2005 Archive

28/12/05 Early Season Audax Arthur Vince, a recent recruit to our ranks, is organising the following event in February. It takes in some of the more challenging climbs in our region so heed his warning that low gears are a good idea.

Sunday 5th February 2006 at 9am a 102km Brevet Populaire under Audax UK Regulations. Speed limits 12.5 - 25km/hour: entry limited to 55 riders.
Start and Finish:  Corscombe Village Hall, 10km South of Yeovil, Grid Ref. ST 523051.
The route:Uses mostly quiet country lanes, with only 7km of not very busy “A” roads. The total climb is 1640m. The route goes northward to East Coker, then south to Powerstock (40km, refreshments control). Cerne Abbas (62km, café control) is reached via Eggardon Hill and Cattistock. After Plush, Folly and Mappowder the return is via Batcombe Hill and Evershot. Route sheets will be posted in late January. Food and Drinks: Available in the hall before and after the ride. Mudguards: Not compulsory, but highly advisable, as are low gears. Entry Fee: £4 for AUK, CTC, and BC individual members: others £1 extra to cover the necessary insurance fee. Entries: ONLY on a current standard AUK form (www.audax.uk.net or send a stamped envelope to the organiser) together with two A5 stamped envelopes. Cheques payable to Arthur Vince. Closing date: 28th January.
Organiser: Arthur Vince, 3 Back Lane, East Coker, Yeovil,  BA22 9JN. Tel. 01935 863429.

And a timely reminder that the subs for 2006 are also due to Mike Loader now.

From top left to bottom right: Mike Loader, Dave Driver, Steve Pym and David Notley

13/12/05 Club trophies find a new home for 2006. Pictured above are some of the prizewinners, sadly not all of the winners were able to attend the annual buffet on Sunday. If you weren't able to collect your cup please can you get in touch with Garry he will arrange to get your trophy to you (01935 428258). Mike went home with a good crop of pots: Best 25 and 50, Best performance in a YCC race and short distance BAR. Dave Driver won the Best National Performance and Veteran BAR, whilst Steve Pym took the Handicap TT prize. Missing from the line-up are Andy Millward (Evening TT points winner), John Clemit (Hill climb champion), Dan Whaites (Junior TT BAR) and Luke Denman (Juvenile BAR). Oh yes, and finally, that is me with the Webb shield! The full listing appears on the Records page, including those trophies that were not awarded this year.

12/12/05 Boxing Day 5 mile club TT- not to be taken too seriously. Tor 2000 has added another event to its calendar, a 5 mile TT on boxing day. This is aimed as a fun event... well as fun as racing can be. There will be various prizes.. Fancy dress, nearest to guessed time etc... It is on the same course as Yeovil CC use, which runs past Yeovilton Air baseThe first rider off will be at 10.30. signing on is at Podimore services from 10 am.
All are welcome... spectators and riders... There is rumours of Sherry and home made Mince Pies...
Any questions please contact Team Tor 2000.

10/12/05 For Sale Due to owner needing funds for a 6 month trip to New Zealand: Cannondale - professional racing bike, 56cm frame, Shimano SP3 pedal system with attachable boots Ironman Pro bars and arm supports. Continental silica tyres with Bontrager racelight rims. Excellent condition road bike ready for training, racing and triathalon. Also with cycle clothing, new Giro helmet and mudguards.£450 ono. Matthew Dunn mobile number 07863 351 557

8/12/05 2006 events The Calendar page has now been updated with the events for the West (CTT) and the South West Division and District (CTT and BC). Details on the road races in the South Division should be available soon.

27/11/05 Buffet and Prizegiving If you haven't already submitted your reservation for places at this years bean feast then please do so quickly, forms are in the current edition of the Pedaller, which can be downloaded from the link at the foot of this page. I need to let the Sports Club have the final count on 1 December, that's this Thursday!! If you see anyone else from the Club please remind them too. Thanks. David Notley.

21/11/05 SPRING TRAINING CAMP MARCH 23rd 5 or 7 DAYS
Known as the Island of early spring sun Mallorca is a wonderful country to ride a bike in. Offering a wide choice of unspoilt routes, which wind their way through some of the more beautiful areas of the Puig Mountains.  Its reputation of producing some of the very best of early season cycling in the world goes without saying but Mallorca is not just for cyclists. Local crafts and hidden villages are steeped in local history. Mallorca and its surrounding areas have so much to offer to the cyclist who just wants a leisurely touring week or a pre- season training preparation and some much need warmth to boot.
The Area Palma Nova The Palma Nova area is in a wonderfully situated right on the cost yet only a handful of kms away from a pocket of natural beauty that is the Tramontana Mountain range, from the renowned Port Andratx to the wooded climbs and  bike heaven of the Puig Major. The small market town of Clavia  which sits in between the north, Andratx coast, the foot of the Galilea and the edge of the national park of Puigpunyent is a must for anyone coming to the area whether for the first time or for the one hundredth one. This is the fifth year I have organised trips, and am sure that they will exceed your expectations. We will be based in Palma Nova in a well run very friendly hotel.  This area is not only fantastic for cycling but for walking and relaxing as well . From this base there is an endless choice of fantastic climbs and costal routes, which can be taken as far as the eye can see.
The Accommodation The Hotel offers informal accommodation set in a great backdrop of the beach and the mountains and enjoys a spacious pool area where you can relax after a day in the saddle.  Facilities include Twin, Triple, or single bedded rooms all with either bath or shower facilities. This is with a half board option included in the price.
Rides With all of the daily rides you have the advantage of an accompanied group with experienced team riders.   Daily rides are coded according to the rider/group ability; these flexible codings are: -Green routes – up to 70km a day Red routes – up to 100km a dayYellow routes – up to 150 km a dayThese are guidelines only.  You tell me what you want from your daily rides.
Costings All flights are not included and can be booked with Easy jet or Flybe direct. There will be two trips this year a 5 day and a 7 day which will both depart the UK on the 23rd of March. The costs are all dependant on numbers this will be the very max below.  If I can gain 30+ people the price will come down by £25 per person. If you would like to come on one of this year’s trips then please either contact me or fill in your details and payment and forward them to me ASAP.
5 DAY £ 125 (not including flight)
7DAY  £ 175 (not including flight)                 
G SANDY, 17 SHOREDITCH RD, TAUNTON, SOMERSET TA1 3BU. TEL: 01823 252189. MOB: 07971 049347. E-MAIL: GREGJSANDY@AOL.COM

11/11/05 Buffet and Prizegiving It is just over a month to the annual festive bash, held at the Sports Club on Sunday 11 December at 12:30 for 1:00. There is a form to request tickets in the lastest issue of the Pedaller (which was sent out yesterday, new link and pdf download at bottom of page). If you are not a member but would like to join us then we would be delighted to welcome you, drop me an e-mail and I will either senf you a form or reserve some tickets for you. David Notley.

7/11/05 Baby Baldacchino Congratulations to Hugo and Cheryl on the arrival of Ada Belle. She weighed in at 7lb 9oz on the 30 October, just, at 12.08pm. Looks like we might have to get some Yeovil CC baby grows over the next few months.

22/10/05 Hill Climb Results Well done to Doug Dewey of Team Tor, all that training on the hill obviously paid off, but as for the rest of the Tor 2000 squad... well perhaps having the Club Dinner the night before was not such a good move, or was it the night club after the dinner!! Congratulations to our new Hill Climb Champion, JC, obviously potential fatherhood has inspired him to go faster, unless it was the thought of all those lovely full nappies!!

21/10/05 Derny Paced Hour Record tickets now available Tickets are now available for Magnus Backstedts attempt to set a new world best performance in an hour behind a derny presented by Liquigas. The event will take place at the Newport Velodrome in South Wales on Saturday 29th October. Having finished the Tour of Spain in great shape, Magnus is confident in his ability to beat the 66.114km mark currently held by Dutchman Mathe Pronk.

