to racing

The march of time

If you look at my times over that time, there have been a few 'wobbles' but I have steadily got faster over the years, despite the encroaching age I still feel I can do it. Roger was a 21 year old recently crowned World Champion and had all the same aero advantages that we have today (aero bars, helmet and disc wheel) but had to negotiate the six roundabouts on the Rusper course (twice) to achieve the feat. I think he was studying at Brunel University when he was racing in the club, going over to Belgium to race in the summer months and I do remember him and Steve Gowar riding (& winning) the Divisional Road Race Championships around Lingfield in SWRC colours circa 1993. I however am also a newly crowned World Champion and when I saw him at the BC dinner where he was being invested into the 'Hall of Fame' I had a quite word with him and shook his hand hoping a bit of Hammond magic would rub off.  o7ò

Follow events unfold on the TT Forum

Duel Carriageway

Bi monthly report on the state of the British roads via the medium of expensive tyres pumped up to 140psi and then ridden as fast as possible along the lanes and carriageways of the country

Another world - Two events over the Bank Holiday o7ò

Apart from my weekly evening '10' with the Hinckley its been a bit quite, I put my gear up to 96" and noticed almost no increase in speed just a slowing of cadence and banged out 22:49 and 22:53 to match the 22:47 I could do on 94". I'd lined up a series of short distance tests to try and break the elusive Hammond Club Record of 19:49 set in 1995 and my recent best for three years over '25' was a good omen. First up the North Nottingham Olympic '10' event on a new (to me) course based at Long Bennington on the A1, traffic restrictions mean an evening start so I have all day to fester for my start just before 6 pm. Day has blown up very windy so the omens not good, last time I rode here riders were walking back up the slip road when they realised it was too windy to race on aero bars, I just got on with it but conditions like these are not for record breaking. I can use it as preparation and compare myself with the other 'On form' riders. Its tough on the way out so when I get to the turn in 11:25 I know that this will not be the day, back in 10:09 is more like it but Matt Bottrill has smashed out a 19:14 to win it, there is a smattering of middle 20's and my 21:34 good enough for 14th
The next weekend, the event where Michael Hutchinson broke (Wiggins) competition record with 17:45 that's an eye watering 33.8mph and the Swift Charity '10' again draws a top line field with 40+ sub twenty minute men. Before I get to tread the hallowed tarmac I have a warm-up on the Saturday, the Kettering CC - Frank & Joy Sheppard Memorial '10' is on unknown roads to me and I foolishly get it into my head to ride fixed as a way to spin out my legs and get them buzzing for the next day. How wrong was I? The course was a hilly circuit with blustery wind and to top it all Rain! my final prep race was a damp squib all I can say was I achieved +40mph down one of the descents although it was blessedly short to keep the 150 rpm necessary! My 23:44 was possibly my slowest 10 miles since my comeback in 2006, Even Bottrill could only manage 20:21 to win it
Sunday woke cold and blustery again and my heart sunk for something better, I'd already been in a bad mood now I had to sit in the car for two hours and glare at the trees and flags taunting me from their hilltops and poles. As I travelled North the weather improved and I have to report Humberside was sunny and warm, the flag on the nearby church was still horizontal so I parked my car in the opposite direction and tried to ignore it. I was right at the end of the field, still time for things to change, vain hope, Hutch was warming up close by, he actually warms up with his aero helmet on! With him it is not an act, Alec Guinness had his shoes to get in character Hutch has his hat, it's his Pavlovian touchstone. I just put mine on to race. Its a sad fact of modern time trialling that the need for bio mechanical perfection and power optimisation means that riders feel it is necessary to ride a warm up in their crash hat I do a 30 minutes warm up which will be longer than the race (I hope!) I prowl the start lanes getting in the zone, but the zone is windy and its very bloody off putting.
The start arrives with a fuss over shoes and getting it all together, I get up to speed, I do not look at my clock from start to finish, I have no concept of being in a race, its just time. The nature of time trialling is to prepare ones self for a duration of effort that borders on the painful, and 10's are the worst as the effort drains your senses that make all sounds go hollow and the colours go to black and white. air draws into my lungs and is expelled almost immediately, I can hear the wind and my breathing but they are a detached reality, a funnel of a road in front drawing me into its narrowness, I push the air in front of me and then I can breath better as I come out onto the turn, two roundabouts and a bridge, I descend into the narrow void again but now I have a moment to be aware of the race. The five mile post (a garage) and soon after Hutch scorching along in the other direction, boy does he go! He is in control. There is a little slight ascent of the road, no more than a few degrees but it slows your flight, you can feel it, the race is getting away from me. A rider who has gone before says "Save nothing for the finish, its fast" and I crest the final drag and plunge to the finish at 40mph, I miss the time keeper and it is half a minute before I realise I am done, I catch and overtake my minute man as the sound and colour flood back into my world. 20:08 a personnel best by 8 seconds (29.8mph) almost a perfect pace 10:10 for the first half and 9:58 for the second  and I'm 21st Hutch is of course the winner 18:14 down on his best - well it is comp record. o7ò

