WELLAND VALLEY CYCLING CLUB NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2008
In memoriam - Rosemary Barnett
Rosemary, who sadly passed away on 27th June, was a tireless worker for Welland Valley Cycling Club and was, in recognition of this, a long time life member. She was a proud and greatly loved wife, mother and grandmother. Rosemary loved animals and, in health, was an enthusiastic and accomplished gardener. Her strong Christian faith helped sustain her through her long and often painful illness. She will be greatly missed.
New members
We welcome Tom Williams, Stephen Young and Mark Bosence.
Bruntingthorpe Club Races
Starting on 26th August, the 2008 Club race series will run for the next four Tuesdays but there will be a change to the previous handicap format. This year there will be three separate races, one for slower, less experienced riders, one for medium speed riders and one for the quick guys.
By allowing members to compete with other riders of similar ability it is hoped that each race will be ultra competitive and at the same time avoiding some of the problems where large groups of different ability riders mix together.
The fast group will start first, then the medium speed group a minute or so later followed by the slower guys a minute or so after that. The fast group will need to complete 5 laps, the middle group 4 laps and the slower riders just 3 laps.
After the first week any riders who are clearly in the wrong group will be promoted or demoted as appropriate in best interests of fair competition.
As in previous years, for insurance reasons the event is only available to First Claim members. Entries on the line at £3.50. Races will start at 7pm approx.
Performance
Training partners Phil Rayner and Colin Griffiths have dominated their age categories in LVRC road races this year and it was fitting that they should both win their categories in the Fleche Waltonne road race at Husbands Bosworth last Sunday. While Phil has targeted road racing as his priority this year, Colin’s main target has been time trialling. Colin is riding high in the national Rudy Project Masters series and has ridden a sub 53 minute personal best for 25 miles.
Mike Reay is racing more sparingly this year but when he has raced he’s really made it count, recording better times over 10 and 25 miles than for several years. Unfortunately he blew his chances of track success this year through an injudicious burst of civil engineering in his back garden on the days leading up to the championships. This surely supports my long time view that DIY should be made illegal.
Ian and Claire Waterfield have both posted personal bests, Ian with 57.26 for a ‘25’ and Claire with 26.29 for a ‘10’. Claire chose the Timpson Cup race on the Lubenham – Magna Park course for her first ‘25’, a brave choice as it’s a hard course and it was a windy day. She should be greatly encouraged by her time of 1.15.15. The honours in that though really go to Roger Martin, winning his first club trophy with a time, on handicap, of 58.01.
Kristian Morris has had a great season of mountain biking, dominating the Junior category in the Friday Night Mountain bike series. He, along with Graham Atkins, have been regularly been scoring points in the Tuesday night Mallory Park circuit races. Just to prove that unlike bats, he doesn’t just fly around in the evenings, Kristian put in a plucky performance in the Duncan Murray morning road race, breaking clear of the main field on the last lap, only to be reeled in by the bunch on the last hill, a bunch which, wouldn’t you know, contained the indefatigable Vic Barnett. Vic, needless to say won his age group National Mountain Bike Championship but the rising start on the veteran mountain biking scene is Keith Sperry. Keith took second place in the veterans section of the three race Midlands Mountain Bike Series and has been placing highly in the National Mountain Bike series. When I first joined Welland Valley, twenty two years ago, in pre-tribars days,
Gavin Hinxman was a top class junior rider and his main aim in his first year as a veteran, is to beat the times he set then. He’s getting down to just a few seconds short of his best in both ‘10’s and ‘25’s. I’m sure we all wish Gavin warm, calm Saturdays and endless streams of coaches and articulated lorries for the rest of the season.
It was great to see Katie Simons put in a powerful performance to gain fourteenth place, just 21 seconds behind the winner in the Duncan Murray Wines Women’s Road Race, this a counting race in the National Women’s series.
David Clarke, who last weekend gained a personal best of 54.43 for a ‘25’ is being pushed hard in club events by Iain Hazell. Iain and Adrian Killworth have ridden their maiden 50 mile time trials this season, Ian completing in 2hrs 08 and Adrian in 2hrs 17.