Magnus will be joined on the night by some of the worlds top sprinters as well as some of his good friends from the pro peloton, some of whom will be on the track for the first time!

• Tickets are £10 each and are available online at: TrackCycling.co.uk
• Or from Welsh Cycling Union offices at Newport Velodrome (9am and 4pm) in person only
• Or call Sprocket Promotions on 01252 815506

20/10/05 Hill Climb A full report on the YCC hill climb will follow shortly. But if you didn't get enough pain at High Ham then 1st Chard Wheelers have extended an invitation to join them at Yarcombe this Sunday for their hill climb. Meet at Yarcombe Garage at 9:30

10/10/05 Hill Climb It is the Club Hill climb this coming Sunday. There will be a club run departing from Yeovil at the normal time out to the hill at High Ham, arriving in time for a 10:30 start. Scorpion CS have very kindly offered to provide tea and cakes afterwwards at their Pedwell HQ.

Gillingham Wheeler Roller Challenge. We have also been invited to take on Gillingham Wheelers at a roll race, time and venue to be agreed. This will have a social aspect as well as a competitive one. If you are interested in taking part then please let Nick Armstrong know (he will be at the hill climb this weekend) so that we can get some idea of the numbers involved. We will then confirm the when and where. You can contact Nick on 01935 851262.

3/10/05 Club Clothing Looking for a Christmas present that you actually want, then don't forget our stock of club clothing. We will order some more clothing in November, below is a list of what we currently have in stock. We have to place an order for at least thirty garments so this is likely to be the last order for 18 months, if you think you are likely to need a garment that has a low stock, or none, please will you let me know so that we order enough to cover most peoples needs. David

This need not be a firm order, I just need to get a good idea of what is required, so no money is needed at this stage.

We also have a small selection of old Impsport kit. Shorts, training tops and a long sleeve top. No reasonable offer refused for any of these.

26/09/05 2005 dates. The time trial and road race dates were approved as applied for:
Open 10, 1 April 2006, U30/10. Organiser D Notley
Open 25, 2 July 2006, U30/25. Organiser S Wroot
Open 10, 23 September 2006. U30/10. Organiser D Notley.

The road races will be classified under the new BC scheme for 2006:
9 April. Ham Hill (National C – 1, 2 and 3) and Pittards Road Race (Regional B – 3 and 4)
18 June. John Andrews Memorial Road Race (Regional A – 2, 3 and 4).

24/09/05 OPEN 10 Results Thanks to all the people that turned out to make this another succesful YCC promotion. To Derek and Stuart, Andy M, Kim, Martin, Rob, Terry, Martin, Mike and Carol. Special thanks to Andy for his help with the signs and to Jane for organising the refreshments. Congratulations to the prize winners, the first five plus Tony Thorne (vets standard), Tracey Maund (Women), Dean Robson (Junior) and the Somerset RC team of Jon Wynn, Mark Kurpyta and Dean Robson (64:36). The official Result sheet will be sent out within the next few days and will also be available online here. pdf start sheet.

23/9/05 Haute Pyrenees. (As with all holidays and guest houses this is purely for information and carries no recommendation, one way or the other, from the Club). We are a small family run B&B in the French Pyrenees, ideally placed for cycling holidays. We are situated in the foothills of the Haute Pyrenees, with many of the routes and mountain sections of the TDF on our doorstep, as well as numerous beautiful - easier graded - routes. We are only 1 hour from Pau and 1.5 hours from Toulouse airports. Our website is: www.harmoniebandb.co.uk.

20/9/05 Change of HQ. I have just been informed that we will not be able to use the Yeovilton airbase as our HQ for the Open 10 this Saturday, following a recent security problem, the HQ will therefore revert to the Podimore Service Area. It is marked on the start sheet as the Old HQ.

There are Toilets in the petrol station, but no changing facilities. There will still be refreshments at the HQ. Please can you pass this information on to any club mates that may be riding. Apologies for the last minute notice. David Notley.

16/9/05 Yeovil CC 10 mile Time Trial. You can view and download a copy of the start sheet by clicking on this link, Start Sheet. There is a strong turn out of YCC riders in the field of 64, Greg Sandy is the scratch man, off at 70, with Mike Loader number 60. Fingers crossed for a fast , dry day. Start time is just after 3pm, headquarters is the Nuffield Sports Pavillion at Yeovilton, so rather than watch the football why not come along and cheer one some of our riders!

Burnham Runs. From Tom Cox: We as a committee have been concerned about the standard of riding both to and from Burnham on a Saturday and as a result we have put together the attached document (click here to download the Word document), which I would ask you please read. Although there was much debate as to was it an SRC run or not we felt as it started from Taunton we should take the lead. We are at no stage pointing fingers at anyone because I think we are all to blame but we felt that before someone gets injured it made good sense to do something about it. Yours in Sport.

13/9/05 AGM Report We are very pleased to welcome Shuan Walsh and Gary Swain onto the committee as Road Race Secretary and TVCRA Representative respectively. A 'volunteer' for the post of secretary is being approached, more to follow....

All three motions were passed: subs are increased to 13.00 for existing senior members, or 16:00 for new members. Juniors, Juveniles and full time students remain at 5.00. The subs for the evening TTs increase to 1.00 for YCC members, 2.00 for riders from a CTT affiliated club, 2.50 for riders wanting day membership. Again the fee for Juniors and Juveniles is kept to a minimum, rising to 50p just to cover the increased CTT club levy. The Junior and Juvenile BAR trophies will be calculated on the shorter distances.

The dates for the Open TTs and Road races were agreed and have been submitted to the relevant authorities, these should be agreed by the end of the month. There is now a new format for road races, BC have introduced new categories of race which have different criteria and requirements. Our races have been submitted as: Pittards – Regional B (3 & 4 cat); Ham Hill – National C (1, 2, & 3 cat); John Andrews Memorial – Regional A (2, 3 & 4 cat).

The date for the Hill Climb has been put back to 16 October, to avoid a clash with a 25 on the Poole course.

9/9/05 Final Five. Good conditions brought a repeat of last week’s fast times for the large, end of season field. Stuart Dodd (Team Tor 2000) finished top of the 28 riders, with an 11-04. Mike Loader edged out Andy Millward to take second place with an 11-06, a new Yeovil CC course record. Further back, young Rob Whaites produced the most improved performance, his 13-41 being 2-04 faster than last week. Andy Pugsley knocked 36 seconds off his PB with a 13-50. Thanks to the regular helpers, marshals & timekeepers, Gary Mitchener, Derek Todd, Mike Northcott and Dave Notley, whose contributions have led to this season’s successful events.

And I am sure you will all join me in expressing sincere thanks to Andy Pugsley for yet another well organised series of evening events. We hope you have all enjoyed the season and look forward to seeing you all again for the final TT on the 24 Sept. If you are still up for a challenge the Hill Climb takes place in early October, the date may change due to the event now clashing with the re-scheduled Poole 25. Watch this space.

8/9/05 Agenda for the AGM

Annual General Meeting of the Yeovil Cycling Club
To be held at Yeovil Sports Club on Monday 12th September 2005

Apologies
Minutes of the AGM (13/9/2004)
Matters Arising

Officers Reports
Treasurer’s report
Road Race Secretary’s Report
Records Secretary’s Report
Runs Secretary’s Report
Press Secretary’s Report
Membership Secretary’s Report
Newsletter Editor’s Report
General Secretary’s Report
Time Trial Secretary’s Report
Agreement of Dates for 2006 Events
Agreement of Club Affiliations for 2006

Motions –
From the Committee
1. That the senior club membership fee be increased to £13 for membership renewal and £16 pounds for new members. Junior/Juvenile membership to remain unchanged.
2. That the 2006 Evening Time Trial fee be increased to £1 for members, £2 for members of other CTT affiliated clubs and £2.50 for riders requiring day membership.

