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I took over the editorial responsibility for our Newsletter this year and looked at expanding the traditional two-page black-and-white format into a multi paged colour magazine, the downside to this is the amount of time needed to maintain and hopefully improve the standard each month. I have had to look at my work load and have decided to drop the result reporting service from the website (from 30/04) and point people to the appropriate magazine where I can cover Wanderers activities in more detail. Hence I have stopped reporting on the website partway through the year. I hope you understand.
Please see the Results & Press Releases page for details of where to find specific results in our 2006 magazines. Chris Martin
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Circuit of Danehill 18.11 miles on Sunday the 30th April
Peter storms back to form with a dominant win. The hilly 18 miles offered the riders a real challenge in the cool dampish conditions. After Peter Baker's now usual slow start to the season, conducted on his heavy training bike, he bounced back to top form with a classy winning ride. Mark Winton's comments in last months Newsletter, that Peter was sandbagging, now seem prophetic. His return to form must have confused Ian, the club handicapper, as Peter also finished second on handicap. Seasoned road man Chris Hill, riding his (very flash Trek) road bike rather than a time trial specific machine, turned the tables on Andy Cox who had pipped him for 2nd place at Newhaven - Beddingham. Events organiser Ian Landless, still found time to finish fifth overall and easily win the Vets standard award, cementing his current position as top Wanderer on standard. Leigh Simpson won the first on handicap award. Debbie Evers ended up as top female rider, ahead of Anne Locke. Debbie jumped straight off her bike after her ride and went for a run. Whilst most time trialists normally head straight to the HQ for tea and cakes after an event, Debbie being into Triathlons and suchlike needs that extra burn! Spencer Coleman had to be rescued from the course after his chain came off and got mangled. After early season domination by Mark Winton, Mark's forced absence gave us a good race with three evenly matched riders fighting it out for the overall glory. Peter's victory was his first Club Championship win since his Earwig and 30 Championship winning rides of 2004. Pusher Off's view. Pre race favourite Mark Winton, couldn't start because of a cold, but still turned out to watch and help; luckily for Andy Cox and Jeremy Meades. Andy arrived at the start with an under inflated front tyre and attempted to blow it up with Richard Meed's pump. Richard's little frame pump isn't designed to bring racing tubs up to 150psi! So Andy's attempt just managed to lower the pressure - Mark came to the rescue with a spare Carbon wheel out of the back of his car and Andy made the start with 15 seconds to spare. He set off down the road with a leaf making a strange noise wrapped in his brake. We will never know if all these distractions cost Andy the 9 seconds that separated him from 2nd place man Chris Hill, who had a calm start and a trouble free ride. Next up for Mark's help was Jeremy Meades who punctured before the start and also received a fancy wheel from the back of Mark's car. After seeing the rest of the riders get a trouble free start (not sure if Mark had any more ready-to-go carbon wheels in his boot?), we headed out to the climb into Ashdown Forest after Nutley, where Mark Mark snapped our top 3 men doing their stuff. Their faces remind me off how tough this final climb is. Mick Burgess joined Mark and me at our forest climb vantage point. It was good to see Mick, although it was probably against Doctor's orders, hey Mick!
Thanks to the following: Ian Landless - event organiser Richard Mead - start & finish timekeeper and results Chris Martin - pusher off Mark Winton - spare wheels and photos Peter Price, John Gallsworthy & Laurey Leaney - marshals Julie Landless & Sally Denett-Thorpe - tea & cakes
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on Sunday the 23rd April
Mark sets another new Club Record. As has become the tradition over the last few years, the Club 25 mile Championship was incorporated into the ESCA Championship. 16 out of the total field of 62 were Wanderers. The race based on the A22 is run from Maresfield to Boship and back. The riders faced a comparatively still day with rain increasing as the event went on. Top Wanderer, Mark Winton, continued his domination of this season's club events and retained the Club 25 championship with a new club championship record time of 56 minutes 41 seconds. Mark finished an impressive equal 4th overall in the main ESCA event. Ex Wanderer, and Mark's main rival from 2005, Jim Cheek, recorded exactly the same time as Mark! Andy Cox won the first on Handicap award and finished second to Mark in the club championship. Andy finished just a handful of seconds ahead of a resurgent Peter Baker. Next, with the Sun God (Ian Landless) unable to ride due to family hill walking commitments, it was left to John Mankelow to win the Vets Standard award. The star of the weekend award goes to Felix English. Felix is only 13 years old and not only did he beat his Dad (Bruce) on both days, he topped that by winning the Fastest Juvenile award in both ESCA events.
