Wheelers making big impressions
A BUSY week for the Wheelers had a number of standout performances.
The ride of the week was that by Ant Allan who won the second round of the North Wales Road Race Series at Denbigh in a sprint from a leading group of four, after good teamwork by Ben Trotter (who came sixth) and Chris Quin ensured that the break stayed away.
The previous Tuesday had seen both Quin and Allan in the winning break in the latest round of the Dave Astles RR series at Lower Withington, with Quin taking second place and Allan sixth.
Not to be outdone, and demonstrating the strength of women’s road racing, Sarah Lewis took third place in only her second event in the Beeston RC promotion at a very wet Nottingham University.
Lewis was in a break of four that stayed away for much of the race and just lost out to more experienced riders in the finishing sprint.
Veteran roadmen Mick O’Connor and David Higham rode the Steve Gutteridge Memorial Race at Saighton near Chester.
Having both come back from 10 days in Mallorca, they had difficulty acclimatising to spring in the UK, but O’Connor still managed to take the bunch sprint for fifth place overall with Higham three places further back.
Mike Knudsen has been getting some good results on both road and track this season and on Sunday tackled the Fred Whitton Challenge.
This is generally regarded as one of the toughest noncompetitive events in the calendar, taking in the climbs of the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes in its 112 miles.
Conditions this year were wet, cold and windy and Knudsen completed the event in 6 hours and 33 mins to secure Elite status and be the eight fastest finisher over the age of 40.
The latest round of the season-long Wheelers 10-mile Time Trial Championship was held in very wet and windy conditions on Wednesday and veteran Roger Wrenn came out on top with a time of 26.05 beating Rob Maxwell and Paul Fenton into second and third places (respectively).
That result gives Paul Fenton the lead in the Handicap competition from Laura Maguire and Elliot Sleath. In the Scratch competition, Roger Wrenn leads Mark Halloway and Paul Fenton.
On Saturday, Wrenn competed in his 25 mile time trial of the year, the Bill Spencer Memorial promoted by South Pennine Road Club at Etwall.
Despite the fierce headwind on the longer outward leg, and being delayed at a Pelican Crossing, Wrenn finished with 59.12 and won the Veterans Category.
Also on Saturday, Andy Jackson competed in his first 50 mile time trial for 25 years and finished with a time of 2.24.28