100 days and counting......
April 26th leaves
just 100 days to the Cycling Festival in August to celebrate the 130th
birthday of Leek Cyclists' Club. Plans are now gathering momentum with a
programme of events over the next few weeks to help the club reach it's
target of £13,000 for the Air Ambulance and also raise the profile of
cycling in the moorlands.
Starting with a fund
raising Belgian Beer Tasting on May 7th. at Den Engel. This is not a beer
festival but an opportunity for people to sample some of Belgian's most
famous beers with a professional guide. Numbers are limited and spaces need
to be booked at Den Engel as soon as possible. All money raised from the £10
entry will go to the Air Ambulance fund.
This will be followed
in June with the long awaited return of the World Muffin Eating
Championships and with the world record for three muffins well inside two
minutes, there has already been lots of interest with people training on a
daily basis!
To balance the muffin
training there is now planned ' The Imperial Ride" for those who wish to
mark the 130 years of cycling in Leek with a 130 mile ride. This will be on
July 8th and details can be obtained from the Club's website by contacting
Graham on 01538-372391.
Finally there will be
the Munroe Hospital Balloon Race on July 23rd from the town square. Balloons
will now be on sale for a donation staring at £1.30p. and a significant
prize to be announced for the balloon that goes the farthest.
Throughout this
programme the ongoing collection for the Air Ambulance in Den Engel will be
edging towards it's own target of £1,300. When this is reached, the
proprietor Geoff Turner will ride an original Penny Farthing down Derby
Street as used by the club's founder W.T. Cook in 1876! There will of course
be photo opportunities for others who can sign up at Den Engel where the
Penny Farthing is currently on view.
One of the major
events in August, the 130Km sportive, is now attracting further support to
offset the costs involved and ensure the maximum fund raising possibly.
Another Leek company has donated money and this will be announced in the
next report. This good news is encouraging for the organisers but there is
still a long way to go and the club would welcome any support. large or
small as there remains many promotional opportunities as the next few weeks
will show.
There will be
information and large yellow poster emerging around the town and the club is
mailing information out to over 300 cycling clubs in the UK but for further
details either visit Den Engel or contact Graham on 01538-372391.
Whilst all this
activity is taking place, there are still members out there riding will some
already starting their racing campaign for 2006. Mainly in Cheshire over
what is affectionately know as a sporting course, rather that the the smooth
dual carriageway courses favoured for fast times.
In windy early season
conditions three Leek Cyclists' Club members did battle in the Crewe Clarion
25 mile event on Sat. 15th. First home was Rich Brookes in fine form to
record 57.10 minutes to gain 4th place and only 8 seconds off third. Kelvin
Milward did 1hr.03.32 despite feeling under par but has raced almost every
weekend since the season started in March, so no doubt his efforts will come
good. But on the day it was newcomer
Duncan Poole, who has keenly raced most
weekends with Kelvin, that is creeping ever nearer to breaking that magical
hour with a time of 1hr.09.02.
No doubt a roundup
will be provided by Kelvin in the weeks to come but it looks like Leek is
doing lots early season to let people know about the 130th year.
A reminder about
those weekly intro/ social rides on alternate Monday evenings at 6.45pm from
Den Engel, next on May 1st. Plus watch press for details about building up
to that 130 mile ride.
