Press Cuttings: 2007

YEOVIL Cycling Clubs Michael Loader began the season well in the Sotonia C.C. ten-mile time trial at Thruxton, Hampshire, last Saturday Recording a time of 21 .21mins, he was fifth overall and fastest veteran in his first race for 18 months.
Team-mate Shaun Walsh clocked 23.10mins in 30th place from an entry of 120 but was pleased with his ride which was over a minute faster than his last outing.
Pete Kench, whose family home is in Somerton, posted fourth with 21.16mins riding for the Great Western club.
The winner was Michael Hutchinson of the In-Gear Quickfit team. The National Champion and course record holder recorded 20.03 mins.

YEOVIL Cycling Club scored their first win of the season when Mike Loader and Shaun Walsh recorded 20 mins 39 secs to become overall victors and fastest veteran pair in the Northover Vets Race Team
ten-mile, two-up, team dmi-trial at Axbridge, Sedgemoor.
Second were Andrew Butcher and Paul Sheppard (Cwmcarn Paragon, Wales) with 21:17 and third came Jon Wynn and Tom Cox (Northover Vets) with 21:20.
Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: 'Loader is enjoying his best start to a season as he carne to this event after taldng second place overall and becoming fastest veteran in the Diamond-HE.com ten-mile individual time-trial on the Ashton Keynes bypass, Wiltshire. He clocked 20:59, coming 20 seconds behind winner Nick Gardiner of John's Bikes. Gardiner is the current national champion at 24 hours. Baths Rob Pears was third, with 21:01.
Only 15 riders started Yeovil’s maiden evening time-trial of the season. Stuart Dodd of Team Tor 2000 was fastest, clocking 11:19. Second was Rick Johnson of Somerset RC with 11:47 and Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino, with 11:55, finished third.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s Ham Hill and Pittard Trophy road races attracted a combined entry of 127 riders.
The Ham Hill race - with 52 entries - was a 60-miler for seniors up to elite level. A breakaway group tried to forge a lead but did not gain more than a minute.
Graeme Lackford of Team Tor 2000 worked hard in the break but his efforts came to nothing when last years Pittard Trophy Winner Marcin Bialoblocki, a Polish rider living in Taunton, put down the hammer. Only
Grant Bayton (GWR Team) could live with the Middridge CRT man. At the finish outside RNAS Yeovilton, Bayton proved the best sprinter and beat Bialoblocki with ease. Veteran Keith Lilley (Team Certini) led in the main bunch at 35 seconds, taking third from Taunton’s Dave Bentley who rides for French club Ajchva Limoux.
Robert Wilcocks (Team Certini) was fifth and Mark Hayes (Penzance Wheelers, Cornwall) came sixth. Last years winner Pete Kench was 15th. Team Tor’s Stuart Dodd came 20th and Lackford was 21st.
The 45-mile Pittards Trophy event saw frequent attempts to break away - but only a few seconds was gained. The race was interrupted by several crashes, two riders needing hospital treatment.
Ian Rees (Climb on Bikes RT) proved fastest, with Matthew Ewings (Exeter Wheelers, Devon) second, Stephen Crutcher (Bournemouth Arrow) third, Simon Breakwell (Team Tor) fourth, Ian To (Swindon) fifth and Julius Jennings (Gillingham & District Wheelers) sixth. Yeovil’s only rider in the events, Mark Plummer, was in the bunch in the Trophy race and placed 17th.
Meanwhile, Yeovil’s in-form time-triallist Mike Loader suffered agony in the Bournemouth & District WCA 25-miler on the Upton bypass near Poole. Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: 'Mike was on course for a
top-three finish or even a win when disaster struck - his rear tyre exploded as he was travelling at 30 mph-plus and the £500 carbon-disc wheel broke up and he crashed on the grass bank. He suffered cuts and bruises."
Team Tor’s Doug Dewey won last Thursdays five-mile time-trial organised by the Yeovil club. He posted 11 mins 10 secs.

