Club 25 - Sat 6th Sep 2008

Club 25, Guilden Morden - Saturday 6th Sep 2008

Nobody could bridge the gap behind the winner of North Road Cycling Club’s final Club 25 race of the season. Mike Bridge triumphed by almost two minutes over his nearest rival Dave Candy in the two-lap 25 mile event at Guilden Morden – and was well ahead of the remaining 11 club members and two guest riders competing for the top spot in very windy conditions. Mike finished the race in 1:01:28, while Dave came home in 1:03:22, followed by Alan Harvey in third spot, completing the two laps in a total time of 1:07:41. Adam Spector won the handicapp. Steve Blackwell didn’t finish the race after a nasty crash on the turn by Wimpole Lodge, resulting in cuts and bruises and Leigh Harvey pulled out of the race to help.

From Graham Thompson

Commentary from the Timekeeper who rode out from Stevenage to Guilden Morden and such was the strength of the wind found that he was clocking 25 mph on the flat without turning the pedals.   
He was surprised to have fifteen hardy souls signing the start sheet and got the event started at 2.15 from the top of the hill south of the Wrestlingworth crossroads.   
This is a good vantage point to view the weather sweeping in from the south but the rain clouds swung away to Royston and Cambridge to the east. The timekeeper was kept busy finding the half way point and recording the half way and finish times.
The weather made some of the times look distinctly old fashioned, but there were good rides by Mike Bridge and Dave Candy, their all round fitness as triathletes standing them in good stead.   
Alan Harvey gave a true super veteran's performance, and Jennifer Hill in her first 25 was narrowly pipped by her husband, Adam, in the handicap stakes.   
Kate Stanbridge in her first time trial discovered that cycling is just as hard as her chosen sport of running and Daemon Pink, a regular at the evening 10s, is considering joining the North Road.    
Names to be noted for assisting in putting the show on the road were Harvey, Kennedy, Lovett, Thompson, Glithero and Metheringham and Geoff Oliver at the start. The timekeeper was driven home to avoid a long struggle into the wind from the south!  

.	1st lap	2nd lap	Time	H'Cap allce	H'cap time	Vets std	Vets +/-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mike Bridge	30:16	31:13	1:01:29	scr	1:01:29	-	-
Dave Candy	31:13	32:09	1:03:22	scr	1:03:22	1:07:30	+4:08
Alan Harvey	33:20	34:21	1:07:41	5:00	1:02:41	1:18:20	+10.39
Dave Kiely	34:04	34:28	1:08:32	8:00	1:00:32	1:07:30	+1.02
Nick Ison	33:57	35:15	1:09:12	7:00	1:02:12	1:09:02	-0.10
Jim Ewers	34:03	35:16	1:09:19	8:00	1:01:19	1:13:49	4:30
Adam Spector	34:30	34:41	1:09:11	11:00	0:58:11	1:11:39	+1.28
Chris Glithero	35:20	37:17	1:12:37	7:00	1:05:37	1:14:55	+2.18
Nick Hunton	36:00	38:03	1:14:03	12:00	1:02:03	1:06:30	-7.33
Bruce Metheringham	36:51	37:16	1:14:07	5:00	1:09:07	1:07:00	-7.07
Jennifer Hill	38:40	40:47	1:19:27	20:00	0:59:27	1:14:55	-4.32
.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Steve Blackwell	DNF	Crashed at turn from Wendy onto main road at Wimpole Lodge
.	.	result - cuts and bruises			.	.	.
Leigh Harvey	DNF	Leigh Harvey stopped to give help when going well
.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Guest Riders	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Daemon Pink	36:40	40:08	1:16:48	-	-	1:08:31	-8.17
Kate Stanbridge	42:49	.	.	.	.	.	.