Press Cuttings: 2011

YEOVIL Cycling Club members have enjoyed a strong start to the season competing in hill time trials, team time trials and circuit races.
Shaun Walsh began his defence of the Western Hardriders Time Trial Series 60+ class with wins in all four of his opening events. Hugh Knudson earned an upgrade from fourth category to third thanks to a win and an eighth-placed finish at Upavon. Club secretary Mark Plummer finished fourth in another race.
Somerset Road Club junior Jack Plummer claimed the first Yeovil Thursday evening time trial of the season, finishing the nine-mile circuit based at Sparkford in 25 minutes and 28 seconds. Ashley Martin (26.24) of Langport came second, While Yeovil-based Simon Rouse (26.43) ended third.
Full fields of 80 riders are expected for this weekends Ham Hill and Pittard, Trophy The Ham 60-mile event boasts 15 elite riders, with racing starting on Sunday at 10am.

THE Ham Hill Road Race enjoyed near-perfect conditions on Sunday when cyclists from across the country headed to the 60-mile course that takes in the four Climbs of Coppitts Hill.
Nearly 50 riders contested the finish near RNAS Yeovilton with Justin Hoy of the Felt-Colbournes Race Team crossing first in a race that boasted an average speed of 27MPH.
The supporting Pittard Trophy 45-mile race for third and fourth seniors and juniors followed a similar pattern to the elite race with all the attack failing to gain ground.
Rob Lyne, winner in 1993, looked set to to win when starting the last lap two minutes ahead of his closest competitor before his chain snapped on the last climb of Coppitts. Simon Snowden of Chippenham Wheelers took a close finish while Langport junior Ashley Martin came sixth.
Yeovil Cycle Club’s Mark Plummer fell in a crash, Mike Loader was delayed by an earlier incident and Hugh Knudson suffered a double puncture in the closing stages.
Loader had enjoyed success in the second Thursday Time Trial, finishing the 5-mile event in 11 minutes and 24 seconds. He was followed home by Hugh Baldacchino (11.52), Alex Walsh (12.00), Shaun Walsh (12.10) and Nick Young (12.24).
Yeovil’s next promotion is an open ten-mile time trial on Saturday, starting at 3pm at Podimore.

FORMER Yeovil Cycling Club member and Naval chief petty officer Sean Childs returned to familiar territory to win their open ten-mile time trial on Saturday Clocking 20 minutes 17 seconds he led the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Cycling Association team to victory on the Podimore-Ash Flyover course with Simon Edney (21:18) and junior Harry Edney (22.16).
Crewkernes Tom Aliban (20.56) of Revo Racing finished fifth, while Mike Loader (21.17) was first across the line for Yeovil. Chard Wheeler Dean Ward (23.30) crossed in 34th place.
Loader (11.19) took top prize in the third Yeovil Thursday evening five-mile race, finishing first in a record turnout of 37 riders. Next weeks scheduled 10-mile race has been changed to a nine-mile event on the Queen Camel-Yeovilton course to avoid Easter traffic on the A303.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s two riders finished 21st and 28th in the tough Bath CC 10-mile event on Saturday with Mike Loader and Chris Martin posting times of 21 minutes 31 seconds and 22.01 respectively.
Veteran tandem pair Dave Driver and Shaun Walsh struggled with wind direction at the Ogmore Valley Wheelers 25, while Loader pipped Martin to the post at Yeovil’s Thursday evening 10.

CHRIS Martin broke the course record for Yeovil Cycling Club’s nine-mile time trial which runs from Queen Camel to Ilchester and returns via Yeovilton. He recorded 21 minutes exactly in warm conditions beating Somerset Road Club’s Jack Plummer’s previous record by four seconds. Mike Loader (21.40), Hugo Baldacchino (22.05) and Graeme Lackford (22.24) followed the victor home.
Baldacchino (2.12.50) was well below his best to finish 20th in the Wessex 50, while Crewkerne’s Tom Aliban posted 1.52.56 to come third.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s time trial team were forced to battle strong winds as they targeted the Poole Wheelers 10-mile event on the Old Wareham Road on the weekend.
The potentially fast A35 Upton bypass course made for a tough ride, with Chris Martin finishing highest for the club in 13th position.
Martin clocked a time of 22:08 and pushed club mate Alex Walsh into 18th place with a time of 22:44.
Nick Young came in two places further down with a time 22:55 and Hugo Baldachino was 33rd in 23:36. Chard Wheelers Dean Ward and Mark German tied in 47th place both clocking 24:49. The event Winner Was Chris Ball from Bio Bike R.T, who recorded an impressive time over the course of 20:14. There were 66 finishers in total.
Yeovil’s Thursday evening event was also a 10 miler on the Podimore - Ash Flyover and back course. It attracted only 12 riders, again due to tough riding conditions.
Martin was again quickest with 22:44 followed by Mike Loader 23:24, Shaun Walsh 23:32, Young 23:35, Driver 24:58 and Pete Chapman in sixth with 25:07.
This weeks event is a nine mile challenge on the Queen Camel - Yeovilton - Northover course.
Cyclists can meet at the headquarters at Yeovilton, tonight at 7.30pm.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s Mike Loader (11 minutes and 20 seconds) reversed the result of the previous time trial to beat Ashley Martin by a second in the final event of the summer.
The pair were closely followed by Chris Martin (11.40), Hugo Baldacchino (11.51), Mark Plummer and Nick Young (both 11.53).
Seventy riders have registered for a 10-mile trial on the Podimore A303 course on Sunday.