Total Entry: 62 Riders Fastest Rider: James Dear
ESCA 10 miles (G10/87)
Mark Winton finished 6th in 22m26s. *Alan Stevens time of 36m56s included a 7m10s late start!
Total Entry ?? Riders Fastest Rider: James Dear
Brighton Mitre Hilly 25 miles (GS/999)
Mark Winton scored some useful Classic League points with his 8th place John Mankelow and Sean Yates were both DNS. John because of a bad back and Sean through injuries incurred playing football! 2nd Claim Wanderer, Bob Coleman riding for Epsom CC did a 1h16m09s ride for 27th position. Report by Jeremy Meades: Saturday's Brighton Mitre 10 on Saturday was wet, wet, wet and Foxhill is a brute of a climb at 1.2miles. I had hoped to be recovered but felt a bit out of sorts for the 25 today. Weather conditions for the 25 were much better this year after the dense fog of last year where riders found it difficult to see more than a few yards in front of themselves. But this year's dry and warming conditions was a welcome change. Never an easy course, a climb from the start with a 50 feet gain and then an amazing plunge down of the top of the Downs. The first two mile are a shock to the system, significant climbs and then fast downhill sections before technical twisty miles along the bottom of the South Downs through Poynings, Fulking and Edburton. I caught my minute man on this section mainly because I was braver downhill! Left and south towards Shoreham via the Lower Beeding roundabout and the old cement works. It's only these sections that I found any sort of rhythm. Interestingly, the main roundabout and turn at Shoreham is 10 feet above sea level and you know that the finish is 500 above sea level so there's going to be some climbing. Gradually the faster riders are sneaking through me but I'm a tad faster than last year even though I feel a lack of power on the climbs. Small Dole and Henfield pass by and the turn for home. The climbing starts 2.5 miles from the finish and it feels a significant grovel interspersed with some fast downhill stretches. The push up the last climb to the finish is daunting and there is nothing left for me, I try to get a 1 hour 15 mins but just miss by a couple of seconds. Good rides by Spence, Mark and Bob; Spence reported weird heart rates on the climbs probably more due to a lack of full recovery since his 41 on Good Friday. All in all a good mornings racing - well done team!!
Total Entry: 44 Riders Fastest Rider: Mike Coyle
Brighton Mitre Hilly 10 miles (G10/44)
Report from Jeremy Meades: Yesterday's Brighton Mitre Hilly 10 was very wet and miserable and Foxhill is, for a fat bloke like me, too long at 1.2 miles - virtually ran out of gears!! But the descent? - thank you very much! :-) Not too happy with 28:39 but it was only my 2nd race this season and not really my terrain.
Total Entry: 53 Riders Fastest Rider: Mike Coyle
Crawley Wheelers 41 miles (GS/196)
We only had two starters out of the five Wanderers who had entered the challenging Good Friday event. Ex Wanderers Jim Cheek had his entry returned for missing the closing date and Dave Pollard was a DNF!
Total Entry: 71 Riders Fastest Rider: Jason White
ESCA Two-up 23 miles (GS/839)
Club members picked up three prizes at the ESCA two-up. The event is run over 23 miles starting at Shortgate and taking the riders through Ringmer, Golden Cross, Little Horsted and Lewes, back through Ringmer, finishing on the Broyle. Weather conditions were bright, cool early on but warming up later. A slight south westerly wind made the starting section down the Broyle and on the A22 from Golden Cross to Little Horsted a little harder but it really wasn't too bad. The slight tailwind from Kennel Corner to Golden Cross and the finishing run from Earwig Corner made up for it. A time trial by nature is usually about riding alone against the clock, but a two-up calls for a different discipline, that of team work. A good pair can beat better riders who find it hard to make the transition riding as a team. Andy Cox and Mark Winton finished an impressive third overall. It was a super smooth effort and is an excellent example of riders working well together. Andy and Mark train a fair bit together, so they know how each other rides and were very pleased with their result. Veteran riders Chris Hill and Graham Jeffs, picked up an award for 2nd Team on Vets Standard. Father and son team Bob and Spencer Coleman took a break from racing each other to ride together. Up and coming fast man, Peter Barling teamed up with seasoned campaigner, Peter Baker. Barling looked all in at the end and reported that he found the ride really hard today as it was very fast. Mike Levett rode with Emily Bright (East Grinstead Tri Club). They won the mixed team prize.