Congratulations to Peter Watson, Matt Plews and David Clarke on their first class performance in the National Team time trial championship – their time of 58.51 for 26.3 miles gained them 17th place. It was certainly one in the eye for me – I imagined that their different cycling experiences would make them quite incompatible as a ‘three up’ team and predicted disaster. I was delighted to be proved wrong.
I don’t see why the club shouldn’t bask in the reflected glory from George Atkins, riding for Planet X –Pearl Izumi, but still second claim to Welland Valley, in his wonderful performances in gaining 9th place in the National Criterium Championship and 6th place in the National Junior Road Race Championship. Well done George!
And finally, I was proud to be there when Linda Hubbard finally overcame her ‘26 minute’ demons and recorded a 25 minute ‘10’ in a recent club time trial.
Members Commitment Survey
Paul Bramford came up with this strategy to help race organizers find willing helpers for their races and, in the longer term, to find potential race organizers. The strategy has certainly been a great success in identifying helpers. That this was the case was demonstrated particularly on the Duncan Murray/AA Brown race day where Paul Tomlinson and Jill Postlethwaite had very little trouble in finding assistance from club members for what is a massive undertaking. The whole day passed without a hitch and was a great showcase for the quality of the club. Paul and Jill left the event looking as fresh as daisies – though maybe they didn’t feel quite that fresh?
Marshalling rota
As ever the rota has worked well and my thanks to all concerned. Inevitably I’ve had to make quite a few changes from the original rota but members have generally been very good about telling me well in advance when they can’t make their allotted dates and about finding alternatives. I am one or two marshals short for the club championship time trial on September 14th and I so far don’t have any marshals for the rearranged Farndon Hardride on September 28th, both Sunday mornings. If you are around on either of these two dates, especially if you haven’t so far marshalled an event, please give me a ring on 0116 2792756 or e mail me on dave@betula.myzen.co.uk . Please note my new e mail address – let’s hope it keeps away the Viagra adverts.
Track sessions
Trevor Wise is currently trying to organize track sessions at Newport Velodrome on two or three Saturdays or Sundays between November 8th and the start of next season with coaching from BC Senior Coach John Capelin. If you would like to go to a track session (track bikes for hire at the velodrome) please give Trevor dates that you could make between November and March as soon as possible so that he can make the necessary bookings. Trevor’s e mail is trevor.wise@tiscali.co.uk and his phone no. is 01572 822709.
Coaching bits
Dean Barnett is leading weekly off-road coaching sessions commencing on Tuesday 23rd September at 7pm. The sessions are based at the rear of the Market Harborough Leisure Centre.
Dean and the 15 riders who attended last year will attest that it’s fun and free, beats sitting on a turbo trainer and you may learn how to corner!
If you would like an individual training plan to help you prepare for next season please contact Trevor Wise, Fred Musket or me. We are all BC qualified coaches and we really need to get the programme underway by the end of October so please contact one of us by the end of September. Fred’s e mail is fred.musket@virgin.net and his phone no. is 07905 278987.
I’m longing to wax lyrical about my SRM cranks but I’ll spare you that (till the next newsletter perhaps) – I don’t want to be even more of an SRM bore than I am already.
Annual General Meeting
The club’s annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday October 28th at Market Harborough Conservative Club. Please make the effort to come along and participate in this most important event in the club calendar. Paul Bramford wishes it to be known that he intends to stand down as club secretary. He has done a wonderful job but feels, quite understandably, that it’s time for a change. If you think you might be interested in this job but don’t know what it entails, please have a word with Paul, George Barnett or me about it.
Cyclocross Races
On Sunday October 26th George Barnett is organising cyclocross races at Misterton near Lutterworth and on the following Sunday, November 2nd , Welland Valley and Rugby Velo CCs are organising the Midland Area Cyclocross championships at Husbands Bosworth. If you could help with either of these events please contact either George on 01455 55431, e mail gbarnett37@hotmail.com or Nick Barnett on 01455251255, e mail coltsclose@aol.com .
Dave Birch