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Congratulations to Mr Halden on completing the National hour Championship, and I must thank him for his piece in last week’s paper a sterling effort that proves that these 24-hour riders are made of strong stuff.

For my part on Monday I was still feeling the effects of just staying up through Saturday and Sunday, likewise my long suffering girlfriend Pat who kept me company reported it took her till Tuesday to get over our night out, so for Graham to compile and submit his report having actually ridden for 24 hours is amazing. Another demonstration of the how tough these riders are was evident on Tuesday in the latest round of the Congleton evening time trial series when Karl Austin rode despite also taking part in 24, where he came 9^th! And to think yours truly was worried about getting round the event after realising that there was still a 25-mile time trial left to do and I had been suffering in the 10’s. But suitably inspired by Karl’s, Grahams and the rest of the competitors in the 24 (to see riders getting out of the saddle and sprinting out of corners after 15 hours of riding is humbling) I put a bit of elbow grease and although falling well short of the magic hour my 1-00-29 was good enough for 1^st place although Karl’s 1-01-40 for 2^nd out of the 11 riders was for me far more impressive.

Karl also featured in the previous weeks event, which was just a 10. Leek Cyclists’ Club / Den Engel’s Bar fielded 3 of the 12 riders Kevin Pickford, Mark Poyser and YT. 5 minutes before the start hopes were high for a repeat of the times recorded in the prior round as the evening was still and warm however as the first rider approached the line the weather did a U-turn and all hell let loose and it was back to fighting the bike just to keep it in a straight line. Unsurprisingly Karl fought his way through the best, but was chased closely by Mark Poyer with times of 23-10 to 23-28. I was next in but considerably off the pace at 24-24. Like me Kev Pickford also found the conditions not to his liking dropping from his previous 27-58 to 29-23. With just two rounds left and one of those on the infamous Bermuda Triangle circuit the likelihood of dropping on another float night and finishing the season on a high note is looking doubtful.

Finally a timely reminder and open invite to cyclists’ for the club Birthday ride this Sunday the 8^th of August, meeting at Den Engel’s 9.30am for a 10.00am ride to celebrate the 128th Birthday of the Leek Cyclists' Club. Rides will suitable for all levels of experience so there is no need to worry about being left behind! Routes will be around the Moorlands before returning to the Club HQ for refreshments. (Please Note that a responsible adult must accompany young person under the age of 16.)