MIKE Loader was the first Yeovil Cycling Club member over the Autumn ten mile time trial finish line, clocking 22 minutes and eight seconds for seventh overall.
Alex Walsh (22:40), Chris Martin (22:49), Nick Young (23.35) and Hugh Knudson (23.52) were close behind in completing the popular A303-based circuit that sees entrants race from Podimore to the Ash flyover and back.
The Yeovil club head to High Ham on Sunday for their annual hill climb championship, with racing starting at 10am

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s annual hill climb championship attracted a record 33 riders from seven clubs.
Somer Valley duo Nick Cleed (three minutes, 1.1 seconds) and Rob Edgell (3.02.1) were first across the finishing line having completed the half-mile climb at High Ham. They were soon followed by Chard’s Rex Facey (3.02.7), with Mark Plummer (3.13.5) the first Yeovil rider home.

ANDY Gaylard became the latest Yeovil Cycling Club rider to get his foot on the first rung of the British Cycling road race rankings ladder when he obtained the two points he needed to progress to third category
The cyclist came eight in the Omega Points Grabber near Portsmouth, following in the footsteps of club-mates Shaun Hanna and Hugh Knudson, who achieved the same category status earlier this year Next year the trio will require 40 points to move up another class.
Veteran hill climber Shaun Walsh had to settle for second in the 60-65 category at the National Hill Climb Championship in Buxton, Derbyshire. A time of 16 minutes and 39.6 seconds left him 107th out of 150 riders, while neighbour Kurtis Rowe, 16, came 90th with 16.10.0. Chard Wheeler Rex Facey finished 73rd (15:37.6).

YEOVIL Cycling Clubs Kurtis Rowe made a winning start to the Western League cyclo-cross series, triumphing in the junior section.
The promising 16-year-old has already won the clubs juvenile and junior best all-round time trial trophies, and took his bike supplied by British Cycling under the Go-Ride scheme to glory in Bristol.
Outright winner at Hengrove Park was first category senior Pete Kench of Somerton.
Meanwhile, Yeovil veteran pairing Dave Driver and Shaun Walsh are the first recipients of the Janet Wilson Trophy presented by the West Veteran Time Trial Association for outstanding achievement. The pair set age-related national tandem records over 10 and 25 miles.
Walsh also won the season-long Western Hardriders time trial series in the over-60s class, finishing ahead of the over-50s winner.

CREWKERNE’S Tom Aliban of Revo Racing was the first local rider across the line at the 25-mile Time Trial Championship event held at Holsworthy.
He registered a time of 59 minutes 38 seconds for 40th place. Chris Martin of Yeovil CC ended 78th, while Dean Ward crossed in 105th. Jack Plummer (1.01.30) was 12th in the junior race.
Yeovil’s Thursday evening five-mile race was won by Mike Loader in 11.22, followed by Martin (11.39), Alex Walsh (11.45) and Hugo Baldacchino and Nick Young (11.54) in equal fourth. South West Junior Road Race Championship winner Ashley Martin (11.56) of Langport came sixth.
Yeovil stage their annual John Andrews Memorial race over 65 miles at Long Sutton on Sunday boasting a field of 80 riders.

TWO juniors came out on top in the latest round of the senior-dominated Yeovil Club nine-mile time trial.
Langports Ashley Martin who rides for Chippenham and District Wheelers equalled the course record to win in 21 minutes, while Jack Plummer of Somerset Road Club was seven seconds slower. Team Tor 2000’s
Nathan Cox came third in 21.24 while Chris Martin was fourth (21.25).
Royal Navy and Royal Marine CNS Barrie Whitehead took local honours in the 24-hour Championship Time Trial, covering 407.48 miles, while East Coker’s Arthur Vince of Yeovil CC completed 263.57 miles.

LOCAL riders return from Cardiff 100 Miles 25mile Usk-Monmouth event with a host of personal best times.
Yeovil’s Chris Martin clocked 54 minutes and 31 seconds in 13th place, while Alex Walsh registered 57.30 in 33rd. Alex’s father Shaun was just ten seconds behind and Chard Wheelers Andy Lawrence beat an hour for the first time in 62nd.
Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino posted less than an hour for the first time this season in the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 25 as he finished behind second-placed Revo Racing rider Tom Aliban (54.25) of Crewkerne.
Martin (22.15) mastered windy conditions to win the Yeovil’s most recent ten-mile race, closely followed by Mike Loader (22.47) Les Thomas clocked 23.50 in his first time trial.
Yeovil Cycling Club will host an open 25 on Sunday with the first entrant starting the Podimore-Cartgate-South Petherton course at 7.07am.