From David Notley
3. That the qualifying rides for the Junior and Juvenile BAR trophies be amended to 2 x 5 mile and 2 x 10 mile for the Junior BAR and 1 x 5 mile and 1 x 10 mile for the Juvenile BAR.

Election of Officials:

 Any other business

Supporting Information.
Motion 1: From the Committee. That the senior club membership fee be increased to £13 for membership renewal and £16 pounds for new members. Junior/Juvenile membership to remain unchanged. To cover the expected increase in Sports and Social Club membership fee.

Motion 2: From the Committee. That the 2006 Evening Time Trial fee be increased to £1 for members, £2 for members of other CTT affiliated clubs and £2.50 for riders requiring day membership. To cover the expected increase in CTT club event levy.

Motion 3: From David Notley. That the qualifying rides for the Junior and Juvenile BAR trophies be amended to 2 x 5 mile and 2 x 10 mile for the Junior BAR and 1 x 5 mile and 1 x 10 mile for the Juvenile BAR. As we no longer offer a 25 as part of the evening TT series and there is only one Open 25 during the year there is not adequate opportunity for our younger riders to compete at the current qualifying distances. Reducing the distances to events that we do promote would make the trophies available to a greater number of young riders, be a bigger incentive for riders to compete and increase the likelihood of them being awarded each year.

2005 RR Dates:
Ham Hill/Pittards - 10th April 2005 (Equivalent 2006 Date – 9th April 2006)
John Andrews - 19th June 2005 (Equivalent 2006 Date – 18th June 2006)

2005 TT Dates:
Spring 10 - 16th April 2005 (Equivalent 2006 Date – 15th April 2006)
Open 25 - 3rd July 2005 (Equivalent 2006 Date – 2nd July 2006)
Autumn 10 - 24th September 2005 (Equivalent 2006 Date – 23rd September 2006)

7/9/05 Merryfield Weather permitting there will still be a few more sessions at Ilton, start time next week is 6:45 prompt. It does need to be prompt as the night flying is starting earlier too so we need to be clear of the airfield by 8 pm.

Don't forget the AGM next Monday. The agenda will be posted here shortly.

Chain gang. Now that the evening events are drawing to a close is anyone interested in getting the evening rides, Tuesday and Thursday, going again? How about a shorter circuit around Yeovil, which would allow riders to adjust the distance and/or their start times. Five laps of a five mile circuit would give you several chances to join in if you cannot make the start time. Just as a suggestion, and I am sure we can discuss this at the AGM, how about: meet at the usual place, ride out to Odcombe, left at the crossroads in Odcombe out to Whitepost, along West Coker Road and down Bunford Hollow, back to the starting point. Not sure of the distance or of the traffic situation on these roads at that time of night, may be that everyone is happy with the existing route. Any thoughts?

5/9/05 Weekend Winners? Mike Loader came closest with a fourth place in the Chippenham 25, with a time of 56:17. David Keene won in 54:07.

Andy Millward and John Clemit took a trip down to the Mid Devon 25, but a last minute change of course and a stiff easterley breeze meant that only two rider manged to break the hour! Jon Wynn won with 57:37. Andy clocked 1:01:50 with John just under a minute slower at 1:02:42.

As for Hugo and Dave Driver they headed down to Poole for the Elm Tree Wheelers 25. I'll let you know how they got on as soon as I know!

Marshals needed If you are not riding the Open 10 on Saturday 24 September and are able to help with the marshalling then please let me know, 01963 440291, or drop me an e-mail. Thanks. David Notley.

1/9/05 Course Record Evening TTs. Excellent conditions brought fast times all round. Tom Ireland set a new course record, breaking 11 minutes for the first time with a 10-59. Andy Millward and Mike Loader finished fastest Yeovil riders with an 11-16. Further back, Luke Denman broke 20mph with a 14-27, and young Rob (?) Whaites produced a creditable 15-45 in his first TT.

Ironman. Another face was hidden in the multitude of competitors. Joanne Callow finished in 16:22:33.

30/8/05 Merryfield Next Tuesdays session will start at 6:45 pm prompt. If you cannot make it for then turn up when you can and join in.

Ironman. A little belatedly, congratulations to Barrie Whitehead and Paul Price who both completed the Ironman. Paul, on his first attempt at such an event did 11:55:27 (1:08:40 swim, 6:20:32 ride, 4:15:55 run) obviously all that mid week training with Nick Armstrong and Dave Driver paid off. Barrie covered the course in 11:22:33 (1:02:21 swim, 6:23:22 ride, 3:53:12 run) and finished 5 in his age group.

Walter Rixon Ride. Even later still... a good number of Yeovil riders joined a large group from all over the area to celebrate the life of Walter Rixon with a mass ride from Ilchester out to The Willows Cafe. A full report, will appear in the next issue of The Pedaller.

And finally... A reminder that the AGM is on Monday 13 September, please come along and let us know what you would like from the club. We have over sixty members now yet we never seem to muster more than a dozen on the club runs, Merryfield has seen the fewest YCC riders for many years, only the evening time trials seem to be as popular as ever. Where is everyone and what can the club do to encourage you to enjoy your riding more?

26/8/05 Evening TTs There are just two more of our evening TT series, last night saw a brisk westerly breeze make conditions markedly different between the outward and return legs. This suited some riders more than others, so although overall times were similar to the previous week, several riders changed position in the finishing order. Remaining at the head of the field was Andy Millward, one second slower than the previous week, with a 11-33. Luke Denman produced a good ride, with an improvement of 16 seconds on his previous week’s time. Full results are on the Results page.

Open 10 Don't forget the Open 10 at the end of September, Saturday afternoon on the 24 September to be precise. The closing date for entries is 13 September, so get your entry in the post now.

Monday 29th August is the final Team Tor 2000 evening event- Meeting at the Willows cafe near Westhay - 6.45pm start . A short ride to the start from the HQ (less than a mile), then the route goes from Westhay through Burtle, towards Mark and back. The course is pan flat but the surface is not fantastic, it is quite technical and an interesting course to ride, on very quiet roads, a challenge!!!. The course record is a short 22 set by Iain Hounsell a few years back! For all events there is an option of a 2 up. As usual entry is free to all novices and there will be refreshments at the end. Please note that this is our club championship event, but that does not mean that other riders are not welcome as always.

17/8/05 Road Closure at Ilton If you are planning to drive out to Merryfield next week (from 22 August) it may take a little longer than normal as the road through Ilton, and on towards Fivehead, is going to be closed for the next five weeks while Wessex Water carry out repairs to the mains. The base will still be accessible but you may have to follow the diversion out through Isle Abbotts, hopefully this will be a rolling road closure and will soon clear the southern end of the section to be closed. Of course if you ride out then you should still be able to get through.

Marshals. Further to the request below, Simon Slade is specifically looking for marshals to cover the Piddle Valley and the Charlton Horethorne to Wincanton section, bike ride, this will just be for the morning. If you were planning to ride out anyway and can help he really would like to hear from you.

12/8/05 The Iron man cometh You cannot have failed to notice that the Ironman Triathlon is taking place on 21 August based at Sherborne Castle. The chief marshal is still looking for volunteers to help with the marshalling, they need 132. If you can help please contact Simon Slade on 01935 424873.

The club buffet has been booked for Sunday 11 December. So put a note in your diary now!

10/8/05 AGM The Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 12 September at 8.00pm at the Yeovil Sports Club, Johnstone Park. With over sixty members now we really should be able to fill the vacancies we have on the committee, no one will be pushed into a job they do not feel comfortable doing, but rest assured if you are willing to take on a role you will not be left on your own, the full support of the committee, and hopefully all the membership, wil be behind you.

