Press Release 17th March - Alan Lloyd

The late arrival of spring was highlighted by daffodils forlornly poking wilted heads through snowdrifts as a bleak backdrop to the ESCA 15.6 mile “Hardriders “ event, splendidly organised by Eastbourne Rovers Peter Moon.

The technical hilly course pushes riders to their limits with its heady mixture of lung bursting climbs interlaced with twisty technical hair-raising downhill sections.

After a fast start riders reach the five-mile point with a mixture of fear and apprehension as they near the first tough climb of the day up the cruelly, but appropriately named “Agony Hill”.

What follows in a tortuous grovel up to Woods Corner; hereafter the agony of climbing is replaced by more toil as riders inch their way up some deceptively tough inclines to Three Cups corner before heading towards Rushlake Green.  After this section riders are rewarded for their investment of pain as they push on at incredible speeds over the final stretch to reach the welcome sanctuary of the finishing line, all but spent from the severe examination that the course has inflicted.

Lewes Wanderers had a strong contingent of eighteen riders on the eighty rider start sheet, though they knew it would be a tough battle for honours in the face of the strong In Gear Team and the fast improving Eastbourne squad.  Top Lewes man on the day was Pete Morris whose fast time of 37:41earned him second spot overall. Pete also finished second in the hill prime recording a rapid 2:52 to cover the timed section of the climb up Agony Hill.  Tom Glandfield had a splendid outing to cross the line in a time of 39:02.  Other Wanderers times were Rob Pelham 40:23, the fast improving Neil Midgley 41:44, Callum Middleton 44:18, Michael Valks 44:23, Michael Turner 44:57, Peter Baker 46:00, Richard Frost 46:49, Charlie Middleton 48:46, David Beale 49:49 (a time fast enough to win the over sixty five age category), John Mankelow 50:07, Doug Gardner 51:45, and a game Simon Yates 1:06:04.

In-Gear’s Pete Tadros, who broke his own course record, won the event with an incredible time of 35:40.

On a wet muddy Saturday two Lewes teams each consisting of five riders entered a fun Charity ride in aid of Cystic Fibrosis organised by the Wanderers Clint Allen.

A hard fought second place was earned by one of the two teams over the twenty-mile off-road ride which started at Ditchling Beacon, followed the South Downs Way over Black Cap, Kingston and Firle, to finish in Seaford.  Nineteen teams of five or more riders completed the course, rising in excess of £2,000 for this very worthy cause.

Press Release 10th March - By Alan Lloyd

A bitingly sharp North Easterly wind cut through gossamer skin suits as members of the Lewes Wanderers Cycling Club lined up, somewhat like reluctant schoolboys, to start the first club time trail of the season.  The eagerly anticipated event “The Circuit of Laughton” was splendidly organised by Martyn Crawford and his team of helpers.  The course is a relatively flat one based at Laughton.  After the push off riders had a short blast up Shortgate Lane to turn left and head down The Broyle.  Competitors were grateful for the following wind as it pushed them on at breakneck speeds over 30mph as they approached Kennel Corner. The turn back up to Laughton was into a nagging headwind to be followed by the climb up Shortgate Hill, before a painful last lap saw them cross the finishing line, all but spent, after thirty minutes or so of eyeball popping effort.

In what  proved to be a superbly fought contest, Tom Glandfield won the event with a magnificent time of 28:05, with Nick Dwyer hard on his heels a  mere two seconds behind, which also earned Nick the Second Vet Award.  Peter Morris, fighting against the after effects of what is sometimes uncharitably labelled “Man Flu” did well to  grab the third podium spot  in a time of 28:44.

First Vet on the day went to Bob Evans whose fast time of 31:54 saw him also claim first on handicap. Second handicap went to Yuriy Tymchenco in a time of 30:37, with the third handicap going to the fast improving Martin Komen whose time of 32:49 was an astounding four minutes better than his previous years’ time.  The last winner of the day was your correspondent, who finished third Vet in a time of 31:22.

