ESCA 10 & 25 and racing round-up
A quartet of Lewes Wanderers lined up for the first of the East Sussex Cycling Association double-header of time-trials on the weekend of 11th and 12 September. The traditional 10-mile curtain raiser was promoted by 1904RT and held early on the Saturday morning on the familiar A22-based course.
Fastest of the foursome was Joe Benians who took 11th place in a time of 23 minutes and 10 seconds on his road bike. Richard Burchett was 26 seconds and three places behind while Gavin Richards placed 20th with 24:21 and Clint Allen was 23rd of 33 in a time of 25:46.
Gavin and Clint returned the following morning for the second-half of the test, the 25-mile event. Gavin’s time of 1 hour 1 minute and 33 seconds left him 13th of the 25 competitors. Clint was 16th in 1:05:41.
Later that day Darren Haynes headed east for the opening Round of the East Kent Cyclo-Cross League held in the grounds of Sandwich Technology School and promoted by VC Deal. He made a good start to lie in 15th place at the end of the first lap. Five further consistently quick circuits placed him 19th from 52 at the chequered flag.
Journeying even further afield thanks to her superb time-trial performances this season Sally Turner competed in the UCI Gran Fondo Individual Time-Trial World Championships in northern Italy on Thursday 15th September. Based around the city of Trento between Lake Garda and the Dolomite Mountains, Sally (racing for trainSharp) didn’t let the spectacular scenery distract her from speeding round the 19.6 kilometre course in 28 minutes 43.53 seconds to finish in a fantastic 4th place, just 18 seconds off a medal.
Round 2 of the Challenge Tyres London and South East Cyclo-Cross League (incorporating the Sussex League) was held on Sunday 18th September. Held in the magnificent grounds of Pippingford Manor Park on the Ashdown Forest between Nutley and Wych Cross it was certainly a super setting and promoting club Crawley Wheelers devised a suitably challenging course.
In the race for men over 50 years of age Darren Haynes was gridded 42nd based on past performances. He dropped one position over the course of the first of seven laps, but made up five places on Lap 2, another four the 3rd time around and held 34th place from 58 in his age group when the flag dropped.
In the same race, but competing amongst the over-60s Stephen Burgess was 5th of the 13 in his category at the end of lap 1. He slipped a place the next time around and remained in 6th at the finish.
In the following women’s only race Mugs Gohl (Nice Brew Racing) held 3rd position among the quintet of women in their forties from start to the end of the race.
Paget Cohen by Pip Jones
In the men’s race for the same age group Dan Street made a lightning start from 27th on the grid to be 10th at the end of the first of seven laps. He lost one of those spots the next time around and two more on Lap 4, but crossed the line a fine 13th from 41, one lap down on the winner.
Starting his first race since early 2020 Paget Cohen started at the back of the field. He rose as high as 36th before two punctures effectively ended his race and he crossed the line on foot and in last place, 3 laps down.
In the final race of the day for men under 40 Tom Moss (Southborough & District Wheelers) rocketed from 38th on the grid to 19th at the end of the first of nine laps. He dropped one position on the third circuit and three more the next time around, but still finished a highly creditable 23rd from 35.
This was all the more remarkable as he had finished 7th from 12 in his club’s hill climb that morning when he scaled the brutal Kidds Hill in 5 minutes 9.3 seconds.