Situations Vacant. Anyone can stand for any of the positions on the committee, but at present we have two specific vacancies: TVCRA Representative, this just requires someone to collect money at the beginning of the year and to represent YCC at the occasional TVCRA meeting. Road Race Secretary: this can be the head of a sub-committee and requires someone who is organised and can delegate. There are only two events per year and the majority of the work can be done in advance, with Division supplying the senior officials and handling all the permissions, there are always plenty of volunteers (provided you ask). So come on all you ex racers how about putting something back into the sport? John Clemit has done an excellent job as our Secretary but he is seeking to retire from the position this year, owing to the impending arrival of their first child and other family responsibilities.

Motions for the AGM. There is a mistake in the newsletter (well probably more than one) but the secretary's postcode should be BA20 2SN. Any motions to be included in the Agenda need to be with John by 1 September, alternatively you can e-mail him.

5/8/05 The best night of the year Mild, damp and near-calm conditions brought excellent times for the good-sized field. Stuart Dodd was fastest, with a fine 21-25. Steve Pym romped home to win the Yeovil CC Handicap Trophy with a personal best of 22-40 (6th overall). Results.

29/7/05 Sunday 7 August A club ride to celebrate the life of Walter Rixon. Walter dedicated a lot of his life to the sport of cycling. He has been involved with development of predominantly youth riders at all levels for many decades. He worked with many great British riders, and was very proud of the stepping-stone he provided for them to move on to bigger and better things. Walter passed away on 19th July 2005 and a great many people will sadly miss him. 
 
Some of Walter’s happiest moments were whilst he was riding his bike and he loved the social environment of club run’s and café stops.  At his request there will be a ride in celebration of all that he contributed to the sport, to give people an opportunity to get on their bike, have a cup of tea and have a good chat, remembering the times spent in the company of like minded people.
 
All are welcome on this ride, one of Walter’s life long missions was to get new comers and youngsters in to the sport and he loved to meet new people, so even if you did not know Walter please come along and join in.
 
The ride will start at Ilchester (near Yeovil) Car park at 9.30am heading through the villages to Glastonbury and then on to Westhay and the Willow’s Café and Garden Centre for a cup of tea and a piece of their excellent home made cake. We are aiming to be at the Willows from around 11am and it would fantastic to see as many local clubs as possible take their club runs to the Willows so that they can join in this celebration of the life of one of our sports great ambassadors.
 
Over his life Walter has lived and cycled in many areas of the country, I know he has been based around the Southampton area, around Malvern, Gloucestershire and Bristol as well as more recently Somerset and I am sure there are many other places I can not list, on top of this through his work with English (now British) School Cycling he has worked with people from the whole of the United Kingdom. Please pass this on to any cyclists that you think may have come across Walter and may wish to be part of this event.
 
The Yeovil CC Club run will meet as normal at the Yeovil Sports Club and then ride out to Ilchester to join the Walter Rixon ride.

The Pedaller. The latest edition of the club newslatter has now been posted to everyone, except for those that had them hand delivered on Thursday evening. If you want to download an electronic version there is a link at the bottom of this page.

29/7/05 Evening TTs Winter seems to have returned this week, witha very blustery evening making it hard going. The results are now fully up to date, as are the tables with all of this years times on the results page. It is a normal 10 next week although it is also the club handicap. Riders with the fve qualifying times will automatically be entered into the handicap, so all you have to do is your best ride of the season and you could be this years winner!

Results for 28 July, 21 July, 14 July, 7 July, 30 June, 23 June, 16 June Come and Try It, 9 June, 2 June, 26 May, 19 May, 12 May, 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

25/7/05 A sting in the tail? Wasp Road Race, South Wales, 21st August: Just one week to go before the closing date of the 234JW Wasp Road Race organised under BC regulations by the Ogmore Valley Wheelers. Riders are in for a treat this year with local cycling shops sponsoring the prizes: Forza Cycles, based in Llantwit Major, www.forzacycles.co.uk or call 01446 790 011 and Rocky Mountain Cycles, www.ride-bikes.com or call 01443 231 400.

Post your entry now to ensure your place in the race. Wasp Road Race - St Brides Major Sports Pavilion, Bridgend 2.3.4.W.J 110Km 10:30 £11.00 [£14.00]
Closing Date: 31/07/05 Cheques to: Ogmore Valley Wheelers
Caroline Gay, 13 Pen Hendy, Miskin, Pontyclun CF72 8QW Tel: 01443 231987

22/7/05 Evening TTs Another really good turn out for a five, despite the rather strong winds. It really was a night when "I wish I had the camera". The sight of Chris Fendt on that miniature wheeled folding bike sporting a racing number and pedalling furiously just had to be seen to be believed. Sadly he had a mechanical failure, well actually it was the bike that failed, still there is always another day...

The result for the 30 June is still in the pending tray, so there is no link for that one at the moment. Results for 21 July, 14 July, 7 July, 30 June, 23 June, 16 June Come and Try It, 9 June, 2 June, 26 May, 19 May, 12 May, 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

20/7/05 Walter Rixon Sadly Walter lost his battle with cancer yesterday afternoon and died at St Margarets Hospice. For those that knew Walter you will already be aware of the amount he gave to cycling, from his work as a BC commissaire through to his commitment to help with the young riders at Merryfield. Walter loved cycling, without people like him the sport would be so much poorer. You will be missed Walter.

The evening TT tomorrow night is a 5. Let's see if the course record can be cracked!

18/7/05 Etape de Tour Well done to Dave Driver who completed yet another Etape, provided my french translation is up to scratch he completed it in 8:33:49, against a target time of 9:02:22. I hope to get the full story once Dave has had chance to recover!

Team Tor 2000 Circuit races incorporated the Divisional circuit race championships by Andy Crocker

Once again the club, Team Tor 2000, was blessed with some stunning sunny weather, which brought out a good number of riders to the Merryfield airfield, Ilton. With this event incorporated the divisional circuit race championships it brought some quality racing across the board  
 
The senior divisional champs saw action from the gun with come back man Paul Barrett (Chard Wheelers) attacking the race from the drop of the flag and large gapped laps opened. Paul held the gap for a couple laps until the Yeovil rider Graeme Lackford (Cycleurope/Bianchi) bridged the gap to the lone rider. The pair settled down into a rhythm until another pair Greg Sandy (Cycleurope/Bianchi) and Adam Holmes (Mid Devon CC) cleared the main bunch and bridged the gap to the leading pair. This was to be the final selection and with one lap to go the quartet shed Adam, to leave the three riders to fight out the medals. As the riders came into the finish straight Paul Barrett lead the sprint out with Greg close on his wheel with Graeme already out of the running and in the bronze medal position. With a final burst in the closing meters Greg went pass Paul to take another divisional title
 
The first few laps 3J race, which incorporated the junior champs, saw lots of small attacks but none of them proved fruitful. But as the bunch crossed the start finish line for the forth time a move was instigated by National Junior 25 mile Time Trial Silver Medallist Dean Robson (Somerset RC). With Dean’s escape was soon joined by Tor’s Stuart Dodd, Jon Opie and David Rutty (CS Bristol). This partnership worked well pulling away from the main field. The with two and half laps to go Dean jumped the break away group to power his way to solo victory, not only to take the race win also to take the junior divisional title.
 
The 4th’s race started at a steady rate and slowly built up to speed, a sudden surge resulted in the field splitting. This proved to be the move of the race with all the points for the top six places going to the going to these riders. Chris Smith (Bath CC) won the final lunge for the line by followed by his fellow teammate Steve Manning with Dave Poole (Somerset RC) taking the final podium place. Tor’s John Etherington took the 4th place giving him enough point s to move up to a third cat license  
 
There was good support in the youth races. The racing was very competitive between the age groups with some worthy divisional champions.
 
Many thanks to all the helpers that made this event possible and a success
 
This Thursday (21st July) is the final of the Global Heating Point’s series event. This event is entry on line only with a separate 34J and E123 race. The 51 km event is held at Merryfield, Ilton starting 7.30 pm.  