It was encouraging to see so many riders obliterating their PBs in blustery conditions not suited to fast times, and puts down some very encouraging markers for individual and team performances for the season ahead.

This Sunday sees the opening East Sussex Cycling Association (ESCA) Hardriders time trial, which has attracted a strong field of eighty, seventeen of whom are Lewes members.  The 15.6 mile super tough course is based at Bodle Street Green with the first rider starting at 10am.  It promises to be a hard fought contest and the Wanderers are going flat out to win the coveted team trophy in this prestigious event.

Club Run to ESCA Hardriders, Bodle Street Green

Club Run to ESCA Hardriders, Bodle Street Green

Sunday 17th March by Paget Cohen

Rain and strong winds were forecast, but I was desperate to get out after 3 weeks laid low with a cold and we weren't likely to be venturing far from Heathfield should I need to excuse myself.  Arriving first at Boots and not wanting to stand around getting cold for any longer than necessary I treated myself to a quick Tour d'Etat Industriele.  By the time I'd finished mon petit boucle Stuart K and Alan L had appeared.  With my new Giant not fitted with mudguards I thought it only fair to stick with the Marin, not that I expected to be on the front much;  unlike Mark L, now devoted to Trekking whatever the weather and fully kitted in sparkling white Wanderers gear having dropped 2 sizes to do so.  Ian McG made 5 and off we went in pursuit of Graham Jeffs and Richard Meed who had just breezed past.  Having caught them by Easons Green we went our separate ways at the end of Laundry Lane, the main bunch turning left.

Alan and I seemed to be struggling a little or maybe it was just Mark revelling in his lack of weight, even if he had gained a back splattered with mud by the time we reached Horam.  Entering Vines Cross Alan and I breathed a sigh of relief when Ian signalled right, away from the scene of our synchronised sliding exactly one month ago.  On through Cowbeech, Trolliloes and down some decidedly messy lanes still sporting show drifts either side we reached Bodle Street Green shortly after the first Hardrider departed.  We Lardriders, however, were still en route to the prime point by the church just South of Ponts Green.  To do so we first had to navigate Prinkle Lane (complete with sign warning "Hole in Road - the council are looking into it") and Bray's Hill (where, as ever, progress was compromised by what little traffic there was).  The splendidly named Brownbread Street had it's own potholes, but no warning signs.

Mick Kilby was ably manning his post and noting the prime times while we hung around to cheer the competitors fast or slow, Wanderers or otherwise.  By the time Dave Beale had gone through, we were getting cold and hungry, so with no Wanderers due for a while we set off just as Graham and Richard arrived to take our places.  Eschewing the even hillier alternatives we retraced our tyre tracks back to the Village Hall.  For once we weren't behind a crowd of club-mates at the tea stop - only Tom Glandfield getting changed after his storming sub-40 ride, but a steady stream in white, green & gold rolled up to join us.  From Bodle Street Green it's barely 7 (uphill) miles to home, but I was feeling surprisingly good and so far the rain had ignored the forecast - oh well!

The 4 of us left Alan chewing the fat (well cake) and followed the event course down to Windmill Hill, but forking right towards Herstmonceux then Flowers Green.  For the first time in months the road onto the levels wasn't under water, but the road off was, by the time we got there.  By the time we reached Hailsham my feet were wet and the carrot cake long forgotten.  I was going to head straight home now anyway, but whether taking pity on me or not, Ian McG piloted the group to Horsebridge then, to my surprise, turned right up the A267 towards Horam where we splashed through the puddles amid the smug car drivers cocooned in their warm dry environs.  Having dragged me to within walking distance of home the guys said farewell at the May Garland and I undertook the solo crawl back up to Heathfield.  A welcome 50 miles even if I did nod off during the Grand Prix.

Race report - Ciclos Uno Spring Road Race 17 March

A short report on the above to give a flavour of what an LVRC (League of Veteran Racing Cyclists) race is like.

The weather forecast for this Sunday was not encouraging – rain, fairly cold plus a brisk wind. Despite this, around one hundred riders turned up for the races to be run on the Blackmore circuit near Brentwood, Essex. Two races were on offer, both organized by the LVRC, the first for riders age 40-55, the second, for the very old geezers – 55 and over. In each race riders also compete within their own age category – so, for example in the 55 and over race, there would be Category D, E, F and G riders, representing age groups 55-59, 60-64 and so on. Each race had around 50-60 starters and I was in the second race competing in Category F – 65-69.

The course was undulating, no real hills, but with open roads, narrow twisting lanes and, initially at least, a large bunch, the course demanded your full attention at all times. In addition, the wet roads and mud generated many punctures and generous servings of ‘Belgian Toothpaste’. I rode this course in the pouring rain last ‘summer’ in the LVRC Regional Championships, only to puncture in the last 10k, so this year I elected to ride heavy wheels and tyres. The distance was just less than 50 miles – five laps of the circuit - and, as usual, the first 10 or 15 miles were hectic as riders settled into the race and several escape attempts were pulled back. Given the tight nature of the circuit and the large bunch, it was almost impossible to eat or drink during the early part of the race since staying upright and maintaining a good position in the bunch required100% concentration.

By around half distance the bunch had been whittled down considerably and two riders had managed to slip off the front, to be joined by a third who had slipped away as the whole bunch was stopped for a few moments by a horse out of control. These three increased their lead over the bunch to around 90 seconds, which they maintained until the finish. The bunch showed no signs of wanting to pull them back, mainly because the escapees were D cat riders, and so the other cats were not too bothered about letting them go. So, for the bunch, a fast last lap leading to a sprint of the remaining 15 or 20 riders, down a narrow lane in the wet. No crashes, fortunately although I was certainly very cautious here. I managed to finish in the bunch, probably around 7^th or 8^th in the sprint and perhaps 4^th or 5^th in my category overall – I left early so did not get the final classification.

The standard of these races is high, as is the quality of bike handling and race craft, as you would expect from experienced riders. At least two of the people in my race are ex-pro riders, and many have performed at the highest amateur level for many years, and thus bunch riding feels much safer than in, for example, BC Cat 4 races where enthusiasm and fitness are no substitute for experience.

LVRC racing is cheap, safe, friendly and fun. There are regular races at Hog Hill and Gravesend Cyclopark (just turn up and ride) plus longer events around the country. I will riding many of these events this year, so if any other Wanderers want a lift to a race, let me know. Go to www.lvrc.org for more info.

Bob Evans

Cystic Fibrosis Charity MTB Ride - Paul Gibbons

Charity Ride for Cystic Fibrosis

Leaving the warmth of the Burgess house wasn’t too bad due to the mild temps outside, but the legs weren’t feeling too great. I’ve been riding to work recently and I think it’s taking it’s toll on me-Wednesday saw an excursion into the undergrowth at high speed, resulting in one rather swollen knee as well-not good preparation for the ride. Anyway, CC and me left, Steve deciding to get a lift to the start. He warned us about the mud up past the racecourse, so we avoided that, but it didn’t stop my chain from jumping off. My chain did this a further two more times, so I thought I’d better tighten it up. Time was ticking away, I was already on the limit and thinking about giving up before I’d started-oh dear!

Scraping into Ditchling with a few minutes to spare, I was all in. Mark B handed me a goody bag comprising of a banana, a piece of flapjack and a back of beef jerky-insert your own jokes as we did! 11 o’clock came and we set off at a blistering pace set by Mark W. It felt easier going this way-maybe we had a tale wind? I felt a bit better, progress was good albeit all downhill for a few miles. We crossed the A27 and started the assault up above Kingston-this sorted the men out from the boys, but we needed to stay together as a team and regrouped at the top. Barrelling down the concrete road was high speed; getting across the two fields of cows was another matter. With the stickiest mud I’ve seen for along time, it ground everyone to a halt, apart from CC, who only just cleared it!

