Club Notes 5th August 2007

Now that the Legbreaker Challenge, Leeks CC’s 130k Sportive, which is getting a well earned reputation as one of the toughest on the calendar, is done and dusted and hopefully a report has popped up in the previous weeks issues during my absence. And I would just like to add my congratulations to all those who took part.

This does put us on a bit of a back log with the results so we will start with a recap of the club 5 that took place once again on the windswept moors, or the Mermaid pool (or as its actual named Blakemere). The conditions were somewhat less hospitable than last years and there was a drop in numbers with just ten taking part. However times were close to last years with Duncan Poole recording an almost identical time, as did Dave Cope yours truly dropped 9 seconds but with the absence of this years club 10 champion Gavin Pringle, and with Phil Gayes climbing mountains abroad I managed to retain the title. The final results being: -

Kelvin Milward: 10.15 Leek CC
Richard Walley: 10.29 Leek CC
Dave Cope: 10.51 Unattached
Kieran Meharg: 10.54 Leek CC
Duncan Poole: 11.15 Leek CC
Barry Ryley: 11.21 Macc Wheelers
John Green: 11.59 Leek CC
Phil Jones: 12.04 Macc Wheelers
Ricardo Bergara: 12.21 Unattached
Ruth Goreham: 12.41 Leek CC

I will draw a veil over my abortive attempt at the M & DTTA 50 on the same day suffice to say that you get no points for only covering 40 miles! And move on to the Congleton 25 on the following Tuesday evening and despite good conditions most of Leek riders were residents not actual club members Mark Tilstone and Dave Butterworth joining me in trek around the Chain & Gate course. A second club member Keiran Merharg marshalled whilst resting after the Sportive which explains some of the missing bodies. After Saturdays disappointment I was glad to get round the somewhat lumpy course although could not make any impact on the event winner Macclesfield’s Steve Burke who came past me like I was standing still. The final results were: -

Steve Burke Macc Wh 57:22

Kelvin Milward Leek CC 1:01:11

Mark Tilstone Congleton CC 1:06:44

Andy Malbon Congleton CC 1:08:38

Phil Jones Macc Wh 1:09:45

Peter Hayhurst Congleton CC 1:12:53

Dave Butterworth Congleton CC 1:12:56

Denise Hurst Congleton CC 1:14:03

Steve Sladin Congleton CC 1:14:12

Phil Armitt Unattached 1:14:50

Onto Sunday and it was time to have another attempt at a 50 mile time trial this time the Warrington Road Club open. We fielded two riders ,Duncan Poole riding his first ever '50' joining in the ‘fun’. The sun shone and the wind did its usual cruel trick of somehow managing to be against you more times than behind you despite it being 3 laps of a circuit.

Dunc also had to make an impromptu stop part way round the first lap but carried on to complete the event in a respectable opening time of 2-27-00. I too completed the event albeit dropping out of the top ten overall; down from 8 to 12 my 2-04-27 considerably off the winners pace, Antelope RT’s Glen Longland whose 1-56-48 was almost a minute ahead of his nearest rival. However I was probably as grateful to see the finish as Dunc.

With over a week to rest their legs Leek had a good turn out for the Congleton 10, 4 riders 50% more than the Leek residents, Kieran finishing one place behind Mark Tilstone & Jon behind Dave Butterworth. Ruth climbing off the bottom spot whilst YT continued my slide downwards.

Mark Lovatt Planet X 21:19.

Neil Skellern Congleton CC 21:42

Chris Edmondson Blackburn CTC 22:34

Keith Dutton Glossop RC 22:49

Kelvin Milward Leek CC 22:59

Phil Hutson Lyme RC 23:40

Simon Ward Patterson Training 23:47

Andy Malbon Congleton CC 24:05

Nick Bowden Glossop RC 24:48

Mark Tilstone Congleton CC 24:53

Kieran Meharg Leek CC 25:33

Phil Jones Macc Wh 25:34

Dave Butterworth Congleton CC 26:19

Jon Green Leek CC 26:36

Peter Nelson Congleton CC 27:00

Lee Rylands Glossop RC 27:00

Steve Sladin Congleton CC 27:33

Ruth Goreham Leek CC 28:18

Phil Armitt Unattached 28:30

We will leave the results there and I will catch up the remainder next week, however I have to finish on a sad note

As most readers know Leek as a close relation with Congleton CC so it was a shock to all when one of the stalwarts Graham Mc Cargo died suddenly whilst on a club ride a few weeks ago. Graham doing what he did best, promoting cycling as part of a regular exchange with a Czech party. Always active and prepared to work both behind the scenes and add his voice to support the sport Graham will be sorely missed and our thoughts go out to his family and his Congleton C.C. club mates.