E,1,2,3,4 (Incorporating SW Division Circuit Race Champs)

1. Greg Sandy - Cycleurope/Bianchi  (Divisional Champion) 
2. Paul Barrett - 1st Chard Wheelers
3. Graeme Lackford - Cycleurope/Bianchi
4. Adam Holmes - Mid Devon CC (Colin Lewis Cycles) 
5. Andrew Parker - Mid Devon CC (Colin Lewis  Cycles)
6. David Bentley - Somerset RC (Bike chain)
7. Mark Gibbs - Somerset RC (Bike chain)
8. Thomas Ireland - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating  Ltd, Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy)
9. David Walters - Ajchima Limoux
10. Jeremy Rees - Private member

1. Dean Robson - Somerset RC (Bike chain) - 1st  Junior (Divisional Champion) 
2. Jon Opie - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy) - 2nd Junior
3. David Rutty - CS Bristol
4. Stuart Dodd - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy)
5. James Griffin - Cheltenham and  Gloucester CC 
6. Steve Noyce - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy) 
7. Stuart Pickering - www.cyclogic.co.uk 
8. Mike Parker - Mid Devon CC (Colin Lewis  Cycles) 
9. Julian Ridgley - Somerset RC (Bike chain)  
10. Mario Pavan - Bath CC 
11. Andrew Peters - Mid Devon CC (Colin Lewis  Cycles)
    

1. C. Smith - Bath CC S Manning - Bath CC
2. David Poole - Somerset RC (Bike chain)
3. John Etherington - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating  Ltd, Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy)
4. Peter Sandy - Somerset RC (Bike chain)
5. Lee Bradley - North Devon Wheelers
   

1. Ashley Hutchingson - Cheltenham and Gloucester CC 
2. Karla Hodson - Sid Valley CC (Divisional  Champion)

1. Chester Gray - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy) (Divisional  Champion)

1. Torsten Junker - Luk Coombes Racing
2. Josh Gray - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy) (Divisional  Champion) 
3. Lydia Hodson - Sid Valley CC

1. Jacon Pierpoint - Bikinmotion (Divisional  Champion)

1. Doug Dewey - Team Tor 2000 (Global Heating Ltd,  Scorpion CS, Corbieres Bike tours, Squeezy) (Divisional  Champion) 
2. William Lester
3. Sophie Lanham

14/7/05 Evening TTs Back from a very enjoyable holiday now, (just how good it was was reflected in my ten time this evening), so time to catch up with the news.The result for the 30 June is still in the pending tray, so there is no link for that one at the moment.

Results for 14 July, 7 July, 30 June, 23 June, 16 June Come and Try It, 9 June, 2 June, 26 May, 19 May, 12 May, 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

Chris Fendt did an excellent job on the Open 25, supported by plenty of volunteers and helpers. A big thank you to you all. Results, and prize money, will be sent out in the next few days. For those that cannot wait a pdf version of the result sheet can be downloaded from the following link. Results.

Well done to the Yeovil riders that scooped the team prize, Mike Loader, Andy Millward and Nick Young.

23/6/05 TVCRA 4-up full results Many thanks to Derek Todd & Andy Pugsley (timekeepers), Ross Pollard & Carla (lap counters), Carla (signing on) and Ray & Ross (race instructions/cones),  Anna first aid, for helping in such adverse (hot) weather conditions (joke).

Many thanks to Andy Crocker (aka Scorpion CS) for his continued and generous support of this event. Remember to support those who support the sport.Congratulations to all the prize winners, and thanks to all the teams taking part to make a competition of it in such nice conditions, the weather was very kind to us this year!I would appreciate some feedback on the circuit and venue.  My views are Merryfield being free from traffic is comparatively safe and it is flat therefore complimenting a team time trial.
The Wyndham Arms is central to the majority of TVCRA members and satisfied our drinking/eating requirements very well.  Please add you comments, requests or suggestions and send to me : Ray Pollard, SARNE, St Georges Ave, Taunton, Somerset TA2 7BB   rpollard@avimo.co.uk

What about an individual 10 mile T.T. a slightly modified circuit will give us 3 & a bit laps, start & finish area (swapped over) very similar to 4-up. At the start we go NORTH into the main east to west runway (0.4m), start 1st lap - turn left up to the top of hill (west), turn left onto outer circuit, proceed to far north corner of perimeter, turn sharp left onto main north to south runway, turn right onto main east west runway (1 lap approx 3m). REPEAT FOR LAPS 2 & 3.At end of third lap carry on north to south runway to finish opposite start.IS ANYONE INTERESTED then contact Ray, see above. For more information you can download the official results sheet (Word doc)

22/6/05 John Andrews Memorial Road Race The hottest day of the year made the John Andrews a race of attrition. The 54 starters set a good pace right from the off, with small attacking breaks continually testing the bunch. By the start of the fifth lap a small bunch of six riders finally managed to stay away. Despite the efforts of a few riders to either push the pace, or to make the jump across on their own, the small group slowly extended their lead.

As the heat of the day increased it saw more riders fall by the way, even those that had started with plenty of drink were soon running dry. Some of the riders that had pulled out watched from the road side and passed what drink they had left to team mates or fellow riders. The main bunch fragmented by the end of the ninth lap, some of the riders that had jumped away re-formed to make a small group with what remained of the main field following on. The leaders had almost half a lap on the chasing group of three as they embarked on the final circuit, and after a further half lap Eamon Deane made what proved to be the decisive move. He steadily road away from the remaining five riders, crossing the finish line about a minute ahead of a closely fought sprint for second to sixth. The bunch of three who stoically kept going reaped the benefits, and the points, as they crossed the line with local rider Stuart Dodd the first of the Team Tor 2000, team prize winners, to make it home.

Final results were: 1. Eamon Deane - Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers
2. Dean Robson(J) - Somerset Road Club
3. Jamie Treliving - Team Certini
4. Andrew Hitchens - Mid Devon CC
5. Alex Fitzgerald - Bikin' Motion
6. Stephen Atfield - Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers
7. Stuart Dodd - Team Tor 2000
8. David Meadows - Somer Valley CC
9. Martyn Holmes - Mid Devon CC
10. Kevin Thomas - Severn RC
11. Stuart Jones(J) - Wolverhampton Wheelers
12. Paul Gregg - Swindon RC
13. Peter Ritchie - Bikin' Motion
14. Jon Opie(J) - Team Tor 2000
15. Ian Phillips - CS Dynamo

Team Prize: Team Tor 2000If anyone has some photos of the event them please e-mail me some and I will post them here, (credited to you).

TVCRA 4-up Team Time Trial. Thankfully the sun shone on the competitors this year. www.yeovilcc.com (what a great choice of name) took the first prize. Nick Evans, Andy Millward, Mike Loader and john Clemit finished just a few seconds ahead of the Somerset RC team.

Unfortunately for SRC John Wynn had an accident just before the start, he has a suspected broken collar bone, so they were reduced to 3 men. To make a sporting race of it the Yeovil team shed JC on the first lap! well I think that was the reason.

Full result will be posted as soon as it is available.

Evening TT If the traffic heading to Glastonbury on Thursday is a serious problem we will use the 5 course, but hopefully it will not.Another casualty Toby Creighton, ex YCC and now Team Tor, was knocked of his bike in Taunton yesterday. We wish you a speedy recovery Toby.

08/06/05 National 25 Well done Mike Loader. Just to qualify for the National 25 competition deserves recognition and with so many riders separated by just a few seconds position is almost irrelevant.

Michael Hutchinson must have been on a different course to everyone else storming home a full 2 minutes 40 seconds ahead of Zak Carr, in just 47:15. Mike did a 55:06, the final revised results are now on the CTT website.

3/6/05 Evening TTs Cool, overcast conditions made it feel more like April than June. However, times recorded were still respectable, reflecting the improvement in fitness levels. Graeme Lackford won with a time of 21 minutes 36 seconds.