A quick nosh at the top saw Mark B trying the beef, which he claimed was good. At this point the eventual winners caught us, and we rode with them for the rest of the ride. Itford Hill was its usual self-brutal-I was glad to be on gears today! Once over the top, we cruised along to Firle and on up to the beacon. I was on a roll now, feeling good and ready for the run in to Seaford. We got to Bo Peep and turned right, catching loads of the other teams, including the Wanderers A team. I hit the front with Mark W and Steve, along with the other fast group and the fun began. Steve started to wind it up and got overtaken by the enemy, so I joined in-Mark said there was a lot of carnage behind me!

Popping out onto the road was a bit of an anti-climax, but meant we were nearly at the finish. Upon arrival, we were told we were one of the fastest groups, which was good, eventually having to make do with second place. Overall it had been a great ride, the weather had been kind and we worked well as a team, vowing to come back next year for top honours.

With the medal ceremony over, we all went our separate ways. I rode back home with a spent CC again, which probably saved me from blowing up! Once at home, I had a quick cuppa with the wife, washed the worst of the mud off of the mountain bike, got the road bike out and rode to Lewes to pick the Landrover up-it felt good at the time!  

Press release 3rd March - Alan Lloyd

Last Sunday saw four hardy members of the Lewes Wanderers racing squad dipped their toes into very cold water by entering the aptly named Sussex CA 22.8 Hardriders event.  The course is testing in the extreme and it was certainly a brutish introduction to the time trialling season.

The ride starts with a stiff climb up to Handcross which had heart beat monitors bleating plaintively for respite, followed by a hair raising descent towards Lower Beeding, testing technical ability and nerve in equal measure.

After turning at Cowfold the ride starts to ramp up with testing climbs to Ansty and on through the village of Cuckfield to be followed by relentless climbs to return to Handcross.

The Wanderers all put in good performances, with the powerful Tom Glandfield recording a fast time of 1:00:14 to place him well up the leader board.  Neil Midgley had a fine ride and his time of 1:02:59 suggests that his intensive winter training programme has been time well spent.  Dominic Lowden showed early season form with a time of 1:04:34 with Micky Turner putting in a solid performance to cross the line in 1:07:14.  The event was won by Conall Yates of the In-Gear team in a stunning time of 53:45.

This Sunday sees the opening salvo in the club’s long season of time trials.  The Circuit of Laughton is the traditional opener for the Wanderers and a keenly fought contest is anticipated.  The 12.46mile events are based at Laughton, with the first rider setting off at 9:00am.  Riders from other East Sussex CA clubs can enter on the line.

Press Release 24th Feb - Alan Lloyd

Lewes Wanderers Cycling Club entered a team of four riders in the London /South Cross Team Championship held at the Great Wallington School Haywards Heath.  The flooded and muddy course tested both rider and machine to the limits as competitors battled against Somme like mud forcing competitors to dismount and run with their bikes for sections of the course.  Cyclo-cross is a demanding discipline of cycling, which requires strength, stamina and bike handling skills to compete at the top level.  Lewes star, Mark Winton commented on how easy the elite performers made the course seem, gliding effortless over the quagmire, with the majority of field in their wake struggling to keep upright to avoid an unwelcome mud bath.

The Lewes squad performed admirably finishing a very commendable 19th team overall.  Individual placing were Mark Winton 22nd, Stephen Burgess 60th, Nick Smith 80th and a game Doug Gardner who finished in a mud splattered 102nd spot.

With spring approaching the time triallists in the club are dusting down their machines in anticipation of the long TT season ahead.  Last Sunday Eastbourne Rovers hosted a 25 event starting at East Hoathly.  One brave Wanderer, James Ryan, started the event but James reported that with temperatures hovering around zero he found the going too tough and was forced, in his own words “to shiver to a hypothermic halt barely half way around the course”

Next week, five Wanderers kick off their season in earnest and compete in the tough SCA Hardriders event.  It is somewhat perverse that the time trialling season kicks off with tough hilly events, precisely at the point in the season where the riders are least prepared for such a baptism of fire.