Club Notes - 23rd August 2003

Only a few events this week starting with the Seamons C.C. 25 mile time trial held on the 23rd of August. Leek had a record number of 7 riders in the event, as the club tried to boost it’s position within a season long Manchester and District series championship where finishing riders get points which count for the individual and combined for the club. Leek are currently running in the top 5 and thought it would be a nice touch for our new sponsors Den Engel if we managed to stay there, no mean feat for a club the size of ours! With 5 points for finishing and more if we had finishers in the top 20 the club had a good outing with only Phil Gayes being unlucky enough to puncture on the way to the start preventing him from riding, the rest covered the course successfully finishing in order: - Graham Halden 1-16-04 a sprint away from his desired 1-15 ride, Dave Bridden 1-11-25 despite being stopped by cows crossing for milking, Stuart Cope turning in a reliable 1-8-17 on one of rare outings at the distance, Marc Briand 1-6-24 a little slower than he would have liked possibly but still useful points. Mark Poyser missing out on his third sub hour outing on Cheshire by exactly the same 5 second margin as Graham with a time of 1-04-04, Kelvin Milward’s form continued its drop finishing in 58-26 and out of the major points losing his 3rd place in the individual series in the process.

Finally we will catch up with our Tri-athletic member Richard Brooks who not content with just riding a bike likes to go for swim first, and a run later and doing quite well at it too. Two sets of results for Richard first Swarkestone Triathlon 27th July 1500m swim 40Km bike 10 Km run where he got 11th with a time of 2:14:17 the event being won by Jimmy Creswell in 2:08:54 next Wolverhampton Triathlon 24th August 1500m swim 40Km bike 10 Km run where he improved to 9th in 2-04-07 winner once again was Jimmy Creswell this time in 1:59:17. With numbers of entrants in these events running to over 150, Richards 9th and 11th places really are excellent.

Missed the bank holiday deadline so bear with me for a bit of a mammoth report and with the Macclesfield wheelers mid-week hill climbs finished and the nights drawing in it feels like the seasons now on a wind down. We are rapidly running out of events now and whether I am trying to stop the advance of yet another year or am desperately clinging on to try and make the most of summer, In the BDCA 50 I just ended just clinging on! However I will start with the afore mentioned Macc' Wheelers hill climbs and the ascent of Pymms chair on the 13^th Leek had just two of the 30 odd riders proving that the claim that we are all mad in Leek cyclists club is untrue, although one of our representatives did his hardest to prove otherwise, first up though was current senior champion Phil Gayes who by his own standards struggled a bit on the climb, his time of 4-46.73 was still good enough for 10^th overall but more adrift of winner Maccs own rider Anthony Allan s 4-23.45 than he would have liked. Phil didn’t struggle as much as our second man Gary Thomas who despite never seeing the hill decided late in the afternoon that it would be a good idea to tackle it on fixed, this to the uninitiated means that Gaz had the grand choice of one gear to go up the hill not only that this single gear was attached to a disc wheel, the choice off testers for ‘flat courses’ see what I mean about proving us Leek folk are a little disarranged. Gaz still managed to get to the top, and he wasn’t last finishing ahead of 9 other riders, all of whom I managed to finish behind a week later on the slopes of the Cat and fiddle, however I was still the quickest Leek rider by virtue of being the only Leek rider. The areas honors however were upheld by ex-pat Pat Kinch who put in a sterling 24:57.37 to finish in 5th place. Crewe clarion rider John Waddilove taking the event in a time of 22-59.55 more akin to a 10 on the flat than winding you’re way to the top of the cat. Oh my time was a pitiful 33:12.67 however I did have a chain off when my wheel slipped, and when I put it back in I left the brake rubbing, and I got stuck behind a snail, and I was abducted by aliens half way up, and I don’t do hills!