Results for 2 June, 26 May, 19 May, 12 May, 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

25/05/05 Global Heating Points Series Team Tor 2000 are promoting a series of circuit races this summer at Merryfield Airfield, Ilton (between Yeovil and Taunton) run under BC regs. These races are on an 'Entry On Line' bases only. Each event will be run on a Thursday evening starting at 7.30pm and will be 51 km (9 Laps), points down to 10th. Each night will be two races run consecutively, 34JW (U16 riders maybe considered for this race) and E123. Entry has been kept low as possible £10, so if there will be frills and prizes will depend on entries.  
 
The dates are... 9th June, 23rd June, 7th July, 21st  July. To speed up proceeding if you could fill in a entry form before you come it will be appreciated. Any questions please contact the club on tor2000@jings.com. Important: The Divisional Circuit Race Champs is now on the 16th July not 3rd July!!! Details the same.

The evening time trial was the first warm one this season and the times reflected the improvement in the conditions. Results for 26 May, 19 May, 12 May, 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

11/5/05 Merryfield Just a reminder that ther is no Merryfield for the next two weeks, 17 and 24 May. C.C. Weymouth will be holding their evening Time Trials on those 2 Tuesday evenings and all are welcome. Starts are at 7.00pm. Race HQ is at the lay-by just before the Warmwell roundabout on A353  Weymouth to Wool/Wareham Road.
17/5   10 mile  Course P451
24/5   25 mile  Course P451/25C
Hope to see some riders. Thanks to Peter Washington for that info.

Evening Rota for Helpers We have three willing people that are prepared to assist with our time trials each week (Mike N, turn-marshal, Gary M, Start-Timekeeper and Derek finish Timekeeper; when they are available). In order to ensure the evening events are run as safely as possible we need just one other helper. To that end Andy has drawn up a rota for one extra person to assist the three regulars. Helper Duties include pushing-off the riders, then assisting the time-keeper at the finish line (spotting rider numbers & completing the finish sheet) & completing the finish board. If you are unable to help on your allocated date please can you let Andy know as soon as possible, either by e-mail or on 01935 428753.

9/5/05 TVCRA 4-up will be held on the 21st  June 2005 at  6.45pm. HQ – Merryfield and afterwards at the Wyndham Arms Ilton. Closing date for entries 31st May. A TEAM TT is a team of three or four riders, the clock stops when the third man crosses the finish line, after six laps of the perimeter circuit. There will be prizes for all categories, including a handicap prize – based on combined age of team. The entry fee will include food which will be served from approx. 20:15, followed by the prize presentation. This has traditionally been a really good evening, even in the pouring rain last year! We have plenty of riders in the club now so let's get some teams together.

Download an entry form (PDF) or entry form (Word)

06/05/05 Evening 10s start The first evening ten was a little on the cool side and certainly very blustery. The strong head wind on the way out did not result in a storming tail wind back. Don't forget that it is the two-up next week. Results: 5 May, 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

TVCRA 4-up This will be held at Merryfield on the Tuesday nearest to mid-summer. Full details to come soon.

28/04/05 New Course Record Well no-one expected a quick night and generally riders were about the same as last week, however Tom Ireland put in a stunning ride to set a new course record. Chris Pym also stepped up the pace and came in under the fifteen minute mark for the first time this year. Results: 28 April, 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

24/04/05 Merryfield I have just been informed by post today that ILTON will NOT be available on TUESDAY 17TH MAY & TUESDAY 24TH MAY. This because there is a major military exercise in the SW Region next month involving 24hr flying operations with ILTON being the focal point. Nothing we can say or do about it.
Any one got any serious alternatives, (shopping at ASDA???) club time trial somewhere?
Ray.

How about the Tuesday evening run? Meet at the Brympton roundabout a 6:15, if the weather is good we could do the longer route out through Castle Cary, Somerton, Long Sutton and back via Stoke.

24/04/05 Cycling in France and plenty of other activities We have just finished refurbishing a self catering apartment in part of our 200 year old farm house in the south east of France. Our website has suggested cycling and walking itineraries for anyone visiting here and there is also a large photo gallery of the area both of which I thought may be of interest to the members of your cycling club.
For cyclists we provide a shopping service so that you don’t have to carry food on your bikes, cycle tools and a garage for repairs. We are open to other suggestions and ideas, to help make your cycling holiday a success.
We are 40 minutes by car from the Verdon Gorge, there are under and over ground via ferratas here and there is rock climbing in our village. Our area is also famous for canyoning. Other activities: rafting, canoeing, paragliding, hang gliding, horse riding, fishing and with 300 sunny days a year, sunbathing and relaxing with a glass of pastis of course!
Nice is our nearest airport, which low cost airlines like Easy Jet and Jet2.com use. We are a 62km cycle from Nice and can arrange accommodation between Nice and our apartment if required as the height gain is over 1000m.
Our website is: www.pottyplace.com/accom. Ruth Jessop.

We receive a number of e-mails and letters about cycling holidays, which are published here just for your information. They are not endorsed by the Club in any way, but if you do visit one of the venues then please let us know what you thought of it.

21/04/05 Evening TT Results Results: 21 April, 14 April, 07 April.

20/04/05 The David Duffield Challenge No not an attempt to string a coherent sentence together, but a CTC organised ride. The David Duffield Challenge, on 1 May 2005, around Bath offers 100km and 150km routes, as well as a 30km route for families and those new to cycling. Numbers are not limited and you can enter up until the Friday before the event, or on the day. The start detail are as follows: Start Times:  150km - 9.00 am, 100km -10.00 am, Family -11.00 am Start location: The Royal Pavilion Café, Victoria Park, Bath, BA1 2NR OS maps: Landranger: 50,000 maps 172, 173.Entry forms can be downloaded from the CTC website, and entries will be taken online. 

For more details on the rides contact Matt Mallinder on 0870 873 0060 or email matt.mallinder@ctc.org.uk

17/04/05 Open 10 results. Dursley RC take the West DC Team Championship, whilst just 10 seconds seperate the first 4 riders. Thanks to all the helpers, to Paul and Dennis for timekeeping, to all the Yeovil CC members: Stuart for pushing off, Derek at the finish, Nick A, Nick Y, Andy M, Mike, and Paul for marshalling, to Andy P for all his help with the warning signs and for marshalling, to Jane and Rachel for stocking and running the tea stall, and finally to Simon for his brain power sorting all the team times.

Download a Results sheet.

Of the other YCC Riders James and John managed to tie for 21st place with Hugo taking the place ahead of them. Dave Driver put in a good ride to keep him well up on the vets standard although quite a long way off his PB, and it was good to see Gary Swain back on a bike, obviously the part-time superhero needs to do a bit more super training!
20, Hugo Baldacchino, 23:54; 21=, James Hector, 24:04; 21=John Clemit, 24:04; 34, David Driver, 25:34 (+ 5:11); and 54, Gary Swain, 32:55.

13/04/05 Official results

Ham Hill Road Race 1. Jonathon Pain Leisure Lakes RT 2. Benoir Lagorce Cycle Europe Bianchi 3. Neil Colemman Cycle Europe Bianchi 4. Keith Lilley alltrax 5. Greg Sandy Cycle Europe Bianchi 6. Andrew Gough portswood Cycles 7. Richard Marsh Somer Valley 8. James Williams Ritchey CyclOps 9. Dave Bentley Somerset RC 10. Andrew Parker Mid Devon 11. Paul Standen Comedy Super Team 12. Jules Birks Cycle Europe Bianchi 13. Jo Andrews VC ST Raphael 14. Rex Facey First Chard Wheelers 15. Graham Lackford Cycle Europe Bianchi

Pittards Road Race 1. Andy Hitchen Mid Devon CC 2. John Winn Somerset rc 3. Alex Nelson Sodury cycle sport 4. Russel Basley Hardly Athletic cc 5. Rob Lyne Unattached 6. Matt Hargreaves Ogmore Valley wh 7. Dean Robson Somerset rc 8. Jamie Treliving Team Certini 9. Mike Loder Yeovil cc 10. Scot Charmers Chippenham Wheelers Photos: Ann Owens

Merryfield did start last night. A good turnout, although YCC riders were a little thin on the ground. Next weeks session will start at 6:45 followed by the first of the normal starts at 7:00 the following Tuesday. The intention is to alternate the seeions between a mass start and a handicap. Next week wil be the first handicap, so riders will have to choose the group they feel best suits their ability. These are not cast in stone so if you find you are in the wrong bunch then you can change for the next event. David Notley is currently issuing passes, but this is not a permanent situation, we really need a volunteer to become the YCC TVCRA representative. Chris Absolom will tell you what's involved but Gregg and Ray have taken on the running of the sessions so it should only be a bit of admin at the beginning of the season. Volunteer please!

