Press Cuttings: 2005

by Garry Mitchener
CORRESPONDENT
email sportsdesk@westgaz.co. uk

YEOVIL Cycling Clubs early-season road-race promotions proved as popular as ever, 50 riders being attracted to the 75-mile Ham Hill Trophy and a full field of 60 taking part in the 45-mile Pittards Trophy.
The course took the riders from the start-finish area outside RNAS Yeovilton to Ilchester along the A37 to climb Coppits Hill, along Combe Street Lane and on to Mudford, Marston Magna and Queen Camel, turning left to Bridgehamton and back to Yeovilton. The 15-mile lap was completed five times by the elite, first, second and third category seniors in the Ham Hill event and three times by the third and fourth category seniors and juniors in the Pittards.
The Ham Hill Trophy was a very good, fast race with plenty of action throughout. The regions super team Cycleurope-Bianchi always had riders at the front of the race - but at the finish their new French signing Benoit Lagorce, an elite rider from Toulouse, was beaten into second place by second category John Pain (Leisure Lakes RT).
Neil Coleman (Cycleurope-Bianchi) was third, veteran Keith Lilley (Altrax) came fourth, last years winner Greg Sandy (Cycleurope-Bianchi) was fifth and A. Gough (Portswood CRT) finished sixth. Chard Wheeler Rex Facey was 14th and Graeme Lackford (Cycleurope-Bianchi). of Yeovil 15th after putting in a solid performance for his side who took the team prize.
The Pittards Trophy was won by Mid Devons Andy Hitchens who is enjoying a comeback season. He has now won all three of the Yeovil races, the Ham Hill in 1987 and the John Andrews Memorial in 1990. Second was Ion Wynn (Somerset RC) and third came A. Nelson (Sodbury CS).
Veteran Rod Bailey (Hardly Athletic CC) was fourth, Rob Lyne (CS Bristol) - a former winner as a junior - came fifth and M. Hargreaves (Ogmore Valley) finished sixth. Yeovil’s Mike Loader was well up in ninth place.
Loader was in good form last weekend when taking third place in Yeovil’s opening time-trial promotion. The ten-mile event on the Podimore course was contested by 61 riders and Loader was only eight seconds away from a win. David Keene (Bristol South) was fastest, recording 21 mins 59 secs, from David Kiddle (Cavalier CC) and Loader. Dursley RC took the team award.

by Garry Mitchener
CYCLING CORRESPONDENT
email sportsdesk@westgaz.co.uk

YEOVIL’S Michael Loader finished 72nd out of 134 finishers in the 25-mile Championship. The event is regarded as the blue riband of British time-trialing - and this years edition, staged at Glynneath in West Glamorgan, certainly lived up to expectations.
Michael Hutchinson (API Metrow) won in a championship/course-record time of 47 mins 15 secs (31.7 mph), finishing more than two minutes clear of runner-up Gethin Butler (Preston Wheelers). A measure of the quality of the field was that the first four averaged more than 30 mph. Loaders time was 55 mins 9 secs.
Yeovil’s Dave Driver was 36th from 67 finishers in the Veteran Time Trial Association National 25 on the A3 Liss to Liphook road in Hampshire. He clocked 1 hr 2 mins 10 secs.
Poole Wheelers ten-mile Holes Bay course is considered one of the fastest in the area and always attracts a good field. Yeovil club riders in the latest edition recorded good times - Shaun Walsh had 22 mins 38 secs, James Hector 22 mins 51 secs, Hugo Baldacchino 22 mins 59 secs and David Notley 25 mins 7 secs.
Hector followed up with a good ride in the Wessex 50, based on the A35. He recorded 2 hrs 8 mins 45 secs for tenth place.
Graeme Lackford (Cycleurope-Bianchi) continued his run of success in the Yeovil evening ten-mile series last week, winning in 21 mins 36 secs from Yeovil’s Andy Millward (22 mins 19 secs) and Somerset RC’s Rick Johnson (22 mins 26 secs).
The 16 June event will be a five-mile come and try it race for newcomers to the sport as part of National Bike Week. Riding starts at 7.15pm, with sign-on from 6.45pm at Podimore service area near Ilchester.