Swift Charity '10' Result

Out of the Blue

A good weeks training or at least three back to back rides during the week allows me to break a personel best out of the blue in the Wolds RT '10' on the super fast A63  Hull course. As a prelude I did a 22:33 in the Hinckley CRC Tuesday evening event on 87.5" gear (that's 56 x 17) I'd under geared by accident thinking I had something in the low 90's so my 105 RPM felt fast (and uncomfortable) and I was less than 30 seconds down on road man Ian Bibby (Marshalls Pasta) fresh from being battered by the Sky boys in the Professional Road Race where he was 'best of the rest' (5th)
Three hours on Wednesday and an hour and a half around the lanes at 22mph on 81" fixed set me up for the weekend, I've not been able to string together anything like that consistency in training so my riding (both training & racing) has been all over the place, inconsistent with no solution to be found, maybe the '100' last weekend 'unblocked' something because although I still felt a bit fragile my legs were strong.

20:16 of all out effort in the Wolds RT event

A ten mile race is as fast and as flat out as you can go in a time trial, it was a little windy and the early riders who know about these things put it 30 seconds to a minute slow, no matter the conditions I've come a long way and It's my only ride of the weekend and tomorrow I'm off to Devon for a week on my bike to prepare for the annual fiesta that is the 12 hour. I did no formal warm up apart from ride to the start at nearly 5 O'clock (but that is 5 miles) there is still some heat in the day so by the time I get to the timekeeper I'm nicely warmed up and relaxed.
It's a downwind start and I put all I can into it and use the top only a couple of times as there is hardly any variation in the elevation so nothing to go flat out and I'm there at the turn, Matt Bottrill (i-ride) my 2 minute man is only 10 seconds faster (so 20 seconds overall) and by the time i get around the two mini roundabouts and down the slip to the five mile point its 9:29 (nearly 32mph Av.) the return further and into the wind but it does not blunt my speed too much, I see Ian Greenstreet (Newbury RC) my minute man some way ahead but I'm too absorbed to get a time check the effort is too distracting and I do not look at my numbers for fear that they will not say what I want to see, there is no point its a full on effort and nothing to be done but put it all in.
The finish flag is there all to soon but it takes ages too, the effort subsides and you hear your own breathing from out of the vacuum that is the envelope of time trial racing, adrenalin and concerntration keep out the pain of the effort at bay,  I could have tried harder, everybody thinks that, It's a PB but I don't know by how much? I catch Greenstreet on the way back to the HQ he is 20 seconds off his 20:25? and we must be close, at the result board 20:16 (29.6mph Av.) better than I anticipated, some good scalps too, still nearly two minutes behind Hutchinson (In-gear) the winner in 18:25 Under 23 James Gullen (Wallis) a good second 19:14 and Bottrill third this time a holiday taken the edge off his form 19:23 he took a little more out of me on the way back but I was out there for longer 10:47 (27.8mph Av.)
On the Sunday body feeling the day after the event, i pack my panniers and ride to Clanfield near Oxford on the first leg of my trip to Devon to get in the miles in a last desperate bid to get ready for the Breckland 12 hour on the 14th August, the Saturday ride has given me a lift and I have to weigh up taking it easy and building on that success or pushing the boat out with a bit of extreme touring and hoping my body stands up to the challenge, in the end I plump for the latter, I need some time off from work and as I cruise down the Fosse Road towards Swindon the sun is out and the prospects for a good week to follow.

