Ely & District Cycling Club - B & T Motors 34th “Hardriders” 25 Mile Time Trial
HQ is Little Downham Village Hall, Main Street, Little Downham. CB6 2ST. Very conveniently located for the start / finish. Plenty of parking can be found to the rear of the Hall accessed via School Lane. Here you will find the staples of any TT HQ… Signing on sheet, numbers, drinks and of course cake! Given the time of year you’ll also be glad of its warmth!
The course takes in a range of fenland roads, some decent fast A roads and some not so decent unclassified rural ones! Typical fenland elevations can also be expected… next to none.
A typically well attended open event accepting riders on TT Bike, Road Bike or Tricycle. Enter for a bit of fun, some inter club winter competition or simply testing your winter form. Not many other places to get your TT kicks in February.
Cambridge University CC won several categories as Ely and District CC staged their annual hardriders 25-mile event on Sunday morning.
Overall fastest rider Joe Adlam-Cook and fastest female Maddie Angwin both ride for Cambridge University CC, while the club also secured the team prize and supplied the fastest on a road bike too.
21-year-old Adlam-Cook clocked 55-18 to win the open category by six seconds from team-mate Matt Rizzo-Naudi, while they were denied a clean sweep of the podium by VC Norwich rider Chris Holmes who was another 17 seconds back in third spot and was also the fastest veteran.
With Tom Hale being ten seconds back in fourth spot, Cambridge University took the team prize.
In the female category Oxford-based Maddie Angwin clocked 1-07-44 to win that category by 1-48 from Velo Bavarian’s Elizabeth Bridgen, while Hilary Briggs (Serpentine Running Club) was third in 1-13-53.
Joe Adlam-Cook
“It was a really great day out and I’m very pleased with the result given I’ve been ill all week so was considering not turning up – I’m very glad I did!” said Angwin.
“Ely Hardriders is always a great first event to test the legs and the bravery given the sketchy course. We felt very lucky this year to have standing water and a warm day rather than the ice and rain usually associated with Mid-February.
“Overall Cambridge University CC did really well so it was a proud day to be club president!”
And Adlam-Cook added: “It’s a great start to the season, it’s nice to see the effort put in over the winter paying off in races.
“It’s now my third year of doing Ely hardriders with the last two being in pretty grim conditions including crashing last year so it’s amazing to finally win it.
“It’s always hard getting the numbers out with the rough and narrow roads but the legs are definitely feeling promising for the upcoming season.”
In other categories another Cambridge University rider Francis Schofield covered the course in 1-00-57 on his road bike to win that category by 37 seconds from Paul Beattie (RAF CA), while Benjamin Proctor (Cambridge Univ CC) was third in 1-03-46.
47-year-old Chris Holmes was quickest veteran on age adjusted time with 54-22, while Patrick Ellerbeck (St Neots CC) was second with 57-37 and Chris Shaw (Fenland Clarion) was third.
Conditions were favourable generally although far from perfect, with no rain falling during the event but plenty of surface water from overnight rain giving the competitors plenty to think about as the tackled the BS19 course.
Francis Schofield
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