Team Tor 2000/Global Heating Ltd riders and the race squad have had a successful last month notching up nearly 30 top 10 placing including the odd win.
Monday, June 27, was the first of the Come And Try It time trial events. The warm summer evening brought out a good number of riders to the Burgle course.
The event was Won by Graeme Lackford in 22.20, using the event as final preparation for last Weekends National Masters Track Championships in which he won double gold in the pursuit and scratch races. The ride of the evening came from Tors Doug Dewey - at just 16 he managed a 23.26 to take second place overall using a restricted gear Tors times: 4 Mike Stitson 24.40, 6 Steve Noyce 24.56, 9 Nick Tidman 25.56, 11 Neil Taylor 26.48, 18 Rich Gandy 28.11, 15 Ian Matthews 29.07, 17 Mike Ellington 35.10. .
Once again the weather was in Tors favour for the second event in the four-race Global Heating Ltd Points Series at Merryfield Airfield, Ilton.
The E, 1, 2, 3 race saw Paul Barrett, of Chard, go clear of the main bunch on the first lap. It took a couple of laps to wind him in, but once the bunch pulled him back there was a classic counterattack.
With four riders clearing the bunch - Mark Gibbs, of Bridgwater, Greg Sandy, of Taunton, James Williams, of Exeter; and Barrett again this was a dangerous group of riders.
They soon settled down into a group that was working well with each other and the main bunch were not making an impression into the gap.
This was the pattern of the rest of the race with four of the them fighting out the sprint. Sandy found the little bit extra to put his wheel over the line first.
The 3, 4, W J race was again dominated by a split on the field early on with seven riders going clear including Tors Jon Opie, of Exmouth. These riders soon got themselves organised and it was clear that they were not
going to get caught.
With the gap growing each lap, Tors Tom Ireland, of Wells, jumped out of the chasing pack to bridge the gap in under a lap. Taking a few laps to recover he was soon at the front of the bunch with Opie making sure that the main field would not see those chasing riders again.
With under a lap to go Ireland put one last ditch effort to try and clear the bunch but this was not to be with the pursuers on his tail. However; it split the riders which allowed Opie to put in a mammoth sprint to take his first road victory of the year; closely followed by Dan Coast. The chasing bunch crossed the line with Brian Pearse leading from Tors Steve Noyce.

Team Tor 2000 riders at the Global Heating Points Series

GOLD GLORY: Yeovils Graeme Lackford, centre, celebrates one of his wins at the British Cycling National Masters Track Championship. Picture by Jill Lackford.

YEOVIL’S Graeme Lackford made a dream debut in the British Cycling National Masters Track Championship at Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. The 32-year-old, who rides for the Cycleurope-Bianchi team, came away with two
gold meda1s and champions jerseys.
In the 3,000m pursuit for those aged 30-34, Lackford recorded 3 mins 56.208 secs to beat S. Legg (Twickenham CC) who posted 3 mins 58.504 secs. Lackfords team-mate Greg Sandy, based in Taunton, had to settle for silver in the section for those aged 35-39.
Later in the day Lackford took the 15km scratch race title while Sandy slipped to bronze in his class. The Sandy family also figured in the more senior classes as Gregs uncle Peter Sandy (Somerset RC) won two bronze medals in the category for over-70s. -
This was Lackfords first attempt at a track competition at this level, his previous experience being the evening league at the Newport circuit in south Wales. But he had not ridden a pursuit race before.
Lackford carried his form over to the road when he won the Cavadier CC ten-mile time-trial on the Frome by- pass, recording 22:11. Yeovil Cycling Club took the team award with Mike Loader fifth (22:51), Andy Millward seventh (23:06) and Shaun Walsh 13th (24:08). Yeovil’s Dan Whaites was fastest junior, clocking 24:31 for 14th place
James Hector was Yeovil CCs lone representative in the national 100-mile time-triad championship at Alton, Hampshire, where he clocked 4 hrs 46 mins 16 secs.

by Garry Mitchener
CORRESPONDENT
e-mail sportsdesk@westgaz.co.uk

RAY Hughes of Clarence Wheelers won the 15-mile time-trial staged on the Bakers Arms-Holes Bay-Organford course near Poole. He clocked 31 mins 19 secs to finish almost 2.5 minutes ahead of Yeovil’s Mike
Loader who was tenth with a ride of 33 mins 46 secs.
The Antelope RT ten-mile time-trial also used the Upton Bypass-Bakers Arms roads but started at Canford Heath, on the hill above the Holes Bay roundabout and that made for a fast start. There were 112 finishers and the event was won by Ben Instone (a3crg) in a time of 19 mins 25 secs.
Loader was Yeovil’s best rider with 21 mins 36 secs for 22nd place. Andy Millward was 25th in 21 mins 45 secs, John Clemit 34th with a personal-best time of 22 mins 5 secs, Hugo Baldacchino 48th in 22 mins 46 secs and
David Notley 88th with 24 mins 48 secs
Millward and Clemit found conditions much different in the Mid Devon RC event, where a course change due to impending roadworks on the A38 moved the start to the outskirts of Plymouth. With a strong south-easterly wind blowing, times were well down. Only two competitors - winner John Wynn (Somerset RC) with 57 mins 37 secs and Julius leanings (CS Dynamo) with 58 mins 7 secs - finished in under one hour.
Millward was fourth with 1 hr 1 min 50 secs and Clemit came seventh with 1 hr 2 mins 42 secs.
Twenty riders took part in the Yeovil clubs penultimate five-miler of the year. Competitors experienced near-perfect conditions. Tom Ireland (Team Tor 2000) recorded the first sub-11-minute ride on the new course, clocking 10
mins 59 secs. Loader and Millward tied for second place with 11 mins 16 secs. James Denslow (Team Tor 2000) was fourth with 11 mins 31 secs and Yeovils Shaun Walsh fifth with 11 mins 53 secs.

