Memorial Trophy 25 Result - Sat May 21st 2011

North Road Cycling Club held the Memorial Trophy 25 time trial, Event 5 of the North London Millennium Trophy on the Guilden Morden circuit taking in Guilden Morden, Shingay cum Wendy, Tadlow and the cross roads at Wrestlingworth.

On a fine, but breezy afternoon making it tough on the stretch from Wendy to Wrestlingworth/Guilden Morden crossroads 80 plus riders took part.

Luke Clarke (Team Milton Keynes) returned after his two wins in 2009 and 2010 to try for a hat trick. He succeeded finishing with a time of 54:55 and broke his own event record. He beat his brother, Ross, runner up last year, by 14 seconds. Third place went to Dave Dent (Wightlink/Offshore RT (Wightlink/BAE Systems), crossing the finishing line in 55:45, also taking the first veteran prize. Fourth prize went to the Clarke’s teammate Simon Canning with a time of 56:45. The three riders of Team Milton Keynes took the first team of three.

NORTH ROAD HANDICAP

The fastest lady was Welwyn Wheelers CC rider Claire Newland with a time of 58:30. Second Veteran, Simon Cannings, 56:45; First Veteran on Target: Roger Queen, –13:59; Second Veteran on target, Steve Clarke.

There were some good performances from the 16 North Road riders with Steve Sexton being the first North Roader home with a time of 59:00. Steve was followed by Tony May, crossing the finishing line in 59:13. A good performance from new member Mark Schmude finishing dead on the hour. They were followed by Tim Brown, 1:00:31, Gavin Lewis, 1:00:42; John McDowall, 1:01:02; Ian Turner, 1:01:26; Steve James, 1:01:29, riding his personal best; Dave Kiely, 1:02:26; Steve Blackwell, 1:04:50; also riding his first memorial trophy Matthew Crees, 1:06:33, Adam Spector, 1:06:35; John Rumbold was also riding his first trophy ride, 1:10:05; Nick Hunton, 1:14:14; Jennifer Hill, 1:14:42; and Alex Davies riding his first event with a time of 1:22:15.

The view from the assistant timekeeper’s chair over the plains from the heights of Wrestlingworth gives a fine panorama, but on a very windy afternoon for the modern distance of the Memorial Fifty it was not perhaps appreciated by the 88 riders.

The club event within the open event produced some fine rides. The handicapper planned to bring all the times up to the same level, but Alan Harvey and Jennifer Hill would have none of this. They put themselves well in front, but there were four laggards outside the hour to upset the symmetry of all the handicap times being under the hour.There are those who profess not to understand the science and art of handicapping, but it is simply an opportunity to give all the riders a chance to share in the awards. It takes into account ability, fitness, age, past performances tempered with the knowledge of the handicapper about current form, secret training programmes, aspirations and hopes of the riders. In practice the handicapper cannot win, but in theory he can get all the riders to record the same time. In the real world it never happens, but in Utopia it may happen!

Veteran Standards have been set down in the VTTA Handbook and have remained the same since the beginning of time or so it would seem. I must admit not to understand the reasoning behind the scheme for Target Times: any questions to the old RTTC or the new CTT  please.Graham Thompson

 

 

Results  memorial_trophy_result_sheet_2011