Back on the level and last Saturday YT joined regulars Mark Poyser and Stuart Cope for the penultimate event in the TLI SPOCO league with Mark taking it all the way down to the wire and we will see whether he takes the overall series in a few weeks time. The results on the morning we good for the club with Stuart Copes 35-47 giving him 14^th. Then YT and Mark were split by one rider giving us 1^st and third instead of the top two the results panning out as M.Poyser 31-57, M.Horner 31-19, K.Milward 31.13.

Sunday and a bright if early 7am start saw myself and Marc Briand lining up for the BDCA 50. A good first half saw me reeling in riders, but before hopes of an on the cards PB, could get too strong everything went the shape of the pear, or to be more correct a bit wobbly when after 25 miles my tri-bars broke resulting in a lack of steering forced to pack, I was reduced to joining Dave Bridden and Pete Key in a purely spectating role, cheering our lone survivor Marc on to a steady 2-07-28 having been put off his rhythm by a few of the many fast ford club members who insisted on having a bit of a go!

Now the much awaited results of the club hill climb my memory of the event is a little blurred I’m told that this happens in traumatic experiences so I will leave you with the results list and congratulate all those who made it to the top particular the winged pair at the top young Adam Kenway who was the only rider to get under 6 minutes. Phil Gayes who just held of Pat Kinch for 2^nd overall and 1^st Senior. Georgina Rowson first Lady. Also Chris hall whose chain came off twice whilst getting to the top and Roger Stonier who having destroyed the 1^st bike he had borrowed prior to the event, then rode it on Kevin Sharrock’s steed a worthy animal but not set up for hill climbs and a size to small for Roger!

A.KENWAY	5.58	P.GAYES	6.23	P.KINCH	6.25	M.MILBURN	6.35
A.BAIN	6.57	M.BRIAND	6.58	G.THOMAS	7.05	K.MILWARD	7.18
S.COPE	7.25	R.GOULD	7.45	G.TREVANA	7.50	C.HALL	8.05
G.ROWSON	8.12	D.BUTTERWORTH	8.21	R.STONIER	8.26	P.JONES	8.31
M.THOMAS	8.37	S.ROWSON	9.17	D.STONIER	9.39

Two last items to bring us up to date starting with the Seamons C.C. 25 mile time trial held on the 23^rd of August. We had a record number of 7 riders in the event this was not the result of a sudden rush of blood to the head of club members. But a showing to try and boost the clubs position within a season long Manchester and District series event where finishing riders get points which count for the individual and the combined for the club currently running in the top 5 it we thought it would be a nice touch for our new sponsors Den Engel if we managed to stay up, no mean feat for a club the size of ours! With 5 points for finishing and more if we had finishers in the top 20 the club had a good outing with only Phil Gayes being unlucky enough to puncture on the way to the start (a 4 mile trek from the HQ) preventing him from riding the rest covered the course successfully finishing in order: - Graham Halden 1-16-04 a sprint away from his desired 1-15 ride, Dave Bridden 1-11-25 despite being stopped by cows crossing for milking, the joys of Cheshire eh Dave! Stuart Cope turning in a reliable 1-8-17 on one of rare ventures to this distance, Marc Briand 1-6-24 a little slower than he would have liked possibly but still useful points. Mark Poyser missing out on his third sub hour outing on Cheshire by exactly the same 5 second margin as Graham with a time of 1-04-04, yours truly form continuing to drop of towards the end of the season finishing in 58-26 but out of the major points losing my 3^rd place in the individual series in the process.

Were almost finished now catching up with our Tri athletic member Richard Brooks who not content with just riding a bike likes to go for swim first, and a run later and doing quite well at it too. We have two sets of results for Rich, first Swarkestone Triathlon 27th July 1500m swim 40Km bike 10 Km run where he got 11^th with a time of 2:14:17 the event being won by Jimmy Creswell in 2:08:54 next Wolverhampton Triathlon 24th August 1500m swim 40Km bike 10 Km run where he improved to 9^th in 2-04-07 winner once again was Jimmy Creswell this time in 1:59:17. with numbers of entrants over 150 taking part Richards 9^th and 11^th placings really are excellent results.

Till next week all the best.