10/04/05 Road Races Both races proved to be an exciting and close fought affair. Small breaks continually developed, were chased down and a good bunch sprint saw plenty in contention for the prizes. Full report and placings to follow. If anyone has some good pictures of the finish of either race please e-mail them too me, I'll give you a credit if they are published. Thanks.

Merryfield should be going ahead tomorrow, if there is any news to the contrary it will be posted here as soon as it is known, so it might be worth a quick check before you set off on Tuesday.

08/04/05 Evening TTs push off As the weather reverts to winter a few hardy souls ventured out on their bikes to the first of the evening events. It was won by Stuart Dodd, with a very creditable 11:35, especially considering the strong head wind. Results: 07 April.

Open 10. There are just over 60 starters for the Yeovil 10 next Saturday, 16 April, which incorporates the West DC Team Championship. On paper it is a very close run battle between several teams, but we are in with a good chance. If you are not riding, or haven't yet been volunteered to help, come along to the Nuffield Sports Pavillion at Yeovilton and cheer on our riders. Start Sheet in pdf format

02/04/05 Pittards and Ham Hill Road Races The official start sheets will be sent out on Monday. Meanwhile click on the link for a pdf version of the Start Sheet. There is a full field for the Pittards with a full reserve list too, and the Ham Hill has over 50 riders.

02/04/05 Merryfield The opening night will be TUESDAY 12th APRIL. approx 6-20/6.30PM START.
REMINDER FOR YOU ALL: RIDERS FEE Is £20 •  SIGNED RIDERS DISCLAIMER • ALL Cheques Payable to T.V.R.C.A. •  NO HELMETS - NO RIDE • PLEASE BRING YOUR PASSES FOR THE GATE CHECKS
 RIDE SAFETY THIS YEAR - REMEMBER IT'S TRAINING. Ray Pollard. Yeovil riders, to get your pass please bring the signed declaration and your money with you on the first night and someone will either be stationed at the gate or in the car park to issue your pass.

29/03/05 Yeovil Spring 10 The Open 10 will take place on the published course. Entries for the event, which includes the West DC Team Championship close on Tuesday 5 April, if there is not a full field on that day I will hold it open until the post has arrived on Friday morning.

28/03/05 Pittards and Ham Hill Road Races The official closing date has now passed but if you get your entry to Mike Northcott in the next few days he may be able to squeeze you in still.

Bicycle friendly in Barnstaple We own The Old Vicarage Bed & Breakfast we are very cyclist friendly, located in the centre of Barnstaple, North Devon, we have a large double garage to keep your bikes safe, we are just 5 mins level walk from the towns shopping centre with pubs, restaurants, shops, theatre etc. For group stays we can accommodate up to 18 single people. Please see our site www.oldvicaragebarnstaple.co.uk David and Lynne Scott.

20/03/05 BC MEMBERSHIP OFFER British Cycling is offering us 20 FREE Bronze memberships to giveaway to club members who are not current British Cycling members and have not been members in the last 2 years. Members can opt to upgrade to Silver or Gold membership packages (which will be discounted the full £11.50 value of a Bronze membership). This discount can also be applied to a Family membership. For the Under-Sixteens, British Cycling is offering to exchange the free bronzes for free Silver memberships, which include insurance and legal advice benefits. How we allocate these has not yet been decided but if you are interested then please contact the Club Secretary in the first instance. Team Tor 2000/Somerset RC Easter 2up TTT Challenge Cancelled, due to roadworks.

Open 10 We are still awaiting a decision from the Highways Agency, six months after the initial meeting, on permission to place safety signs on the A303. We are pushing but if it is not forthcoming by the end of this week a definite decision will be made on which course we are going to use, and published here next week.

10/3/05 Team Tor 2000/Somerset RC Easter 2up TTT Challenge As the name suggests the event is being held over the Easter weekend, the Tor 2000 event on Good Friday (25th March) and the Somerset RC event on Easter Monday (28th March) - All details can be found on the CTT main website (under Full Events List then select March). Both races are being held on the U25, which is an excellent sporting course over approximately 15 miles around the Langport area which offers varied terrain (half of it it flat and the other half hilly!) on relatively quiet roads.
 
There will be a prize fund totaling at least £50 for the combined fastest time over the 2 events, as well as individual prizes for each race. Provided there are at least 3 entries in each category there will be prizes not only for the fastest scratch time, but also for teams containing a Ladies, Vets and Juniors. All entries must be recieved by the relevant organiser by Thursday 17th March, please make cheques payable to the organising club for each event.
 
If there is anyone who would not like to ride, but would be willing to offer their services on the day in any capacity please let us know, all help gratefully accepted! Andrew Crocker / Tom Cox

09/3/05 Calendar Change The Mid Devon 2 day stage race on Sat/Sun 16/17 April. Due to technical problems with the proposed courses the routes have been changed. The Saturday stages on 16th April will now be centred on Brentor using the well known, tried and tested 5 mile circuit. The opening stage from 13.00 hours will be one lap of the circuit. The afternoon stage starting at 15.40 will be 2 hours plus 3 laps of the same circuit. This should give a distance of greater than 100km (given that the racing is fast enough) to award points down to 15th place.
On Sunday the race moves to the Exeter Airport/Aylesbeare Circuit with the HQ at Whimple Cricket Club. This format will give all an opportunity to shine given that the Brentor Circuit does not have a steep hill - more a long drag. The Aylesbeare circuit does have a fair hill and this stage will also be 100km+. Entries officially close on 26th March so don't delay - cheques for £25.00 made out in favour of the "Mid-Devon Cycling Club" and sent to Ken Robertson, 9, Barnfield Road, PAIGNTON, TQ3 2JT

06/3/05 Tour of the South A new domestic stage race. To be held over four days in September on roads in southern and eastern England, the Tour of the South should provide a useful late season test for many of the country’s up and coming riders. The race will cover a distance of approximately 500 kilometres (310 miles). Starting in Dorset, riders will head north-east to skirt west London before entering the eastern home counties and then crossing into Kent to head for a finish in Sussex. Commencing on Thursday 15th September, stage one is expected to present a hilly start, using many of the roads utilised for the well established Tour of Cranborne Chase. From here, stage two will see the riders on the flatter roads between Reading and Milton Keynes before transferring to Soham for an undulating third stage finishing at Hadleigh. After an overnight transfer across the Thames to Maidstone, the field faces a challenging final stage on Sunday 18th September, traversing the Ashdown Forest before the finish in Crawley. The field of eighty riders will be made up of sixteen 5-man teams, with preference being given to division and home country national squads. Already six of British Cycling’s twelve divisions have confirmed their intention to field teams and invitations are now being extended to commercial and club teams who will complete the line-up Details of the route for each day are still being finalised, as is the size of prize fund available. But riders should have plenty to compete for, with the prizes for the stage and overall team competitions being augmented by individual as well as mountains and sprint awards.

