Report 2010 07 11

 
Sunday, 04 July 2010 - European Triathlon Championships - Athlone, Republic of Ireland
 
 
It’s very rare that you get the opportunity to write a report about one of our riders representing their country in a major Championship. But that privilege befalls me this week when I learnt that Vernon Thomas was selected to represent Great Britain in the European Triathlon Championships in Athlone. And not only did he compete, but he took the Bronze Medal for his age group. Well done on a great ride Vernon. You will forever be known in my eyes as “Mr. Team GB”!!
 
Athlone is actually a town that I know extremely well, as it is my wife’s birthplace. I first went there in 1964, when we were still courting, and returned two years later on our honeymoon. In the intervening years I have been back on numerous occasions, the last time being in 2006 for our 40th anniversary. I actually cycled there on one occasion back in the 70’s. I rode the 200 from South London to Liverpool, in one day, caught the overnight ferry across to Dublin, and then rode the 70 miles down to Athlone the following day.
 
My wife has five brothers and six sisters, most of whom are married with children grandchildren of their own, so her total family extends to around 70 and most of them still live in Athlone. Two of her relatives, Mark Samuel and Karen Samuel, also took part in the Championships.
 
 
 
Saturday, 10 July 2010 - East London Velo 10 - E2 (Six Mile Bottom)
 
 
Despite a tough day on the E2, our two riders, Andy Miles and Vernon Thomas still returned good times. Andy came home in 21.49 whilst Vernon did well in 24.33. That’s only 2 seconds outside his best for the course.
 
 
Saturday, 10 July 2010 - Kent Cycling Association 10 - Q10/42 (Fowlmead)
 
 
The Fowlmead Circuit (also known as Betteshanger) was the venue for the Kent Cycling Association 10, which incorporated the local leg of the GHS Championship. I rode this event last year and was pleasantly surprised at how fast the circuit was. Being a road race circuit, I was expecting it to be very hilly. But time triallists go round in the opposite direction to the roadman, so the only significant hill is the downhill stretch from the start of the 2-mile circuit. On the negative side, the circuit is pretty exposed in places and it is invariably very windy in that area.
 
Steve Quincey was our only participant and he went round in 23.27 to take 5th place. Winner was Tim Bayley (Arctic RT) in 22.05.
 
 
Sunday 11 July 2010 - VTTA, Kent Group 10 - Q10/30 (Thanet Way)
(Group Championships)
 
 
Thanet Way is a very unpredictable course. On a good day it’s extremely fast, but when the wind blows it’s tough as hell. Of the four events in the recent Elan series we only saw one really fast day, so the odds were not in our favour for this morning’s event. But the Gods favoured us and we were blessed with another super day which saw all of our riders recording their season’s best, with two pb’s to boot.
 
Andy Miles went off early on number 10 and came home in 21.06 to improve his pb by 25 seconds. Phil Bull, 35 places behind him in the starting order, knew Andy’s time before he started so he had the advantage of knowing exactly what he needed to do to get the better of him for the first time this season. And he used this knowledge to good effect as he crossed the line just 4 seconds ahead of Andy’s time in 21.02. This gave Phil 3rd place in the Championships.
 
With only the Bexley 10’s to his credit this season, Lee Willard ventured into his first Open 10 of the year and will be pleased to bag a pb by half a minute in 23.12.
 
With a 25.50 and a pair of 27’s in the first three events of the Elan series, John Clegg was very disappointed with his form this year. So he took a short break from racing to get some intensive training in (800 quality miles in three weeks) and came back to record his best this season in 24.59, gaining 4th place in the Championships.
 
With our riders placed 3rd and 4th on Standard, you’d think that we were favourites for the Team Award, but alas this wasn’t to be. Super-fit Alan Rowe, at the age of 71, produced a supreme time of 23.42. This gave him a plus of 8.48 and partnered by Malcolm Adams, who came 5th on Standard, we were comfortably beaten. But our guys didn’t go home empty-handed as there were also medals on offer for the 2nd placed team.
 
Of the 54 finishers, 24 of them recorded pb’s.
 
Top Placings
Time
Teams
 
Time
Stand
Alan Rowe (De Laune CC)
+8.48
De Laune CC (Alan Rowe, Malcolm Adams)
 
+15.45
Robert Giles (Rye and District Wheelers CC) /
Kevin Tye (DataTeamAllstars)
Tie +7.39
VC Elan - Harry Perry Cycles
(Phil Bull, John Clegg)
 
+14.24
Phil Bull (VC Elan - Harry Perry Cycles)
+7.23
 
 
 
 
John Clegg (VC Elan - Harry Perry Cycles)
+7.01
Club Riders
 
 
 
Malcolm Adams (De Laune CC)
+6.57
Phil Bull
 
21.02
+7.23
 
 
Andy Miles
PB, PB on Standard
21.06
+4.36
Fastest on Scratch
 
Lee Willard
PB, PB on Standard
23.12
+2.30
Kevin Tye (DataTeamAllstars)
19.28
John Clegg
 
24.59
+7.01
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fastest Lady
 
 
 
 
 
Bronwen Ewing (Rye and District Wheelers CC)
23.18
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sunday 11 July 2010 - RTTC National Championship 100 - B100/4
 
 
Shay Giles travelled to Suffolk to participate in the RTTC National Championship 100 and recorded a time of 4.19.14. Champion, for the 4th time in his career, was Michael Hutchinson (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT) in an amazing time of 3.23.04. This is a pb for Hutch and was just 19 seconds short of Kevin Dawson’s 7-year-old Competition Record.
 
 
 
CLUB EVENTS
 
 
04 July 2010 - VTTA, Kent Group 10 - Q10/38
04 July 2010 - Ashford Wheelers CC 10 - 10/38
Mick Walker
26.07
Jeremy Temple
24.29
 
 
 
 
09 July 2010 - Rye and District Wheelers CC 10 - Q10/33
 
Jeremy Temple
23.50
 
 
 
John Clegg
clegg165@btinternet.com