GLOUCESTER CITY CYCLING CLUB
RACE REPORTS 2008
Gloucester City CC riders have continued to improve as the season progressed. Rupert Denny, the youngest member of the club, has broken the under 16 club record twice and now holds the record of 22 minutes and 16 seconds. He has ridden twenty five mile in 1h 2m 21s, 4 minutes quicker than last year and may soon break that hour barrier. He is expected to do a good ride in the National school boy time trial in September.
His father, Graham, has improved to a 23m 10s and has broken that magical hour on what was a really windy day. His next aim is to beat two hours for a fifty mile time trail and ride a hundred mile time trial.
Chris Vasey has had a slower start to the year but is coming into form with some quick times: a 21m 10s ten mile and a 55m16s twenty five mile trial. Watch this space!
John Murphy, who at 68 is the oldest racing member of the club, continues to show that age is no barrier. He has now beaten his ten year old personal best for fifty miles, recording 2h 4m 15s.
Guy Preece has also enjoyed a good season to date despite puncturing five times. He now has recorded the club’s fastest 50 mile time of 1h 55m 20s. He also knocked well over a minute off his twenty five mile time to achieve a new PB of 56 m 9 s and has won most of the the club’s Wednesday evening time trails.
Andy Palmer has shown much improvement over last year and recorded a 21 m ten mile and a 56 minute twenty five mile trial. His best improvement, though, has come at 50 miles where he has improved by almost 8 minutes to 1h 57m 9s.
In her second season of racing Sally Bartlett is now riding open events where she recorded a 26 minute ten and has ridden and finished a couple of twenty five mile events so far this year.
George Unsworth has recorded the club’s fastest times this year at ten and twenty five miles, both of which are personal bests for him. His ten time is a super fast 20m 27s and his twenty five mile time is 53m 58s, well over a minute below his previous best.
Simon Witts, riding his first proper season of open events, has knocked minutes off his times and now has a long 22 minute ten mile time and a 59m 49s twenty five miles to his credit, almost seven quicker than his previous best.
Darren Jewell has shown improvement at all distances, with a 20 minute ten, a 55 minute twenty five and a 1h 55m fifty under his belt. He’s also achieved a 4 h 10 m hundred miles and is now training for the Welsh twelve hour at the end of August.
All in all it has been a great start to season, and I hope to see many good rides from club riders as we go into second half of season.
20th April: Four riders from the Gloucester City CC / Rudy Project team started the Dursley RC Hardriders event on Sunday 20 April. This event is by far and away the hardest of the 12 events in the series, and despite being run on a shortened course still had three serious climbs and covered 23 miles. Riders started on the edge of Dursley and raced through Uley and up the long and steep Crawley Hill. This first climb needs to be taken carefully and the right choice of gear is essential. Riders then went down Frocester Hill, turning at Eastington to retrace their way back up Frocester Hill. This climb has a tough start and finish with a slightly easier middle section where time can be made up on other competitors. It was on the ascent that Derek Dowdeswell punctured. He carried on to the top on a soft tyre where he changed inner tubes: this cost him 8 minutes but he continued to finish in a creditable time of 1.28.30. The race then went down to Stroud, turning at the roundabout at the foot of the climb with the riders returning up the climb to Selsey Common and over the two cattle grids. Toby Wooldridge did a measured ride and pulled out all the stops for the final six miles of undulating road to the finish. His time of 1.18.55 was good enough for third place in the Gloucester team. Meanwhile Graham Denny, racing on his local roads, finished in an excellent time of 1.17.41. Mike Horsman finished with 1.24.30 - his choice of a full-on Time Trial bike may have cost him some time on the steep assents. George Unsworth was the leading Gloucester rider with a time of 1.07.58, 7th overall. The winning time was 1.02.57.
5th April. A blustery day for a time trial but that didn’t stop all 84 starters from finishing. The top spot was closely fought as Michael Loader of Yeovil CC missed out by only one second to Ben Anstie who won with a time of 21 minutes and 15 seconds. The top Gloucester city spot was closely contested as well as George Unsworth rode well into the strong headwind and beat Darren Jewell by only 14 seconds. Both riders produced outstanding times, Unsworth with 22:37 and Jewell with 22:51. These two times combined with Guy Preece`s time of 23:02 gave Gloucester City the team prize. Preece rode a fixed wheel bike which may not have been suited to the windy conditions. Not far behind was Andy Palmer who produced an excellent time of 23:11. Veteran John Murphy pulled off a great ride of 23:44 and beat his standard time based on his age by exactly 8 minutes flat. The next Gloucester City rider in line was Rupert Denny who beat his personal best by 6 seconds to come away with a 24:22 and finish just inside the top 50. Father Graham Denny struggled into the wind on the way back but still produced a strong ride of 25:34. Not far behind him was Chris Udall who finished inside the top 70 with a time of 26 minutes dead. All three Gloucester city women rode superbly in the harsh conditions. Liz Clegg finished with a time of 27:40 and one place behind her was Christine Colquhoun with a time of 28:08. Sally Bartlett who has been riding well in the club Wednesday night time trials finished with a time of 29:38. The organiser a former Gloucester City rider himself Gery McGarr hosted a terrific well planed event which is to be much thanked for.
30th March: Darren Jewell rode the Army Championship 25 mile time trail. All through not qualifying for the Army championship he just missed going under the hour by seconds. The winner was Richard Prebble a former Gloucester city rider now riding for GS Strada finished with a time of 52:30.
29th March: VC Sevale 10 mile time trail. The course itself was particularly tough and this wasn’t helped by the terrible weather. The winner was a top rode racer Paul Dring of Echelon Cycles with a outstanding time of 22:37. Andy Palmer was Gloucester City's top rider on the day with a respectable time of 25:34 which gave him a top 20 place. Simon Witts rode well and was pleased that the long hours on the bike in the winter paid off and gave him a time 26:14. Graham Denny finished strong with a place just inside the top 30, his ride was aided by his more aero dynamic position on the bike from last years old style. Rupert Denny rode well but due to his age and lack of strength into the wind, died in the final stages of the race and finished with a disappointing time of 27:36.Chris Udall was happy with his ride of 28:45 as this was his first open event of the year. Sally Bartlet also struggled in the strong winds and rain but still finished second lady.
24th March 2008: 3 riders of Gloucester City CCc took part in the Hereford and District Wheelers 25 mile time trail. The event was won with a super fast time by a top time trailist Rob Wood of Echelon Cycles with 56:17, one of only two riders to break the hour as what was described as a hard riders course. Top Gloucester City rider Andy Palmer finished with a time of 1:07:09 to finish inside the top 15. Next rider was John Murphy, his time of 1:10:13 was just outside the top 25. Next rider was Christine Colquhorn finished second quickest lady. Also racing on Easter Monday were Darren Jewell and George Unsworth who took part in the Northovers vets 2up 10 mile time trail which was held on the A38 between Highbridge and Weston. Despite not ever riding in a 2up event before, the pair produced a great time of 22:17 to finish 5th place out of a field of 32 teams and only 38 seconds behind the winners Colin Parry and Jason Streather who both ride for VC ST Raphael.
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