Exeter Wheelers last night provided the East Devon Evening Ten number 8, the final ‘counting’ round in the series. This one was moved from it’s normal Wednesday night slot to a Tuesday due to England playing footy this evening in the men’s World Cup.
It was hoped to have run the last event in the series next week Wednesday 22nd of July on a new (& somewhat ‘sporty)’ course nearer Exeter, as an event ‘wrap-up’, but delays with course risk assessment etc have rendered this plan untenable. There will, though, be one further event in the series and it will be the usual Wednesday evening, probably the 5th or the 12th of August. There will be prizes for category winners in the overall league, and bottles of Exeter Brewery ale for many others. We hope to be able to secure the use of a small hall in Honiton as race HQ. We will post all the details up when we know what is what.
Back to last night 14th of July – A favourable easterly wind helped the 17 riders towards good times, and another pleasing aspect was the number of time trial debutants putting a number on their back and getting stuck in to the business of giving your all on the pedals for ten glorious Devon miles.
Speediest on the night, he’s certainly in good form this season, was Exeter Wheeler James Greenaway on a time trial machine. James was a good half minute up on 2nd placed Stu Pollard, also EWCC, after the first turn, and although the latter had a strong last leg on his steel-framed bike (red and shiny, v. nice) James won by 44 seconds; 22:28 v 23:12.
Stu Pollard, however, does have the satisfaction of winning the overall league title.
Third place, and another red shiny bike (a carbon Red Chilli) was Jimmy Richards, in his last season as a senior – next season he joins the ranks of the v40’s. Jimmy would like to have been riding his time trial machine, but that was wrecked by a culpable motorist in the Four Firs earlier in the year. Jimmy rode a 23:22, ten seconds behind Stu Pollard and ten seconds ahead of fourth placed Billy Strickland-Boundy.
25 year-old Billy was riding his first ever time trial, so his 23:32 on the demanding and not fast Honiton Club Course is an impressive debut. Billy has also entered the Dawlish criterium race – in at the deep end ! . . . . and a deep end with piranhas and crocodiles I’d say. Billy would’ve perhaps got third last night if he hasn’t over-anticipated the first turn by 100 metres and done a loop around the brick cross junction ahead of the correct turn. oops. Billy said afterwards of his first ‘ten’ – “BRILLIANT ! FANTASTIC !”
EWCC’s Rob Simmonds went better than last week, his 23:51 giving him 5th spot. Chuffy Rob will be off to the National 24 Hour TT Championships end of next week, one of two EWCC members doing so.
Sixth placed Shane Kingsland was also making his debut, and got round in 24:02. I believe it was Shane who said afterwards “It was great fun, amazing, really good . . . . though it did make me feel a bit sick . . . “
John Baker kept up his run of getting round comfortably under evens, on 28:32, as indeed did all four of the V60 riders – David Hall in his first TT for two years on 27:59, David Gray on 28:27 and David Fleming on 28:43.
Top-placed and indeed the only female competitor was Denise Burrows of Aerocoach with a time of 26 minutes and 10 seconds for the ten miles.
It was a good night, and the club would like to thank Mike Rose, Ken Evans, Ann Owens, Pete Bishop, Phil Harris, and James Atkinson for running the whole thing.
Here are the full results from last night 14th of July, and the final table: