CYCLING: Ryan is league champion
MICK Ryan was crowned champion of Witham Wheelers’ 10-mile handicap time trial league.
In the season-long competition, Mick maintained a steady improvement throughout the year for first place overall on 50 points, from schoolboys Carl Jennings in second with 39 and Reece Egner, equal third on 36 with the top lady Kim Paxton.
Another good turnout for the final round of the competition in Gorse Lane saw 26 riders starting, including three first timers.
Even this late in the season, eight riders still recorded personal best times with Mick Egner leading the way with a 65-second improvement, from junior Toby Kiely who just nudged Martin Hedley into third place by a second.
Fastest rider again on the night was guest Adam Gascoine in 22min 16sec, more than two minutes clear of Mick Ryan, one of five club riders under the 25-minute mark.
Results: 1 Adam Gascoine 22.16, 2 Mick Ryan 24.27, 3 Mick Oliver 24.33, 4 Martin Hedley 24.46, 5 Bill Harrison 24.49, 6 Jacob Storey 24.56, 7 Neil Sentence 25.03, 8 Kevin Flint 25.27, 9 Paul Conneely 25.32, 10 Dave Reeves 25.41, 11 Toby Kiely 25.42, 12 Karl Baillie 26.56, 13 Jason Harlock 27.30, 14 Clive Baillie 27.30, 15 Kim Paxton 27.32, 16 Mike Lewis 27.38, 17 Ashley Money 27.49, 18 Ian Simpson 28.02, 19 Kevin Rice 28.40, 20 Mick Egner 28.55, 21 Peter Brooks 29.03, 22 Reece Egner 29.52, 23 Craig Davenport 29.53, 24 Peter Storey 30.07, 25 Harry Browning 31.15, 26 Paul Alderton 31.21.
l Wheelers Chris Carter, Martin Hedley and Jim Coleman (Cherry Valley RT) rode the LRRA 25 at Boston on a windy fenland course.
Martin completed the 25.2-mile course in 1.09.00 and Chris in 1.04.45. Jim finished in an impressive 55.57 but was relegated into second place by four seconds by his team-mate Ian Dalton.
l Phil Atherton and Tony Mendham, both looking for more LVRC road race experience, joined Phil Etches in the EFG race on the Flintham course last Sunday.
Six laps over a total of 44 miles were contested on a flat circuit and all the early attacks were reeled in with ease as the pace alternated between pedestrian and flat out in a messy race. With two laps to go, after a hard effort chasing a break down, Tony found himself in no man’s land as a small group allowed itself to drift off the back and their day was done.
Phil Etches had put a lot of effort in during the first half of the race and was in conservation mode on the last lap when the remaining 20-man peleton allowed two riders to open a gap that would have taken little to close had they responded sooner.
With a mile to go it was obvious the gap would not be closed and the race was on for third. With a tail wind in the last kilometre, the pace was already high as Phil Etches kicked with 200 yards to go and put a bike length into the bunch to take third place overall and second in his handicap group.
Phil Atherton had done little in the bunch all day and found himself undergeared in the sprint but was still pleased with his seventh place overall.
l A windy night greeted riders for Witham Wheelers’ traditional season-ending two-up 10-mile time trial in Gorse Lane.
But the strong head wind on the outward leg didn’t stop guest riders from Melton Mowbray, Adam Gascoigne and Paul Cox, producing a rapid 21.53, almost 2.30 ahead of the fastest club pairing of Peter Cocker and Martin Hedley, with mixed pair Neil Sentance and Kim Paxton in third place.
Results: 1 Adam Gascoigne & Paul Cox 21.53, 2 Peter Cocker & Martin Hedley, 24.27, 3 Neil Sentence & Kim Paxton 25.12, 4 Peter Barnes & Ashley Money 25.29, 5 Carl Baillie & Clive Baillie 25.59, 6 Martin Lister & Bill Harrison 26.24, 7 Graham Jenks & Ian Simpson 26.25, 8 Jason & Martin Harlock 26.41, 9 Dave Beckett & Peter Storey 29.32; Mark Atkin (solo) 27.45, Mick Green (solo) 28.50.
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Weather for Grantham
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