YEOVIL Cycling Club took the team award in their own open ten-mile time trial on the A303-based Podimore-Tintinhul-Podimore course.
Mike Loader led the team, recording 21 mins 9 secs for second place overall. Hugo Baldacchino was 15th (23:19) and Shaun Walsh 16th (23:19).
Rex Facey was best Chard Wheeler, clocking 22:17 for seventh place. Andy Lawrence was 23rd (24:25), Colin Gibbons 33rd (26:40), John Cobb 34th (26:40),Ivan Henry 35th (26Z55), John Trout 40th (27:54) and Doug Ward 45th (28:25).
Yeovil’s Rachel Clay was third Woman (39th overall with 27:41) and Team Tor 2000’s Neil Taylor took 19th spot 223:47).
Only ten seconds separated the top three in the CC Weymouth ten-mile time-trial held on the A352 (Owermoigne-Winfrith) . Loader was second (22:05) and Stuart Dodd of Tor was third (22:08). Other Yeovil riders were Walsh (23:39), Dave Driver (26:39) and Arthur Vince (33:58).
Last of the early five-mile events in Yeovil’s Thursday-evening series was won by Baldacchino in 11:53. Chard’s Dean Ward managed 12:05, Tor’s Craig Broardway 12:10, Loader 12:11, Taylor 12:23 and Tor’s Dave Robinson 13:05.

MIKE Loader coped best in Yeovil Cycling Clubs ten-mile time-trod last Thursday, recording 22 mins 18 secs for victory. Hugo Baldacchino posted 23 mins 17 secs, Shaun Walsh 23 mins 40 secs and Andy Millward 24 mins 53 secs in his first race this year. Chard’s Dean Ward managed 24 mins 58 secs and Chris Martin - still feeling the effects of a Lands End to John O’Groats ride - was sixth with 25 mins 19 secs.
Tonight Yeovil stage a five mile come-and-try-it event open to riders of all abilities.
Signing on will be at the Nuffield Sports Pavilion, RNAS Yeovilton (7pm).

SHAUN Walsh set a Yeovil Cycling Club veteran standard record when he starred at the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 30-mile time-trial on the Upton Bypass course.
Walsh shaved 3 mins 29 secs off the time set by Dave Driver in 1990. With the standard for 57 years set at 1 hr 29 mins 54 secs, Walsh had a plus rating of 18 mins 54 secs to leave him with a time of 1 hr 11 mins.
First Chard Wheelers promoted a 25 on the Podimore-Cartgate-South Petherton-Podimore course. The event did not enjoy an auspicious start when the key holder for the Yeovilton sports pavilion failed to show up and competitors had to change in their car or outside.
The race went off without further incident and Mike Loader (Yeovil) finished third with a time of 55 mins 17 secs behind winner David Keene (Bristol South CC).
Dean Robson (Somerset RC) crossed the line in 54 mins 54 secs. Rex Facey finished eighth and was the promoting clubs best finisher, in 57 mins 19 secs. He was followed by team-mates Paul Barratt (58 mins 53 secs) in 13th position, Dean Ward (1 hr 2 mins 10 secs) in 17th place and Mark German (1 hr 2 mins 46 secs) in 19th.
Yeovil’s only other rider was Hugo Baldacchino who was 15th in 1 hr 20 secs. Other Chard finishers included Andy Lawrence (1 hr 5 mins 58 secs), Toby Gilmore (1 hr 6 mins 54 secs), Dave Moran (1 hr 6 mins 57 secs), Mark Antell (1 hr 8 mins 51 secs), Ivan Henry (1 hr 8 mins 53 secs), Colin Gibbons (1 hr 9 mins 40 secs) and John Trout (1 hr 10 mins 3 secs).
Team Tor 2000’s Neil Taylor (21st) and Simon Breakwell finished in 1 hr 3 mins 40 secs and 1 hr 9 mins 5 secs respectively
Forty-two riders from an entry of 52 took part.
The Yeovil evening ten was won by Loader in 21 mins 39 secs. Ian Locock was second in 23 mins 3 secs and Walsh came third in 23 mins 9 secs. Baldacchino was fourth with a time of 23 mins 12 secs.
Ward (23 mins 20 secs) was fifth and Driver (24 mins 7 secs) finished sixth.