YEOVIL Cycling Club members filled the first six places in a rain-hit Thursday Time Trial last week.
Mike Loader led home 14 riders over a five-mile course between Yeovilton and Northover clocking 11 minutes and 25 seconds. Chris Martin (11.31) was close behind as cyclists benefited from a relatively traffic, and spray-free A303, with Nick Young (11.50) and Kurtis Rowe next. Rowe beat 12 minutes for the first time and has improved by nearly five minutes since April. His neighbour and mentor finished in sixth, behind Rowe for the first time.
Yeovil’s Andy Gaylard needs just two more points to climb a category after finishing second in the fourth category event at the Team Tor 2000 circuit race series at Merryfield, Ilton

CREWKERNE’S Tom Aliban of Revo Racing was a class apart as he romped to victory in time trial number 18.
Held in arguably the best conditions of the summer he posted a time of 21 minutes and ten seconds ahead of Mike Loader (22.14) and Alex Walsh (22.36). Nick Young (22.44) finished fourth while Yeovils Peter Chapman
registered a personal best of 23.54 in sixth.
Andy Lawrence was Chard Wheelers best performer clocking 24.16 in eighth, ahead of Dean Ward (24.44) and Dave Moran (25.55) in 12th and 13th. Yeovil juniors Jake Thomas (27.09) and Ben Luckett (27.23) took 16th and 17th.
The next event covers a five-mile course and starts at the earlier time of 7pm

NINE riders overcame a strong head wind to post times under 12 minutes in Yeovil Cycling Club’s five-mile time trial.
Junior Ashley Martin of Langport was fastest with 11 minutes and 14 seconds, closely followed by Yeovil’s Mike Loader (11.21) and Chris Martin (11.23). Hugo Baldacchino crossed in fifth with 11.52, while Alex Walsh and1 Mark Plummer (11.54) tied for fifth.
Yeovil’s next event, a ten-mile handicap, will start at 6:45pm.

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s Alex Walsh improved on his personal best by more than a minute at Merthyr CCs 25-mile race at Glynneath, Wales.
He completed the course in 55 minutes and two seconds, while father Shaun posted 55.59 to also beat his previous best by more than 60 seconds as they finished 49th and 61st respectively. Chard Wheelers’
Andy Lawrence and Mark German rode personal bests of 58.04 and 59.16 respectively in the events overflow category Yeovil’s Mike Loader came home sixth in 21.52 in the Weston Wheelers 10, held on the A38 between Lowe; Weare and Brent Knoll. Dave Driver (24.26) and Doug Ward (28.26) were close behind, while Chard’s Dean Ward posted 24.30 and John Beaven finished in 25.24.

MIKE Loader battled the elements to set a new event record in the Yeovil Cycling Clubs evening series.
He completed the nine-mile Queen Camel-Yeovilton-Northover course in 20 minutes and 57 seconds ahead of Chris Martin (21.08) in second and third-placed Michael Leech of Team Tor 2000 (21.10.)
Hugo Baldacchino registered a personal best in fourth with 21.40, while Jon Wilkinson-Lockyer (22.04) and Nick Young (22.54) took fifth and sixth respectively
The clubs next event is the five-mile Handicap Shield, starting at 6.45pm from Yeovilton sports pavilion.
Sunday club runs continue to be popular with more than 30 riders taking part in a 40-50 mile ride starting from Johnson Park at 9am. A ladies run starts at 9.15am.

YEOVIL Cycling Club hold their final time trial this evening after Langport junior Ashley Martin won the penultimate event last week Martin (Chippenham and District Wheelers), who has recently returned from competing in the Junior Tour of Wales clocked a time of 11 minutes and 11 seconds to beat Yeovil CCs Mike Loader by five seconds.
Crewkernes Tom Aliban (Revo Racing) was fastest of the local riders in the Port Talbot Wheelers 25 in Wales with a time of 53.54, with Yeovil CCs Chris Martin clocking 57.16.

PEDAL POWER: Members of Yeovil Cycling Club show off medals and trophies won at their annual presentation. From left is Chris Martin (short distance all-rounder), Hugh Knudson (road race), Shaun Walsh (veteran BAR and National Championship performance), Mike Loader (evening IT points and best in a Yeovil road race), Mark Plummer (service shield and hill climb), Alex Walsh (best 50 and long distance BAR) Kurtis Rowe (juvenile and junior BAR), Ian Smith (five-mile handicap), and Dave Driver (Janet Wilson Trophy won with Shaun Walsh).