Total Entry: 26 Teams Fastest Team: Dave Pollard and Christian Yates
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Newhaven-Beddingham 26th March Mark Winton - 1st
Chris Hill - 3rd
Ian Landless - 1st Vets Std
Felix English - 1st HCP
Debbie Evers - 3rs HCP
Apologies to Andy Cox (2nd & 2nd HCP), Lawrence didn't get him on film. That's what happens if you ride too fast! Don't worry we will get him soon.
ESCA Hardriders 12th March Spencer Coleman
Tony Gale
Graham Jeffs |
2004 & 05 winner Mark Winton, despite being 54 seconds down on his 2005 course record winning time (Mark like the rest blamed it on the wind!) still finished well clear of second place man (2002 winner) Andy Cox. Mark was out in his new Giro Aero hat which probably saved him seconds on his time and cost him pounds (£s)! By finishing second Andy was just 18 seconds ahead of seasoned Wanderer Chris Hill (winner back in 1992 & 96). My prediction of man most likely to make progress in 2006, Peter Barling missed a podium finish by just 9 seconds. Beddingham marshals Horry Hemsley and Bob Comben had plenty to say about the next two riders. Bob reported that Spencer slid his bike into the roundabout in a style more
in-keeping with the great Valentino Rossi and Bob was impressed (amazed) that he kept it upright and continued to the finish in a quick time. So who needs EPO when you've got adrenaline?! If I printed Horry's comments on Ian Landless, this publication would be top-shelf material (nuff said). Let's just say they both had different views in a behind the bike sheds after school kind of way! Anyway the Sun God completed his mission, i.e. getting his hands on the first (of many I'm sure) club Vets Standard awards of 2006. First on handicap was Felix English. Felix continued his march forward in the Wanderers pecking order and at this rate could be looking at a place on the In-Gear roster soon! After crossing the finish line, Felix lay his bike on the ground and followed it flat out on his back. (Once we knew he was ok) it was good to see the effort that he must have put into his ride. Debbie Evers was our only female rider. On her smart new pink bike with matching pink lid, Debbie picked up the third on handicap award. Two new Wanderers Simon Yates and Alan Stevens enjoyed their first rides. Man in black, Colin Harris, only knew he could ride at short notice, so was thus an entry on the line - otherwise Colin's impressive time would have given him a clear second place. This was the best entry in a club time trial for some years, with 23 official entries Bob Coleman 27m22s
ESCA Hardriders 15.8 miles (GS/895)
Tony Gale was first man off out of a total field of 55 riders. Recently retired, super fit 'pensioner' Tony flew round the lumpy course in a respectable 48m31s. Fastest Wanderer on the day was Mark Winton. Mark finished just outside the top ten in an impressive 44m04s. Andy Cox, who thrives on hilly courses, was close behind Mark in a strong 44m38s. Peter Baker, riding his training bike was 3rd fastest Wanderer on the day in a admirable 46m59s. In the father and son battle, Spencer Coleman (47m32s) beat Bob (2nd claim Wanderer), his Dad, by a mere 18 seconds. The slowest Wanderer on the day was Graham Jeffs in 50m42s. Graham had been off work for over a week with a virus, so was delighted
just to complete the course. The Wanderers failed to retain the Team Prize they won in 2005 - a strong Brighton Mitre team (including ex Wanderer Tim Holmes) came out on top this year. The overall event was won by Mike Coyle of V.C. Etoile in a very quick 37m27s. Defending champion Steve Dennis (East Grinstead C.C.) was relegated to second place this year and was the only other rider to crack the 40 minute mark with his time of 38m53s.
Total Entry: 55 Riders Fastest Prime: Mike Coyle Fastest Rider: Mike Coyle
I will publish all the results that I get in the Newsletter, I will only put Club, ESCA and Classic League events on the website, along with any special stuff that riders do. I will also put photos on the website. Can members please email me results, reports, photos etc. I need these by Sunday evening if you want any chance of being in the paper. I report our results to the Courier, Sussex Express and the Argus. I have no power to make them use our stuff, all I can say is that I try and make their deadlines, keep the articles as interesting as possible and send photos. So please make my life easier and have your results on the Web, in the Newsletter and in the Papers.
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