THE John Andrews Memorial Road Race, staged by Yeovil CC and centred on Long Sutton, attracted an entry of 70 from across the South.
It was open to' second-, third- and fourth-category riders and covered 65 miles. Garry Mitchener of Yeovil CC said:' The race was run at a cracking pace with attacks on every lap. Local rider Stuart Dodd enjoyed a few miles off the front in the first few laps. As the pace, more than 25mph, began to tell, an attack on the drag up through Upton split the field and enabled the winning break of seven to gain a gap of a minute.
At the hard uphill finish Andrew Hitchens of Mid Devon pulled clear to win by three seconds from Grant Leaves of Goldtec/Sportage, Phillip Borrett of Bikinmotion; Serge Scott of Johns Bikes, Jason Floods of Team Certini, Rex Facey of Gillingham & District, Julius Jennings of Gillingham & District and Dean Robson of French club Ajchva Limoux.
Hitchens, aged 41, won this race in 1990 when it was open to first-category riders and covered more than 80 miles.
Yeovil riders had a good day at the Bournemouth Jubilee ten-mile time-trial near Andover, Hampshire. In the over-50s class, Shaun Walsh recorded a personal-best time of 21 mins 34 secs for eighth place and Dave
Driver clocked 22 mins 53 secs, also a personal-best time, for 24th said Mitchener “Drivers time is a Yeovil record on age standard”.
At the Clevedon & District 50-miler, which included the Western Veteran'Championship, Yeovil’s Mike Loader was fifth overall. Winner was David Kiddell (Cavalier) who clocked 1 hr 55 mins 11 secs.

COMPETITORS in last Thursdays Yeovil CC evening time-trial at Podimore near Ilchester avoided rain but were undone by strong wind.
Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: "Riders faced a strong head wind on the outward leg and could not make up the difference in time on the return and most were more than a minute slower than
usual.'
Shuan Walsh was the fastest, clocking 23 mins 55 secs. He was followed by Hugo Baldacchino with 24 mins 4 secs, Mike Loader with 24 mins 35 secs, Chris Absolom with 24 mins 54 secs, Chards Dean Ward
with 25 mins 33 secs and Phil Whaites with 26 mins 43 secs”.

YEOVIL’S come and try it five-mile time-trial last Thursday attracted 25 riders including six on debut.
“Highlight of the evening was the performance of Somerton’s Doug Dewey - of Team Tor 2000 - who broke the course record by clocking 10 mins 55 secs”, said Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener.
Yeovil’s Mike Loader was second with 11 mins 4 secs and Rex Facey of Chard Wheelers was third with 11 mins 17 secs.
Three of the debutants broke the 20 mph average known as evens in the cycling world. Fastest was John James with 13 mins 55 secs for 14th place followed by Alan Thorner in 16th and T. Wood in 19th.
Next Thursday there will be a ten-mile event starting at the usual Podimore service area. Signing on will be at 7pm.

SOME of the top riders in the South of England competed in a two-day stage race promoted by Somerset’s Team Tor 2000. And there was plenty of success for the organising club.
Team Tor chairman Stuart Dodd said: Day one, based at the Merrylield airfield, Ilton near Ilminster, consisted of a prologue over one mile, a 35-mile circuit race and a team time-trial over 20km against the clock in
succession.
With only 30 seconds separating all the riders in the prologue Pete Kench of Team Tor/ GWR showed that he was on top form by putting two seconds into his nearest rival.
Within the first lap of the circuit race, the field had split into two bunches with all the main contenders in the lead group. Soon the harsh wind had the second bunch split into two. Setavento Series leader James Williams of Kona took the win from Kench.
The five-up team time-trial was dominated by Team Tor/GWR. With the sun still blazing and the wind dropping, the five riders powered their way around the 20km in 26.50 secs, with 38 secs advantage over nearest
rivals Kona.
At the end of the first day, Team Tor/GWR held first, second and third on general classiiication. The second day consisted of a 70-mile road race from Somerton to Compton Dundon and back six times.
Riders set off from the Overt Locke car-park. An early breakaway containing three Kona riders and two Team Tor/GWR riders made for a spectacular finish.
There was another stage win for Team Tor/ GWR as Ben Luckwell charged across the line first.
Kona took the events team award although Kench finished on top spot overall. Team Tor/ GWR were second team.
Other Team Tor/GWR riders were Graeme Lackford, Doug Dewey and Paul Buchanan.

