Red Lodge fixed-wheel exponent Mark Arnold and West Suffolk Wheeler Trish Goulden topped the results in the opening time trial of the East District season, the CC Breckland 10 miler at Hingham.
On a fine afternoon with intermittent sunshine and a light crosswind both winners set new course records – Arnold finishing in 21.09 and Goulden in 24.59.
Arnold and his nearest challenger Jim Burgess (Anglia Velo) were each riding 104 inch fixed gears. Both regularly win on “fixed”.
Sixty years ago this was the preferred transmission of nearly all time trialists, but now almost all use multiple gears. Usually the practices of the fastest riders are soon copied, but for some reason time trialling on fixed does not “catch on” in the modern world.
Bury-based Team VeloVelocity took the team prize with new recruit Daniel Bloy recording 21:36, team principal Paul Jay 22:35 and Scott Davidson 22:48. Chris Nudds (CC Breckland) was overall “Best Veteran on Age Standard” and under the “One rider, one prize” rule passed the prize for best aged 60-69 on to Jim Read (Colchester Rovers, 24:20)
Nine climbs of the finish hill with a headwind stretch immediately following ensured that barely half the field in the Crest Road Race survived to the finish.
This opening event of the Eastern Road Race League was held on the Wendens Ambo circuit near Saffron Walden. Four riders finally made up the successful break – Jack Beezer (Arbis), who opened a 75 yard gap to win from Gunther Zechmann (London Phoenix), Adam Capes (Finchley RT) and Colin Ward (Essex Roads).
Best placed local rider was Liam Gentry (Strada Sport) who was in a chasing group that was whittled down to Andy Lyons (Richardsons/Trek, 5th) and Gentry, who was sixth. Behind these the remainder of the field struggled up the finish hill in ones and twos including local club riders Andrew Sanders (Braintree Velo, 7th), Kieran Brady (City Cycle Centre, 11th) and Mark Yale (VC Revolution, 14th).
The Hainault Hilly 29 mile timetrial at Navestock Side was won by former Ipswich Road Race winner Rhys Howells in 1:09:07, with Joe Skipper riding for Lowestoft club VC Baracchi second in 1:10:35.
Also in the top ten were local riders Jay Lingwood of newly affiliated Lowestoft sports club Rock Estate (1:16:10) and Simon Daw (CC Sudbury, 1:18:14). Chelmsford rider Nikki Juniper (Pearl Izumi) was first lady in 1:20:42.
The new East District Cycling Association Handbook has been published. This covers mainly, but not exclusively, time trials in Norfolk and Suffolk and is especially useful for its listing of local entry-on-the-day events which are the way into the sport for many newcomers.
Price is £2.50 and small stocks are available at the Elmy Cycles, Pedal Power and Thomas’s Cycle Revolution in Ipswich and from Madgetts Cycles in Diss.
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