At the end of a hard days’ racing in the CC Breckland Twelve-Hour two attempts on national records had failed but Dave Green from Thetford and Ipswich rider Karen Eaton had won East District Championships with best-ever distances.
Leeds rider Adam Duggleby (Vive Le Velo) covered a provisional 317.2 miles on the course mainly on the Thetford-Wyndham road. All distance so far available are provisional, but if, as expected, this is confirmed, it is about half a mile short of the current record set by Andy Wilkinson on a similar A11-based course in 2012
Duggleby, who broke the 100 mile record in Essex in June, pushed a biggish gear and was out of the saddle each lap forcing his bike up to speed, as he headed north from the Eccles Road turn.
He suffered two punctures on the deteriorating concrete road surface near Wymondham. The first time he rode 10 miles on a softening tyre before getting a wheel change.
Later he got a puncture by hitting stone by riding in the gutter to avoid what he described as the (concrete) washboard surface.
Another competitor’s helpers gave him a wheel – but he later made an extra stop to get better-fitting one from his own team.
Men’s record holder Andy Wilkinson was at the event – helping his wife Jill (Chester Road Club) whose 272 mile ride, though a splendid effort, was five miles short of Beryl Burton’s 277 mile record – which has stood since 1967.
Karen Eaton carried the red and yellow colours of the Ipswich-based Wolsey RC to take the EDCA Women’s 12 hour Championship with 231 miles an eight mile improvement at her own EDCA Championship record. Cliff Matthews (also Wolsey RC) went just a shade further – 232miles.
“Tough day” said Dave Green (VeloVelocity) describing conditions for his 291 mile ride, a personal best and a Veteran TTA national record for age 53.
It was the south-west wind that made it hard, steadily rising through the middle of the day; there was no problem with temperature or rainfall.
The finishing leg, a shuttle between Hingham and Watton, was better aligned to offer some shelter from the wind – though after ten hours effort it probably did not feel like that to the competitors
After Green the next biggest mileage by a local rider was 260.2 miles by West Suffolk Wheeler Dale Sturman. Clubmate Malcolm Borg put in 225 miles – only a week after his 24 hour in which his distance has now been revised upwards by the Mersey RC organisers to 345.56 miles.
A the finish there was a nice touch when CC Breckland made a presentation of life membership to Bruce Williams in recognition of his many hours marshalling at East District time trials.
Bruce, whose father was an Ealing Manor CC and Calleva RC fastman during the years on each side of World War II is a familiar figure guiding and counting competitors through junctions during time trials in the region.
Two Ipswich mountain bikers took high positions in the British Cycling National Marathon Championships in the Isle of Man. Dan Howe was eighth overall and Paddy Atkinson ninth in the 110 kilometre (68 mile) race that takes competitors along hill and mountain tracks all over the island.
Climbing totalled 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) but perhaps even more challenging were the steep, rutted and sometimes rocky descents where Atkinson had the advantage.
Wet conditions overnight did not bode well for the Veteran’s TTA 25 on the Newmarket bypass, but the weather cleared just in time for the event to go ahead.
Winner was 55 year old Kevin Tye (Velo-Refined) in 48:57. Among good time achieved by local riders were 53:11 by Stuart Fairweather (VeloVelocity) and 54:01 by Chris Tye (Plomesgate CC). Steven Bass (Maldon & District) finished in 55:02 and Steve Cave (Wolsey RC) in 56:03 while Simon Boyle (Orwell Velo) came home in 56:07.
RESULTS: CC Breckland 12 hour, Hingham: Provisional distances:
1 Adam Duggleby (Viva Le Velo) 317.224, 2 Mark Turnbull (Torq Performance) 311.905, 3 Stephen Williamson (A3crg) 300.514, 4 Dave Green (VeloVelocity) 291.103, 5 David Shepherd (GS Stella) 287.013, 6 Matt Irvings (Buxton CC) 283.419, 7 Kevin Baumber (Shaftesbury CC) 275.185, 8 Jill Wilkinson (Chester RC) 272.763, 9 Chris Lea (Buxton CC) 269.143 , 10 Julian Pegg (Hitchin Nomads) 266.526, 11 Kieran Fitzpatrick (Southborough & District) 263.422, 11 Dale Sturman (West Suffolk Whs) 260.615, 12 Pip Jenkins (Southborough & District) 260.267, 13 Kate McPherson (Hitchin Nomads) 258.325, 14 Tony Reeves (GS Stella) 254.863, 15 Alex Bailey (CC Breckland) 239.308, 16 James Walsgrove (RideHarder) 235.00, 17 Simon Hardy (King’s Lynn CC) 234.92, 18 Cliff Matthews (Wolsey RC) 232.483, 19 Karen Eaton (Wolsey RC) 231.360, 20 Malcolm Borg (West Suffolk Wheelers) 225.367, 21 Peter Horsfield (Redmon CC) 213.626, 22 Pete Holland (Lincoln Whs, tricycle)187.107, 23 Michael Fountain (Didcot Phoenix) 179.862.
HANDICAP: 1 Simon Hardy 344 miles net , 2 Karen Eaton 322, 3 Chris Lea 312, 4 Kate McPherson 309, 5 Cliff Matthews 307, 6 Malcolm Borg 305.
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