SECOND PLACE: Team Tor 2000/ GWR were second team overall in the two day stage race in south Somerset.

MIKE Loader recorded a personal-best time and set a Yeovil Cycling Club record when he starred in the Corinium CC 50-mile time-trial on Sunday.
In the event at Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire, Loader clocked 1 hr 50 mins 29 secs for second place overall. He was fastest veteran, 14 seconds slower than overall Wilmer George Unsworth (Gloucester
City CC) and beat his own 2002 record by 10 secs. Ilchester-based Stuart Dodd (Team Tor 2000) was 15th with 1 hr 54 mins 28 secs.
Yeovil’s ten--mile event last Thursday included riders from Devons Sid Valley CC, their own course out of use through roadworks.
"Chard Wheeler Rex Facey upheld the honour of the regulars with a winning time of 21 mins 21 secs from Sid Valleys Karl Hodson who clocked 22 mins 19 secs", said Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener.
Yeovil’s Shaun Walsh was third with 23 mins 31 secs, Martin Fullard of Sid Valley posted 23 mins 38 secs and Loader managed 23 mins 42 secs, with Chard’s Dean Ward sixth (24 mins 16 secs).

THE last round of Yeovil Cycling Clubs Thursday- evening ten-mile time-trial series was typical of the season so far, with threatening rain and strong winds.
Ian Lockock of CC Weymouth was fastest, recording 22 mins 48 secs to win from Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino (23 mins 8 secs),
Chards Richard Easton (23 mins.24 secs), Yeovil’s Mike Loader (23 mins 29 secs), Chards Dean Ward (23 mins 44 secs) and Weymouths Paul Gould (23 mins 48 secs).
"Most notable ride of the evening was that of new Yeovil member Robert Martin Who has improved with every race since he started a few weeks ago", said the promoting - clubs spokesman Garry Mitchener.
He started with 27 mins 22 secs, followed up with 26 mins 35 secs and then, this time, managed 25 mins 58 secs for ninth place.
We now continue with five-mile events on the Yeovilton road. With the evenings drawing in, the start time will be 6.45pm and signing on - at the Podimore services - will be
at 6.30pm. The last event will be on 13 September.
Yeovil fielded a team in the Antelope Race Team ten-miler on the Upton bypass near Poole on Sunday. Winner was Ben Instone of a3crg, who clocked 20 mins 18 secs to be the only finisher sub-21 mins.
Ilchester-based Stuart Dodd (Team Tor 2000) was second with 21 mins 11 secs and Loader was Yeovil’s best, posting 21 mins 34 secs for fourth place and the title of fastest veteran.
Baldacchino was 33rd (23 mins 21 secs) and fellow Yeovil rider Dave Driver came 47th (24 mins 13 secs). There were 107 finishers. Andy Lawrence was Chard’s best, 57th in 24 mins 32 secs. Club-mates Dean Ward (59th, 24 mins 34 secs), Dave Moran (70th, 25 mins 6 secs) and Doug Ward (102nd, 28 mins 36 secs) also finished.

YEOVIL’S Mike Loader rode into third place in the East DorsetCA 15-mile time-trial at Lytchett Minster near Poole, recording 32 mins 53 secs for an average speed of 27.3mph.
Winner was lake Prior (VC St Raphael) who posted 32 mins 32 secs for 27.6mph.
Loader worked up to the Lytchett event by winning the Yeovil clubs five-miler in a record time of 11 mins 1 sec. Hugo Baldacchino (Yeovil CC) was second with 11 mins 46 secs.
Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: " Robert Martin, with 13 mins 31 secs, led home his family. Son Ashley, aged 13, had 14 mins 53 secs for ninth place, wife Clare posted 16 mins 45 secs for 11th and daughter Adele, 12, clocked 16 mins 52 secs in 12th spot.

