LWCC 30, LWCC Evening 10s Rd 4 and racing round-up
Nick Dwyer by Emma Gearing
Lewes Wanderers’ annual 30 mile time-trial championship was held on the blissfully hot and dry morning of Sunday 21st May. While the event was open to all riders from the host club constituted almost a third of the disappointingly low entry of 34 who were sent on their way down the A22 from 7:30am onwards. Fifth overall, but claiming the club trophy for the fourth time, albeit for the first time since 2013, was Nick Dwyer in a time of 1 hour 7 minutes and 32 seconds. Second among the home riders and 9th overall of the 34 finishers was the ever-improving Brett Davis in a new personal best by nearly 5 minutes of 1:10:15, while his better half Lisa finished in a superb 24th overall, won the ladies championship for the first time and took almost 7 minutes off her time of 12 months previously, setting a new mark of 1:17:06.
As the heat-wave continued into Monday night a lot of racers clearly eyed a fast time in Round 4 of Lewes Wanderers 10 mile time-trial series, so much so that they were queueing outside the East Hoathly Sports Pavilion HQ waiting to sign on from before 6pm and with still an hour before the first rider was due to be pushed off at 7:15 the organisers regretfully had to start turning prospective competitors away as they already had the maximum entry permitted under health and safety. Those who made the effort were rewarded with a welter of fast times including 8 new personal bests. Fastest on the night was former-Wanderer Pete Morris (ASL-360) in a blistering 21 minutes and 8 seconds, while Nick Dwyer (21:37) pipped his club-mate Tom Glandfield by a single second to runner-spot. Behind them every single other member of the host club to make the top ten set a new personal mark with credit to Sean Quinney (5th, 22:12), Brett Davis (6th, 22:16), Gavin Richards (7th, 22:28) and Aidan McConville (9th, 22:49). In the midfield there also new record times for Darren Haynes (17th, 23:53), Cameron Cragg (18th, 24:05) and Lisa Davis (21st, 24:45), while Sue Collett (28:32) cracked the 30 minute barrier for the first time. Her husband Jon was less fortunate as he punctured shortly after the Boship roundabout turn and had to call on club Social Secretary and photographer Ems Gearing to give him and his machine a lift back to the start. The following evening Mark Frost made a rare foray into the world of time-rtialling, but posted an impressive 22:26 to finish 7th of 25 in a Brighton Excelsior CC run 10.
Conditions were barely any cooler on the evening of Thursday 25th May when Eastbourne Rovers CC held their annual 25 mile time-trial championship which, like the Lewes 30, was also open to riders from other clubs. Seven Wanderers pitted themselves against the Rovers and the stopwatch with Rob Rollings coming closest to upsetting the applecart by finishing 4th in 55 minutes and 55 seconds. Rob Pelham just ducked under the hour with 59:47 (13th), while Martin Baddeley put in a superb first effort at the distance to record 1:00:28 for 14th. Second fastest female, but beating her own previous best was Kate Mankelow in 1:08:51, while the other LWCC riders were Sam Ramsey (17th, 1:01:21), John Mankelow (23rd, 1:05:19) and Paul Hanratty (29th, 1:13:35).
On Friday night seventeen year old Cameron Cragg was the only Lewes Wanderer to compete in Round 3 of the Hove Park Crits, but the lack of team support didn’t hold him back as he beat all 29 opponents in a sprint to the line at the end of the race. The following morning Peter Baker pitted himself against 58 others in The Bec Cycling Club 10 and came away with 21st place thanks to his time of 22:52, while up in Cheshire that afternoon club-mate Callum Middleton propelled his road bike round the Warrington Road Club 50 in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 23 seconds to finish 49th of the 91 finishers.
Seven Lewes Wanderers competed in the Brighton Mitre Cycling Club morning of 10s on Sunday 28th May. There was still a low hanging mist when your correspondent set off in the Medium Gear (72inch) event for fixed wheel machines at 6:30am; his time of 27:09 placing him 5th of the 11 competitors. While the sun had broken through by the time he and Cameron Cragg tackled the “Very Hilly” 10 shortly after 8am which followed 9 miles of the normal course before turning left and finishing at the top of Steyning Bostal which touches 17% at times. Your correspondent finished second last in 30:46, while rising star Cameron was a superb 7th of 19 in 27:28. In between Nick Dwyer’s 20:59 gave him 3rd in the “Bling” 10 for unrestricted machinery, Michael Valks recorded a fine 24:02, while his father Paul posted 28:08 and won in his age group as Nick had done also. Tamar Vanderhaas (25:07) was 4th of 8 in the “Ladies” 10, while Michael Valks switched machines to ride 25:29 and place 4th in the “Road Bikes” event, one place ahead of Gina McGeever (27:31).
