Reading Cycling Club press report, week ending 15 August 2010

Latest news from RCC: Easterly wind subdues TT results, Woodcote
Sportive, The Great Tour.

Reading CC Open 25-mile time trial
Reading CC ran the 25mile 'Clive Pugh' Memorial time trial on the
Aldermaston course on Sunday 15th. Organiser Ian Lomas reports: "The day
started misty and still, but by the time that the race was underway the
mist had cleared and a wind was blowing. There were 43 starters out of
59 entrants with four tandems, three ladies and one junior. The event
was won by Steve Golla in a time of 54m 41sec, almost three minutes
clear of second placed Ian White of Fareham Wheelers. The fastest vet
was Stan Maciak with a 1hr 2m 58s and a plus score of 16m 32s. The
fastest lady was Josie Perry with a 1hr 12m 59s and the fastest tandem
was Alan Allcock and Mark Scanlon with a 55m 35s. The fastest Reading
rider was Rod MacFadyen followed by Graham Patterson and Steve Fleming.
Dave Gaida gave a sterling performance to record 8m 58s above standard.
The event ran very smoothly and we received many complementary e-mails.
My thanks go out to all the volunteers who marshalled and helped.
MacFadyen commented: "I'd hoped to record a better time but it was a
heavy morning with a troublesome wind which affected everyone, other
than the winner that is. The course was well marshalled and the food was
good. Lomas put on an excellent event in his first ever promotion."
Brief results (35 finishers):
1 Steve Golla Sigma Sport 54:41
2 Ian White Fareham Whs 57:21
3 Phil Ember Kingston Wheelers 58:07
14 Rod MacFadyen Reading CC 1.03:19
16 Graham Patterso Reading CC 1.04:10
26 Steve Fleming Reading CC 1.10:53
28 Josephine Perry (W) Thames Turbo 1.12:59
33 Dave Gaida Reading CC 1.17:58

Western TTA 100-mile time trial
Barry Quick and Steve Bale rode the WTTA 100 running between Cricklade
and Cirencester on the A419. The event was won by Jeff Jones of
Chippenham & District Wheelers in 3h 48m 38s on a morning made difficult
by the East wind. Quick suffered punctures but Bale fared better with an
excellent 4h 11m 16s for 8th place.
Quick reports: "I started at 0539 in the morning and had to have lights
on as this was within lighting up hours! This was the first time in my
life I have raced in the hours of official darkness. It did me no
favours as I hit a pothole at 55 miles puncturing my front tyre. I
replaced my inner tube and carried on only to puncture again at 90
miles. I did not have another spare tube and had to ride back to HQ very
carefully with a flat front tyre. A real shame as I was hoping to get a
decent time for this years BAR."
Bale: "I died at 75 miles losing 10 minutes in the last 25 and limping
home for a short 4:11. Windy conditions made it tough and I was in no
way alone in struggling."

Woodcote Sportive
Paul Gray was among those who rode the 83 mile Woodcote Sportive on
Sunday. "The weather was good but I was apprehensive about what state
the minor roads would be in due to the rain the day before. Kevin
Mashall, Rob White and I worked well together for the first half, then
Rob faded I think as I didn't see him again probably due to us all going
a bit too hard. Kevin punctured with 20 miles to go, telling me to carry
on. This was hard work with no one else around, going at my now worn-out
pace. As some roads were covered in wet stones I was glad not to
puncture. I made it round in 4 hours 38, 18 minutes inside gold
standard. Kevin came in 8 minutes after me. I found the event this year
harder than last year as the route now includes more climbs."

The Great Tour
Reading's Adrian Lawson was among those taking part in 'The Great Tour'.
This is a highly organised charity ride with cyclists drawn from the
worlds of sport, celebrity, charity, politics, science and the arts. The
aim is to circumnavigate the coast of Britain by bicycle during an event
which lasts for 64 days. Lawson participated for 21 days, going round
the top of Scotland: "I rode from Fraserburgh on the east coast all the
way around Scotland following the coastline as close as possible and
finishing nearly 1300 miles later at Morecambe in Lancashire. Highlights
of the journey included the Pass of the Cattle, the highest road in
Great Britain, wading barefoot across the mouth of the Esk carrying our
bikes, cycling across Skye, the Mull of Kintyre and Arran, and the
fabulous reception in remote Scottish towns, the Isle of Whithorn being
a notable example. We had rain on 20 days of the 21, but despite this
the company of riders I had never met before kept in great humour
throughout. It was noticeable that drivers in Scotland are much more
tolerant than English drivers, we started to get aggressive drivers
sounding their horns and overtaking dangerously as soon as we crossed
the border into England. It is hoped to raise substantial funds for The
Prostate Cancer charity. The event finishes in Devon on 3 September. See
the Thegreattour.org for more information and to make a donation."

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

Roderick MacFadyen
Reading Cycling Club
Photo credit: Sebastian Lomas