OTHER LEADING TIMES: Neil Taylor (Team Tor 2000) 11 mins 55 secs, Shaun Walsh (Yeovil CC) 12 mins 7 secs, Chris Martin (Yeovil CC) 12 mins 57 secs, Steve Way (Ratae RC - riding a 1950s-style time trial bike with a single fixed gear and only a front brake) 12 mins 59 secs.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s Mike Loader had a tough test when he rode the Bath CC 25-miler.
The course was based on three laps of the Frome bypass - and conditions were not easy as a strong south-westerly wind blew down the return leg.
Only four riders beat the hour mark – and Loader was one of them. The promoting club’s Rob Pears was fastest, recording 57 mins 47 secs, with Loader second by clocking 58 mins 17 secs.
Yeovil’s Shaun Walsh produced a lifetime best for the distance when he competed in the Andover Wheelers event in Hampshire. He posted 57 mins 46 secs for third place in the over-50s class, having warmed up the
previous afternoon in the Andover ten-mile race where he came fifth with 21 mins 52 secs.
Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino was 11th, with 59 mins 20 secs, and Dave Driver was 29th, with 1 hr 1 min 56 secs, in Poole Wheelers 25 on the Upton bypass. Chard Wheelers Dean Ward (28th with 1 hr 1 min 42 secs),
Andy Lawrence (35th with 1 hr 2 mins 38 secs) and Doug Ward (1 hr 9 mins 54 secs) also took part.

YEOVIL Cycling Club's autumn ten-mile time trial was recently contested on the popular A303-based Podimore course and again produced a close finish with just 11 seconds dividing the top three.
Jake Prior (Andover Wheelers) was fastest clocking 21 mins 04secs headng Jason Bohin (Diamond-hf.com) 21mins 11secs and Yeovil's Mike Loader recording 21mins 15secs.
Ilchester's Stuart Dodd (Team Tor 2000) was fourth in 21mins 37secs and lead Tor to the team award with Simon Breakwell 22mins 06secs and Neil Taylor 22mins 52secs. Fastest veteran on Age Standard was
Tony Thorn (Bath C.C) and fastest lady was Sue Brimecombe (CS Dynamo) clocking 27mins 59secs.
The age group awards went to Prior (40-49), Rick Johnson (50-59, Thorne (60-69) and over-70's to Peter Tindley.
Yeovil’s times: Shaun Walsh 22mins 57secs and Chris Martin 24mins 32secs. Chard Wheelers times: Rex Facey 21mins 49secs, Dean Ward 24mins 07secs, Andy Lawrence 24mins 33secs, John Trout 26mins 47secs, Doug Ward 27mins 54secs and Dave Braunton 27mins 55secs.
Yeovil's Dave Driver raced a bit further afield in the Severn R.C. 50 miler and clocked 2 hours 11mins 08secs for 41st place behind winner Nick Bowdler.

THE host club had to settle for second place when Chard Wheelers staged a hillclimb at Yarcombe, east Devon.
Lee Pinchen of Somerset Road Club, Taunton, won with a course-record time of 4 mins 50 secs.
Chard’s Rex Facey was second with 5 mins 23 secs but had the satisfaction of his time being a club record.
Third place went to Tom Alliban (5 mins 43 secs) of the Yeovil club.
Light winds greeted riders in Yeovil’s hillclimb at High Ham near Langport. Andy Moore (Somer Valley, Midsomer Norton) retained his title by clocking 2 mins 52.7 secs to beat Ben Hutley (Camel Valley, Cornwall) - with 2 mins 55.2 secs - into second place.
Facey was third, posting 2 mins 56 secs, and Alliban managed 3 mins 10.5 secs for fifth place and the Yeovil Club Championship.
Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino (3 mins 23.7 secs) was seventh. Andrew Mapson (3 mins 24.3 secs) of Chard came eighth and club-mate Dave Moffett (3 mins 25.1 secs) got home in ninth spot, with Shaun Walsh (3 mins 33.6 secs) of Yeovil tenth.

NATIONAL CHAMP: Shaun Walsh of Yeovil Cycling Club won the section for riders aged 55-59 at the national hillclimb event staged at Cheddar Sedgemoor. He stormed up the 2.1-mile climb of the gorge in 9 mins 5.5 secs. Mitch Pope of Gillingham & District Wheelers came top in the section for those aged 50-54, clocking 10 mins 32.6 secs. The hillclimb attracted 146 riders and around 1,000 spectators.