Contact point for queries and more information is race co-ordinator Garth Staden. He can be reached by telephone/fax on 01903 879037 or by e-mail

04/3/05 Merryfield Details of this years programme. The Training sessions will take place on the airfield which is traffic free. The runways are very smooth, no sharp corners, very wide & the external circuit used is approx 3.2 miles.The sessions start on Tuesday early in APRIL starting at 6.15pm sharp & last approx for 1.hr – 1.15 hrs (7-10 LAPS) depending on ‘light’ conditions. At the end of APRIL the sessions WILL START AT 7.0pm sharp & continue at this time unless notified otherwise. The season will terminate in mid September ( T.B.ADVISED)It is the your responsibility to ensure that your bike is in a safe & roadworthy condition to ride.No tri bar usage is allowed.It is your responsibility to ensure that you have developed the necessary bike handling skills & fitness levels in order to cope with riding at high speeds in a reasonably large cycling group. Please ride in a group of similar abilities to minimize the chances of any erratic riding in a struggle to ‘HANG ON’. This should then minimize the switching’ of riders & reduce the risk of accidents.A final reminder to provide yourself with a suitable amount of drink to consume during & especially after the Racing session. It is advisable to ensure you have adequate time before & after a Racing session to properly warm up & warm down to prevent the risk of injury. A cycling helmet must be worn at all times during the RACING session.A TVRCA Club issued pass must be produced at the Racing session as proof of identity, if asked for at the entrance gate &/or by TVRCA officials.

The subs for 2005 remain at £20.00, a signed form and a cheque will need to be sent to our Club TVCRA rep, as soon as I know who that is I will post the form and the details here.

28/2/05 Evening Rides Well, I had good intentions when I mentioned the evening rides but with the weather forecast and the road at Marston being closed, I think tomorrow would not be a good time to encourage everyone out. How about Thursday if it has warmed up otherwise next Tuesday (8 March). Happy turbo training!

21/2/05 Evening Rides Where has everyone gone? The Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions seem to have stopped. The rides should be the basis of some good winter training, not fast but plenty of steady miles. The weather this week looks a bit suspect but how about a concerted effort next week to try and get the runs going again? If the current format, route or speed do not match the needs of the majority then they can be changed. We have over sixty members, surely we can meet the needs of one or even two groups. Tuesday or Thursday at 6pm by the Brympton roundabout.

7/2/05 Buyer beware From the Road Cycling UK website: Be warned. We all know about dodgy e-mails to classified sellers on eBay and cycling sites asking for cash and offering stupid terms. However, now the scumbags are praying on naive shoppers. So when internet shopping for bargain bikes only use properly approved and checked-out bike dealers, as this report from cycle trade website BikeBiz.com reports... Fermen Cycling, Kelmet-sale and Delin Cycles give London addresses but the postcodes are wonky and the whois records show the sites are registered to individuals in Texas, New Mexico and Illinois. One of the registrants has a Nigerian name. All three sites look identical, apart from the URLs and shop names. It's likely there are more such 419-scam shops out there, using the same template. 'Fermen' is also a name being used on eBay, in a number of variants. Buyers beware... fermen-cycle.com is registered to 'Fermen' of 130 Renda Lane #3 Dongola, Il 62926. delincycles.com is registered to Oladehinde Idowu of 7506 Clarewood Drive, Houston, Texas. kelmet-sale.com is registered to Derek S Riewe of 2608 Llano Encantado NW, Albuquerque. All three sites are hosted by Easyspace Ltd. of Glasgow. It's likely all are run by the same individual, or gang, possibly from America, more likely from Nigeria itself. On eBay, fermens1221 mutated into fermens1222 soon after fermens1221 was removed as a seller by eBay following complaints. The fermens postings on eBay seem to be automated because as soon as one fermens name is banned, another pops up and with 214 bikes for sale almost immediately. The online bike shops all provide the same 'about us' text, but with the shop names changed, of course. The scam is softened with some bizarre sales pitch... "Kelmet Cycling Shop was open in February 2002. Run by motivated and experienced staff always striving for providing the best possible service to our valued customers, we have quickly become one of the largest online bikes store located directly in the heart of England. Time is our enemy! We need to sell very fast!" All three shops claim to sell brands such as Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Litespeed, Kona and Specialized. However, the only bikes listed are 2004 Trek MTBs. All are priced in dollars. The sites urge would-be buyers to email in requests for the bikes. Obviously this is why time is their enemy... "We had many problems in past with stolen identity using credit card payment and we took the decision not to use direct credit card payment...We have 2 ways for payment: one via bank wire and is available for UK and international customers and the other one is via cash transfer... "After payment is confirmed in our bank account, it will take maximum 24 hours your order to be processed and shipment to be started. We will give you also the tracking number for shipment to track your bike."
Obviously this is a clear scam but just be aware that they are targetting bike buyers...

As the secret service says: "The perpetrators of Advance Fee Fraud (AFF), known internationally as "4-1-9" fraud after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraud schemes, are often very creative and innovative." These sort of fake sites often belong to 419-scammers of West African origin.

2/2/05 Staggering Home 'Tis rumoured that a certain Club Sectretary is having his Stag Party this weekend, and true to form it involves all the best things in life, cycling, drinking, rugby and even an escort when they arrive at the city...

... and not one of them wearing a helmet! Although one or two seem to have caps (Oops perhaps that has gone a bit too far - Ed). Does Bournemouth know what it has let itself in for? and if you are driving home from that direction on Sunday watch out for a group of hungover riders!

31/1/05 Dragon Rides If you fancy taking part in the Dragon Rides in South Wales (19th June 2005. It is a circular, 100 or 150km non competitive road cycle endurance ride over the hills and valleys of South Wales. The ride is designed for experienced cyclists, so should only be attempted by reasonably fit riders. Entry is open to 600 riders for a fee of £10 (£20 for tandems). Start and finish, Bridgend Recreation Centre. Further details from: BreakAway Cycling, 3 Highbury Crescent, Bridgend, South Wales CF31 4RD or at www.breakaway-cycling.co.uk. Tel: 01656 659116) then Mark A and John C are taking part and have room for more riders and their bikes. But you will need to get your entry in pronto as the places are going quickly.

24/1/05 Springtime Pursuits Now is the time to enter the Mid-Devon Cycling Club's Springtime Pursuits. This series of 3 races that will put speed into early season legs take place on Saturday 12, 19 and 26 Feb and start at 14.30 hours. The races are open to all categories from Junior to Elite and including women. The distances are 30, 31 and 40 miles respectively on a course that is primarily flat. The event HQ is the Cricket Club at Whimple some 8 miles East of the M5 Exit at Exeter. Entry Fee is £12.00 per race and all 3 races can be entered on one entry form.
If you want to make a weekend of it in the South West you will find that there is a sporting time trial in the area on the Sunday Morning. More details on the Mid Devon website soon.

19/1/05 Hedging - your bets There is a new piece of legislation than comes into force this year which prevents the cutting of hedges from 1 March to 31 July, so we should at least have a brief period when the roads are free from the dredded hedge clippings. Failure to comply with the legislation can lead to a loss of Government subsidy for the farmer. Mind you, outside of that time they will no doubt continue to cover the roads with shredded hedge!

17/1/05 The Pedaller The latest issue of the newsletter will be posted out tomorrow, or you can download a copy by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

10/1/05 On the move The website is moving to a new server, don't panic the address remains the same, it should just be quicker and more reliable. However there may be the odd teething problem so if you come across something that doesn't work please drop me an e-mail.

9/1/05 Club runs The current Club run has simply, by the needs of those regularly attending, become more of a training ride than a club run, with an average of 55 to 60 miles at a reasonable pace. We are aware that this may not suit all our members and therefore we are introducing a second run on a Sunday morning. The intention is to reduce the distance to 40-45 miles, with a coffee stop, but at a pace to suit everyone in the group. If possible the two groups will meet at the coffee stop, the training ride having done a large loop to get there and will also take a less direct route home. Those that are feeling fit can swap groups. or likewise riders wanting a less strenuous route home can join the slower group. It should not be a case of having to train for the club run, so if your New Years resolution involves getting out on your bike more come and join the Sunday runs, we meet at the Sports Club at 9am and aim to be back in Yeovil for 1pm.