Rollercoaster week

A bit of an up and down week for me as I try and cram in as much racing as humanly possible to bring my form on a bit. Started last weekend on the Saturday with a 20:48 in the Lea Valley '10' on the E2/10 on the A14 (Newmarket By-Pass), first of a fine week of weather which has seen us reaching for the factor 30 rather than the overshoes and undervest
Dr Hutch (In Gear) was the star with a winning time of 18:52 from up and coming James Wall (Echelon) 19:28 and Richard O'Rourke (Flitch Crono) the only other rider inside 30mph 19:41. I wasn't off until late in the day 17.00 so the prospect of starting the Norlond Combine '50' at 06.30 the next morning not so hot
The early starters were greeted with still (if cold) conditions to ply our way up and down the A1 between Sandy & Buckden a couple of times, I started well although cautiously and I was miffed to have one of the bearings in my rear wheel collapse at 6 miles, I carried on to 10 miles (21:40) but then the unstable nature of the disc meant I had to ease off. By the time I'd completed lap one (23m) I was still at 54 minutes (25mph) but I was at risk of having doing some (permanent) damage to myself or my wheel, the wheel expensive to replace so I stopped.
I moped around the HQ while the other riders finished and Ian Cammish (Planet X) the undisputed king of this strip of tarmac ran out the winner with 1:49:49 (20:32 the previous day) from Mark Howard (Shaftsbury CC) 1:52:22 after a year out 'road racing' and Tristan Davenne (Newbury RC) 1:52:06 I was so put out by this result that after driving back to Leicester and having a lie down for an hour I went out to do 30m at 22mph cross country on 81" fixed
I had been due to ride the Hull City RC '10' on the Uber fast V718 on the Tuesday evening but as the event had to be moved to another course due to roadworks I gave the 250 mile post work round trip a miss and did a speed session on 93" fixed to hone my edge for the coming weekend where I have two National title races. Before that I rode a 40 mile evening crit at Mallory Park with some of the country's best Elite/1st cat road men and ride out and home making 85m for the day
After a rest day on the Friday I have the VTTA National '25' on the Sat afternoon on the A1 further up this time at Newark, this was my PB course in my comeback season and the day promised a great deal and I had chosen to ride a 'fixed' in an effort to improve my pursuiting position for the Masters track in July. Jon Thomas had made the journey up for the day so I went out to give him a shout and decide on gearing as the other imperative was not to overstress my overworked legs for the next days National '10'. In the end I decided on 53 x 14 (100.6") and apart from the incline around Newark I managed to handle it pretty well to a decent 6th place 53:33 Jon came in with a seasons best of 57:56, of the fast (younger) riders 44 year old Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) was fastest 50:58 from scratchman Rob Weare (Leamington C & AC) 52:30 (49 years) and Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley) 52.53 (44 years) but of course we were all out shone by the sun and the old'uns who run out the winners on Standard, 79 year old Ron Hallam (S Pennine RC) +27:55 with a ride 19 seconds outside the hour from 73 year old Derek Stuart (Deeside)+26:21 (58:01) and Frank Kerry (Lancarshire RC) +26:09 58:51 a year older
The main event of the week (my final event of a packed programme) was the Stratford CC promotion of the National '10' the first of this years Championships and one that has come to attract a breed of super fast 'testers' with their worship of Power and Aero, and this year three of the all conquering National team pursuit squad to have a tilt at the fastest championship on open roads.


Riding a fixed wheel was meant to save my legs a bit for today but I think the 120 RPM (35mph) finish had done a bit more damage than anticipated and although I was back on gears for this one I could feel a bit of deep down trauma waiting to break through once the pressure was on. I did a bit of a warm up along the course after Julia Shaw (Utag Yamaha) had clinched the Women's title with 20:31 from Sarah Storey (Horizon) 20:58 and Lynne Taylor (Born to Bike) 21:52. Earlier in the day Oliver Rossi (PCA) had done a storming 20:29 to win the Juniors from Conor Dunne (Glendene CC) 20:35 and Tom Stockdale (Team Qoros) 20:51


Photo c/o Edward Moss
I was only the 91st fastest entry for this event run in descending order so you have to keep an eye on those around you who are your peers and not much chance to gauge your performance apart from the turn on the A46 near Alcester in Warwickshire. I set out steady to try and run myself in. I got to 5 miles in 10:24 and the second half harder than the first so my 100% 20 minute rides this year looking like a goner but as I began to pull a bit better I could feel myself going not too bad, deep down there was not much substance to my effort but even the long drag up from the Little Chef at Salfords Priors (good thing I didn't go for the all day breakfast!) with a tail wind was not as bad as it looked. Finishing on the windy B road to Alcester I did the second half in 11:08 for 21:32, my time would only be good enough for 78th place but a week a long time and as the women' race it was a repeat of last year Michael Hutchinson the eventual Champion had stretched his winning margin (over me) to nearly 3 minutes.

Hutch knows the way to go

His time at half way 9:04 was un-mached even by eventual silver (& team pursuit maestro) Ed Clancy (Motorpoint) 19:20 (9:08) 2nd last year had to settle for the bronze Andy Tennant (Motorpoint) 19:31 (9:25).

The runners-up perspective "I could not have gone any better"


Mens Result

Womens Result

Juniors Result

It's National Time!

