Reading Cycling Club press report, week ending 23 May 2010

Nick English at the National 10-mile Championship

Time Trials
National 10-Mile Championship
Nick English placed 15th in the National 10-mile Time Trial championship
on Sunday, the best finish by a Reading rider in a national championship
for many years. English outperformed his start seeding to scorch home in
20:19 against the fastest short-distance time triallists in the country.
The action took place on a course at Alcester in Warwickshire in hot and
sunny conditions. Michael Hutchinson (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT)
was a clear winner in 18:37, with GB track squad rider Ed Clancy in
second place and Andy Tennant (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) in third.
English, a former GB Olympic squad rower, had prepared carefully for
this event and has been showing excellent form in recent tests. He
commented on the championship: "It was hot hot hot so I used plenty of
old rowing tricks to keep cool whilst 'warming up'. I started as number
74, pretty much mid field, and enjoyed having the fastest ride on the
board for a full 20 minutes. I guess it proves with TT'ing that details
matter."
Mark Lyford, club secretary, commented, "It was a superb effort and the
club are duly proud."
English is now looking forward to other significant races this season:
"I will do the National '50' and I am also looking to the British Best
All Rounder competition. It would also be nice to update the club
25-mile record."

National 10-Mile Championship (144 finishers):
1 Michael Hutchinson, In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT, 18:37
15 Nicholas English, Reading Cycling Club, 20:19

Photo caption: Nick English pulled out a stunning ride at the National
10-mile Championship
Photo credit: Martin Cairns

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Maidenhead & District 14.3 mile time trial
Roderick MacFadyen rode the Maidenhead event at Fifield on Sunday
afternoon. "It was brutally hot and I was shattered at the end", he
said, "but I did my best time ever for this course." The event was moved
to a later date in the calendar than in previous years but no-one would
have expected temperatures in the high 20s and unbroken sunshine.
American rider Jesse Elzinga was fastest, taking 31:57 to cover the
circuit which centres on Drift Road.
Selected results (20 finishers):
1. J Elzinga, Beeline Bicycles RT, 31:57
8. R MacFadyen, Reading CC, 35:46

Road and Circuit Racing
Reading CC's Wayne Thomas made two visits to Hillingdon circuit during
the week, starting with Tuesday night. "We reverted to the clockwise
circuit and I felt that 'normal service' was resumed - I finished in the
main bunch." Tony Gibb continued his winning ways with yet another win
at the circuit, making it six out of the last seven.
On Wednesday night Thomas and Fred Hale were in action at the Hillingdon
LVRC race, the fourth event of a 12 race series. On the night Thomas
came second in his age group, and with two age-group wins already,
comfortably leads the series.
On Sunday Thomas competed in the LVRC National Handicap Road Race (the
handicap being a time gap between the age groups) along with over 70
competitors. The race distance was 50 miles over three laps of a mildly
undulating course below the Malvern Hills, with the thermometer showing
28C. Thomas was in the fourth and largest group to depart, with nine
minutes to make up on the lead group and three minutes to the group in
front. "It seemed a tall order but right from the start we got stuck in
and it was 'game on' . Within a few miles people were dropping off and
within 10 miles the next group was caught for three minutes." Thomas's
group went on to catch everyone and provide the first three places.
Unfortunately for Thomas he punctured half way through the second lap -
a speedy change of inner tube and he was able to join in with the next
group on the road, ultimately coming home 28th out of 50 finishers.

Sportives
Greg Woodford and Mark Lyford rode the Evans Sportive on Sunday starting
and finishing at Evans HQ Crawley. Woodford reports: "The course was 182
kilometres with 2730m of climbing, the route looping around the North
Downs and Surrey hills with 11 serious climbs, many with more than 10%
gradient. The last two climbs were killers with stretches of 20%
gradient. It was a fantastic day with glorious weather, I was using at
as training for the tour of Wessex next week so maybe did not go quite
as hard as I could have. With a time of 6 hours and 16 minutes I came in
5th overall out of 900 odd riders booked to do the long route."

Sunday Clubrun
All groups leave Reading Market Place at 9am on Sundays.

Roderick MacFadyen
Reading Cycling Club