Racing Round-up
Mountain biking, road racing, and time-trialling, we’ve got members covering it all as the season gets into full swing.
Mountain Biking – Pedal Hounds in the Land of Nod
On Sunday, 22nd March, Georgina Wise, racing for Destination Bike RT, took part in Round 2 of the Pedal Hounds Mountain Bike Enduro series at the quirkily titled “Land of Nod” near Bordon, Hampshire. As with all of the quartet of events in this series, riders have between 10:00 am and 2:30 pm to ride a series of “stages” which they can tackle as many times as they like, with the aggregate of their fastest two attempts at each stage counting.
As in the opening Round, this event featured five stages with Georgina racing Stages 1, 3 and 4 four times and Stages 2 and 5 three times. Georgina certainly wasn’t sleeping as she used her opening attempt at each stage to recce the best lines and then to hit them at race pace the following times through. She set her best two times on every Stage except Stage 3 on her second and third attempts to set an aggregate time good enough for second spot on the podium among women aged between 16 and 39.
Duathlon – Varsity Duathlon
On Wednesday, 25th March, Alice Gilmore claimed the silver medal in the Varsity Duathlon held in and around the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park. She completed the 4.8-kilometre run in 21 minutes and 44 seconds. She then switched to the bike for a 19.2 kilometre ride, which she covered in 8 seconds outside of 40 minutes, before slipping her running shoes back on for a 3.2 kilometre effort, which she completed in 14 minutes and 51 seconds.
Road Racing – Percy Stallard Series
On Sunday, 5th April, Ryan Machin (Destination Bike RT) travelled up to near Lincoln for the opening round of the British Masters Cycle Racing “Percy Stallard Series”. After 5-laps of a roughly rectangular 10-mile flat loop south of the city, Ryan crossed the line in 7th place out of nine amongst men aged 45-49.
Ryan returned on Sunday, 12th April, for Round 2. This event had to be switched from its intended location and instead was run as the “Pinvin Road Race” promoted by CASP RT on a vaguely square, 8-mile flattish loop east of Worcester. After 7-laps of flat-out bunch racing, Ryan met the chequered flag in a superb 4th place from 11 in his age group.
Time Trialling – ESCA 10
Peter Baker was the only Lewes Wanderer to compete in the East Sussex Cycling Association 10-mile time-trial on the morning of Saturday, 11th April. He covered this stretch of the A22, which he must have ridden so many times he could do it blindfold, were that legal, 5 seconds outside of 28 minutes for 31st place overall.
Mountain Biking – Southern XC MTB Series
The seemingly indefatigable Ryan was back in racing action on Sunday, 19th April. This time off-road in the beautiful environs of the New Forest. He was among 64 riders racing around a course laid out at Crow Hill near Bagnum in the second of four rounds of the Southern XC MTB race series. After 5 laps and just over 16 miles of racing up-and-down this hilly course, Ryan crossed the line in a fine 13th place.