A strong Lewes team headed out to Hampshire to compete in the Charlotteville 50 mile time trial based around Bentley. The course is reputed to be one of the fastest circuits in the South of England and the prospect of this attracted a quality field of 120 riders. Unfortunately the profile and road surfaces are only two constituent factors in the fast speed equation, the crucial third part, the weather, conspired against the riders, with a stiff wind precluding lightning fast times.
Lewes top gun Nick Dwyer set off strongly and many thought he would fade over the latter part of the course, but Nick battled on superbly against the headwind to gain a fabulous victory in a time of 1:50:29, a wonderful achievement in the conditions. The ebullient Rob Pelham has definitely rediscovered his old sparkle and had a brilliant ride finishing in an impressive fifth place in a time of 1:52:40. Duncan Fuller battled around the course to finish bravely in a time of 2:04:03 despite suffering with severe pain in the feet. Duncan teamed up with Rob and Nick to pull off a great team victory. Mark Frost completed the Lewes rides with an impressive 2:05:00 time.
The remaining racers on the day headed out to Broadbridge Heath to compete in the Norwood Paragon 25 mile event. Due to roadworks, the original fast course has been substituted with a tough hilly circuit, which is considerably slower than the original. A nagging crosswind hindered progress, and most riders agreed that it was a slow day to race. Brighton Excelsior’s Steve Kane was first man home in 55:08,with Lewes powerhouse Tom Glandfield coming home in seventh position in a time of 57:23. Other Lewes times were Mark Patton 59:35, Dom Lowden 1:01:08, Alan Lloyd 1:03:05 and Stephen Gaston 1:06:28.
The Lewes evening ten series kicked off last Tuesday in glorious weather, and the welcome sight of the sun coupled with a vastly improved road surface combined in equal measures to ensure fast times were set on the night. Tom Glandfield set the scene with a 21:36. If you are interested in riding a time trial, a club evening ten is the ideal testing ground where riders can ride on a “come and try it basis”. All you need is a bike (any bike will do) and a helmet (compulsory). Riders need to sign on at East Hoathly Sports ground on a Monday night (excluding Bank Holidays) from 6:00 pm. Please note that in the early rounds the field is limited to thirty riders due to light considerations, so to guarantee a ride it is advisable to sign on as early as possible.
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