Last week’s Open Ten Mile Time Trial saw many course-bests from riders thanks to the favourable wind direction. This week, however, it was back to contending with the usual westcountry westerlies.
Amusingly, of the ten competing riders no-one wanted to go off first, so there was no number 1 – first rider off was thus no. 2, Clare Pentecost of the host club CS Dynamo of Exmouth.
Last away was the youngest rider, Lennox Turner, at aged 18, on number 11.
Sadly, it is the case that entries for bike races across the land are somewhat in decline, but we remain hopeful that come better weather and faster conditions will come higher attendances for the ‘ten’ series. On the plus side, we are seeing a some younger riders coming along.
The contestants found their speed much hindered on Wednesday as they battled the strong headwind on the way out to the first turn. Once ‘turned’ then all had a welcome helping hand from the wind, but alas however much all went in search of ‘temps perdu’, lost time can’t ever be regained, no matter how many pre-race madeleine cakes you eat. And yet more time was lost on the final leg as riders stamped hard on pedals to reach the finish line whilst the roadside trees and bushes waved to and fro in the brisk breeze.
Going fastest and winning again was Exeter Wheeler ‘J.G.’ – last week he did so on his TT machine in the Open Ten, this week he rode a road bike and still won. His time was 24:37 so top marks JG. James Salter of the organising club took second spot with 25:03. Completing the lofty podium places was Stuart Pollard, another Exeter Wheeler with 25:30. EWCC’s Escot CX race organiser Jon Hare made one of his occasional outings to the series, and was only a few seconds slower than Stuart on 25:39.
Later, over a pint at the New Fountain Inn in Whimple, Jon said of the event “Bl**dy blowy! Didn’t make for fast times but made it testing! Felt great for the short tailwind leg – getting some PBs along there. It’s a nice little course and the organisers were welcoming”. Jon did complain, however, that organiser David eschewed his offer of £4.85 of loose change as entry, asking instead for the full £Fiver, in note form. Quite right too.
It was, though, a tough night for a TT, all riders having to suffer the indignity of slower times than they would like. However, younger rider Lennox Turner bucked the trend and recorded his best-yet time for the course with 27:13, so he must be doing something right.
Here are the results:
| 1 | James Greenaway | Exeter Whs. CC | M | snr | road | 24:37 |
| 2 | James Salter | Sid Valley CC | M | senior | tt | 25:03 |
| 3 | Stuart Pollard | Exeter Whs. CC | M | v40 | road | 25:30 |
| 4 | Jon Hare | Exeter Whs. CC | M | v40 | road | 25:39 |
| 5 | Harry McMahon | guest | M | senior | road | 26:28 |
| 6 | Lennox Turner | guest | M | senior | road | 27:13 |
| 7 | George Robb | CS Dynamo | M | v50 | road | 27:25 |
| 8 | Simon Brown | CS Dynamo | M | v60 | tt | 27:47 |
| 9 | Pete Bishop | Exeter Whs. CC | M | v60 | road | 28:40 |
| 10 | Clare Pentecost | CS Dynamo | F | v50 | tt | 29:32 |
CS Dynamo Evening Ten Supremo David Hall would like to thank his team of helpers – Paul Martin, Juan Alvarez, Tony Heggadon, Patrick Neal and Ted Low.
Here is a nice picture of CS Dynamo folk out enjoying the sprint sunshine recently one one of their weekly ‘clubs runs’, details of which can be found on their Facebook page.
The writer of this report would like to correct any of those who are thinking, like he once did, that CS Dynamo might share some commonality with similar-sounding entities such as Red Star Belgrade, Dynamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague, and the like. These latter were in fact all eastern European football clubs of the Soviet era, and not cycling clubs, although it is possible that when their Trabants broke down the players of these clubs did ride their bicycles to work. CS Dynamo, on the other hand, hail not from east Europe but from east Devon (Exmouth), and have never been much bothered about footy. They have never won the UEFA cup.
Finally, the ‘Evening Ten League Table’ will be updated on the EWCC website over the next few days – a reminder that prizes will be given for league winners both overall and in the various categories (Road Bike, TT Bike, Youth, Senior, V40, V50, V60, Male, Female etc) at the end of the series.
The next evening ten will be on the 10th of June and will be run by Sid Valley CC.
Full details of the East Devon Evening Tens series can be found here.