This year I decided to ride all the National Time Trial distances, starting with the 10 mile on the 23rd May. Only 91st fastest entry could I manage to improve on my overall place of 68th last year? Not the fastest course (K33/10) at Salfords Priors in Warwickshire but should be a fine test for defending champion Michael Hutchinson (in gear) but last years silver Andy Tennant back again and Olympic medalists Steve Burke and Ed Clancy (all Motorpoint) also feature

Stratford CC Website
Start Sheet

Then the 25 mile promoted in Yorkshire on the 5th June - I managed to make it at 52nd fastest entry and never having ridden the Blue Ribband of the Time Trialling season before (rode the Junior version in 1979 won by Darryl Webster) should be a good event the Boroughbridge venue of some classic events in the past. With 219 entries for the 150 places and controversially Alex Dowsett (7th World Under 23 TT 2009) has had his entry returned after he had no qualifying time (after initially but ilegally being given a wild card entry by the CTT)

Yorkshire Velo Website
List of riders

The 50 mile is the most local to the South Western RC in the South at Petersfield, it is a tried and tested fast course, starts at Hillbrow and does two laps between Buriton and the Bramshott on the A3. At the present time I'm the 7th fastest man in the field (how low can I go?) entries close on the 25th May and the SWRC hope to field a strong team

Details of the a3crg... event
Entries (so far)

Easter - curate's egg

I'd taken a week out to do a few more hard rides after my first excursion into racing this year, also to do a bit more rest as the clocks had gone forward and it always takes a week to recover from the 'time shift' as we embrace our inner Time Lord and get ready for spring/summer.
Two contrasting events, firstly on the Good Friday the City RC (Hull) '10' on the uber fast V718 (A63) between Goole and Kingston upon Hull along the Humber estuary, this was the beginning of my OldSkool adventure last year and again it had a section devoted to the non-aero time trialing but this year I decided that this event would benefit from the modern approach so armed with my best bike and new Rudy Project 'Wingspan' helmet I set off on the 1 1/2 Hr. journey up country. To be fair the weather was not cruel but it was biting cold with an Easterly wind getting in on the Easter theme, I went for a 20 minute warm up on the damp roads and then stopped to fiddle with my bike only looking at the clock when my 10 minute man rode past on his way to the start. I thought I'd better get my skates on and belted up the road and to my gradual anxiety I'd forgotten how far it was to the start and I was doing 25mph into the wind trying to get there as the minutes ticked by.
There was an ambulance and several police cars on the course, I thought the event might have to be cancelled, it transpired that a rider had snapped his stem going down one of the large potholes on the course and fallen heavily leaving a patch of blood on the road (so I was told) and as I rode the event there were indeed quite a few large and deep pot 'craters' on the racing line some as big as a small car making the choice of out into the traffic or inside through the dirt, I went down one and my bars moved but it paid to keep your head up on the fast return
I made it to the start with several minutes to spare (Phew!) and after removing several layers of clothes and sweat I was away, now the outbound road slightly more uphill but I did not panic at the start but keeping my revs up as high as I could in a medium gear catching only the one rider (a late starting lady) I was at the 5 mile point in 11 minutes although I didn't know that at the time I just took it easy on the greasy roads around two roundabouts and then back with a tail wind my speed shot up to 30mph+ and did not drop much below until the final half mile when I mistook a parked car for the finish and only started riding again when I saw the chequered flag ahead
I stopped the watch at 20:40 a mere 5 seconds off a PB, I thought my watch must have started late in the rush to the line or at least be wrong, a handful of seconds away from my best ever effort on the 2nd day of April on a cold windy day with potholes and a badly timed finish but when I got the the result there it was 5th fastest Vet (12th in the day) only a minute behind winner Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) 19:41 not a bad result and a very good Friday
Mens Event
Womens Event
Contrast this with Mondays effort in the Leicester RC Hilly '29' around the lanes (tracks) of NE Leicester, I rode out once the early morning rain had abated to the start in Queniborough, a chill wind deterred me from removing my most fleecy legwarmers (with rub already applied!) I suffered a race of misery and pain as I toiled to heave my frame over every hillock and slope (not solicitors) I had put a 23 bottom sprocket and used it on several occasions as my speed on some sections dropped below 10mph into the wind to Beeby & passed Russian farm (Siberian winter) and on Borough hill. I was caught for 5 minutes by the winner James Perkins (Zenith CC) at half way as he powered over the top of a rise in the big ring as mine slipped onto the inner, he only just beat former Hill climb champion Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan)who had gone off course at one point. Eventual 3rd Scott Walker (i-ride) had caught me for a minute at 6 miles and best Veteran Rob Weare (Leamington C&AC) who had beaten me by a mere 30 seconds on the Friday put nearly 8 minutes into me to be 4th. I staggered home into the wind after letting some air out of my tyres and ruminated that it would take more than a new helmet make me a climber.


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The expression "a curate's egg" originally meant something that is partly good and partly bad, but as a result is entirely spoiled. Modern usage has tended to change this to mean something having a mix of good and bad qualities.