The extended Bank Holiday weekend gave several members of the Lewes Wanderers Cycling Club the opportunity to spurn the usual domestic rituals and obligations in favour of bike related diversions.
The action started on the Saturday with the running of the Sussex CA Ten, based around Loxwood. The course is an eclectic mixture of narrow country lanes interspersed with technical twisting sections and hair-raising descents. The sole representative for Lewes was Johan Stegers, competing in one of three events he was to ride over the bank holiday period. Johan clocked a time of 26:56, with the event being won by Chris McNamara in a rapid time of 22:09.
The following day Johan and your correspondent headed west to compete in the Southdown Velo 25 based around Arundel. Normal Bank Holiday weather prevailed, typically blustery and wet. This made conditions extremely testing and resulted with some slow times on the day, with most riders being some three minutes slower than normal. Johan posted a time of 1:06:03, with your correspondent, thanks to an off course excursion, clocking 1:04:14.
Johan had little time to recover before he joined Chris Martin to compete in the SCA 25 mile ride, which retraces the arduous 10 course two and a half times. Chris and Johan had steady rides on this tough course recording times of 1:09:35 and 1:10:34 respectively. The winner was a name that has featured heavily on the honours board this year, namely Steve Kane of Brighton Excelsior who powered around the course in a time of 56:01.
Away from the rigours of time trialling, fifteen or so Wanderers set off from Uckfield on Sunday to ride the club’s annual jolly out to Box Hill near Dorking. After a forty-five mile journey the riders faced the climb up to Box Hill where they broke off for the obligatory tea stop, before setting off for home, via breath-taking vistas, to complete a tiring but memorable eighty-five mile trip.
This Sunday sees the running of the Kent 12 Hour event. Five Wanderers appear on the start sheet including 100-mile master, Rob Pelham. This will be Rob’s first crack at the 12-hour ride and with his racing pedigree looks to be with a good chance of finishing in the top three. The Lewes team will be pulling out all of the stops to retain the Bray shield for the best team of three.
More details of all these rides and other club activities can be found at www.leweswanderers.co.uk
Report from Chris Martin, Chairman, LWCC: It is with huge sadness that I have to report the death of Rose Hill on Wednesday 21st August. Rose was on a cycling holiday near Salisbury with her husband Mick, when she was involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle. Rose was a huge supporter of the Lewes Wanderers over many years and a regular marshal at many of our events. LWCC send their sincere sympathies and condolences to Mick and the family.
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