News & Features

DOWSETT SMASHES COMP RECORD

Where to start this week. We have Alex Dowsett smashing the 25-mile Competition Record and two fantastic results over 100 miles in the Anfield Bicycle Club and Hounslow & District Wheelers events. The Movistar professional, already holder of the 10-mile Comp Record, returned to his roots on the Essex roads to slash 1-14 off of Matthew Bottrill's 45-43 to win the Eastern Counties CA on the E2 course with a 44-29. Colin Ward (Essex Roads CC) and Justin Layne (CC Ashwell) were second and third with 47-45 and 48-49 respectively while Julia Freeman (Easterley RC) finished with a 55-57, fastest woman. Freeman also took the women's honours in the Victoria CC 10.2-mile promotion with a 24-44 while Matthew Smith (Team Bottrill) won with a 21-14.

`NOVICES` DAVIES AND PERRY WIN AT 100 MILES
 
Both of the `100s` were won by novices at the distance. The Hounslow's promotion was claimed by school teacher Kieron Davies (drag2zero) with a course and event record 3-27-34, just 47 seconds faster than another `novice`, John Dewey (Team Bottrill), 3-28-21, while Peter Harrison (GS Henley) rounded out the leading trio with his 3-30-22. Best woman was Laura Bartlett (a3crg), another first timer at 100 miles, with her 4-08-16.

ANFIELD BC CLASSIC (Photographs by Kimroy)

Now for that great classic, the Anfield BC `100` and here again it was a first timer who triumphed, Ryan Perry (Langdale Lightweights) who flew home in 3-33-20, a course and event record by some eight minutes. It also sliced 3-58 off of the UK Armed Forces record, remember Perry is and Army Captain, we understand. Richard Bideau (Pendle Forest CC) was second with his 3-36-18 ahead of Steve Irwin (North Lancs RC), 3-42-10, and Mark Turnbull (TORQ Performance), 3-52-18. The women's competition was a lot closer with Jessica Rhodes Jones (Beacon Roads CC), Rachel Mellor (Holmfirth CC) and Lynne Biddulph (Born to Bike) covered by 62 seconds with their respective 4-32-27, 4-32-59 and 4-33-29.

Making full use of his weekend pass (?), as a warm up for the `100` Perry also rode and won the Mapperley CC `10` with a 19-19 ahead of Russell Jelly (Team Bottrill), 21-04, and Ian Gullar of the promoting club, 21-07 while Perry's team mate Chanel Mason was fastest woman with her 24-19.

COURSE RECORD FOR 100-MILE CHAMPION

Moving on we had another course record in the Warrington RC 50-mile time trial where National 100-mile Champion Charles Taylor (Team Bottrill) clocked 1-45-56 to win by 2-48 from David Crawley (Velotick). Multi-Paracycling World Champion Sarah Storey (Podium Ambition) took the women's award with a 1-54-40.

WEARS KICKS OFF SSLL CLEAN UP

Jonathan Wears notched up two wins for SSLL RT over the weekend taking the BBM Revolution `10` with a 21-32 from Richard Dean (Team Bottrill), 22-21, and Paul Thirling (Stockton Wheelers), 22-25, with Alex Deck (Langsett Cycles) fastest woman with her 25-30. Wears also had a seven seconds victory in the Holme Valley Wheelers `25` (Photographjs by Kimroy) with his 51-45. Adam Duggleby (The Nab Racing), 51-52, was runner up with Jessica Bacon (York Cycleworks) best of the women with a 1-00-31.

Not to be out done Wears SSLL RT clubmates Joel Wainman, Alastair Wareham and Jon Surtees made a clean sweep of the podium places in the Bridlington CC `25` with their respective 53-43, 54-19 and 55-33.

STEELE SWITCH

Adam Hartley (PH-MAS Cycling) won the mid-week Kent Valley RC Spoco `15` ahead of Craig Steele (Lakes RC) and Richard Bickley (Border City Wheelers) but positions switched in the Border City Wheelers 29-mile Hilly with Steele, 1-08-56, winning ahead of Hartley, 1-09-15, and Bickley, 1-10-06. As in the Kent Valley event, Gethin Butler was fifth.
Butler moved up a place to fourth in the Derwentside CC Spoco `40` won by Matt Moorhouse (Preston CC), 1-43-45, from Mark Donovan (Beacon Wheelers), 1-49-16, and Jon Sturman (Activ Cycles-Lloyds Honda RT), 1-49-31. Butler's time was 1-50-20. A 2-16-44 earned Jennifer Baty (Team Vertex) the woman's prize.

NOPINZ ACTION

The Penzance Wheelers event produced yet another course record thanks to the promoting club's Sandy Gourley who covered the 19 miles in 43-56, 1-10 clear of Philip Bray (Plymouth Corinthians). Fastest  woman was Crystal Spearman (Nopinz) with a 51-03. Following Spearman's example, Dean Robson added to Nopinz tally by taking the North Devon Wheelers `25` with a 53-06. Lee Morgan (Team Bottrill), 53-23, and Graham Collins (Tanks Direct Cycling), 54-27 completed the top three. 

BRIGHTON WEEKEND

Brighton Mitre's weekend of 10-mile events saw James Copeland (Fareham Wheelers) win Saturday with an event record 20-14 from clubmate Gary Champers,20-44, and Peter Tadros (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT), 20-51. Mark Emsley Team ASL360) took Sunday's Hilly `10` with a 24-22, 10 seconds up on Tadros. Sarah Phelps (Brighton Mitre) took the women's awards in both events.