Through and Off …the back and out of the race.

Race reports following the escapades of the Yorkies 3^rd and 4^th Cats

The Club 10 mile TT - 28-3-04

Twenty hardy riders signed on for the Club’s Race of Truth over 10 miles of undulating and bumpy tarmac on the V312. The morning was overcast and the gusty cross wind had many of us riding at velodrome bank angles. Matt ‘The Hip’ Howitt was race favourite with The Saint deciding to head up north to mix it with the big guns of Team Persil in the Tour of Derwentside Road Race. The Saint regretted this decision almost immediately when he punctured a couple of miles into the race and lost over 15 minutes trying to change his tube. He spent the next 2 and a half hours riding alone off the back of the race with the crowd wondering whether he realised that he had entered a road race and not a time trial (testers will be testers!). As The Saint saw his Cycling Weekly headline “Saint takes Persil to the cleaners” go up in smoke he realised that he had to pull on all of his reserves to make sure that he did not suffer the indignity of being lapped. Apparently, Dave Lloyd has introduced puncture repair reps in to The Saints training regime.

Back at the Club 10 the pre-race debate was whether The Hip would remember to put his clock forward for British Summertime – well he does have a reputation for missing his allotted start time. Imagine our surprise when The Hip arrived at the race in plenty time and with a functioning watch, thus destroying the hopes of anyone else getting their hands on the Hancock Trophy. The Hip subsequently flew around the V312 in 23.18 leaving Mick ‘Ten Mile Specialist’ Youngson (24.33) and Steve ‘Team Leader’ Woodrup (25.03) in his wake. The rest of us battled against the wind, the undulations and the urge to climb off in search of the Handicap Trophy with John ‘The Balaclava’ Coleman (27.31) bagging the spoils with a fine ride and a net time of 23.01. Clearly, his efforts in the reliability trials are paying off. The Balaclava didn’t have it all his own way as Dave ‘The Mountain Goat’ Meakin was only 7 seconds behind cursing that there were not enough hills for his liking. Who knows what time John ‘Mr Courteous’ Blomeley may have clocked if he hadn’t lost time waving encouragement to his fellow competitors who were riding the homeward leg.

Perhaps the result of the weekend was The Saint’s success in the Kiveton Park CC 10

winning in a time of 20.03, closely followed The Hip in 6^th place (20:54). Craig Maude (22:34) and John Baines (24:33) also rode well.