Sandy secures trial triumph

YEOVIL Cycling Clubs autumn ten-mile time trial was recently contested on the popular A303-based Podimore course and it produced an exciting racing conditions.
Tauntons Greg Sandy (Cycleurope/Bianchi) won with 20.33 beating Ion Wynn (Somerset Road Club) by just four seconds. David Keene (Bristol South CC) was third clocking 20.49 while Dean Robson (Somerset RC) finished eighth and
was the fastest junior with a time of 21.39.
Dean Ward came 33rd in 23.58 and was the fastest Chard Wheeler. Tony Thorne (Bath CC) was the quickest veteran on age standard with a plus of 7.17 and Tracey Maund (Walsall Roads CC) was the first lady home. She
finished 42nd in 24.37.
OTHER KEY FINISHERS: 4. Jason Bohin (Sodbury CS) 21.13, 5. David Kiddell (Cavalier CC) 21.14, 6. Mike Loader (Yeovil CC) 21.25, 7. Stuart Dodd (Tor2000) 21.28, 10. Andy Millward (Yeovil CC) 21.41, 16. Shaun Walsh (Yeovil CC) 22.32, 19. John Clemit (Yeovil CC) 22.38, 20. Darren Rogers (Yeovil CC) 22.41, 34. Dan Waites (Yeovil CC) 24.03, 50. Gary Swain (Yeovil CC) 26.01.

THE annual Hill Climb competition on High Ham has now been postponed from this Sunday to Sunday 16 October to avoid a clash with a re-arranged 25-mile time trial on the Poole course. The event will start at 10am.

by Garry Mitchener
CORRESPONDENT
email sportsdesk@westgaz.co.uk

DOUG Dewey, a junior from Tor 2000, won the annual inter-club hillclimb event on the Pedwell side of High Ham near Langport.
The 16-year-olds time of 2 mins 56.1 secs for the 1,000-yard climb was the third-best so far. Nine-times winner Chris Absolom, who set the record of 2 mins 46 secs in 1997, has been concentrating on triathalon this year and did
not defend his title.
Somerset Road Clubs Dave Bentley was second with 3 mins 0.7 secs and a Polish guest rider, M. Bialoblocki, came third in 3 mins 2.9 secs. John Clemit was the winner of the Yeovil club championship thanks to fourth place (3 mins
7.9 secs).
Doug Hall, the lone TRI-UK rider, was fifth in the hillclimb with 3 mins 9.9 secs. Sixth was Mark Kurpyta (Somerset Road Club) with 3 mins 23.5 secs and seventh was Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino (3 mins 25.5 secs). Steve Pym of Yeovil finished eighth (3 mins 27.1 secs) and Dean Ward was Chard Wheelers fastest, clocking 3 mins 33.2 secs. Tor 2000s Steve Hickling came tenth with 3 mins 37.2 secs.
OTHER TMES: Steve Noyce (Tor 2000) 3:40, Kevin Andrews (Chard Wheelers) 3:48. Shaun Walsh (Yeovil CC) 3:59, Mark German (Chard Wheelers) 4:17, Neil Taylor (Tor 2000) 4:18, Dave Moran (Chard Wheelers) 4:21, Paul Sparks (Yeovil CC) 4:23, John Trout (Chard Wheelers) 4:33, Doug Wad (Chard Wheelers) 4:47.
YEOVIL’S Michael Loader finished in fourth place in the season-long Western District Short-Distance Best All-Rounder Competition. Points were awarded for a time-trialists best returns in two ten-mile, two 25-mile and one 50-mile
event on Western District courses. More than 200 riders -- including 14 Yeovil Cycling Club members - qualified.
Dan Whaites of Yeovil was third in the junior section and the club were fifth in the team category courtesy of Loader, Walsh (14th) and Dave Driver (41st).
OTHER YEOVIL PLACINGS: James Hector 53rd, Andy Millward 72nd, Clemit 81st, Darren Rogers 103rd, Nick Young 129th, Phil Whaites 141st, Gary Swain 187th, Baldacchino 196th, Andy Newbury 202nd, David Notley 204th.