The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
POPULAR EVENT: From left – Tom Webster, Sarah and Gary Bentley during the Sportive. Photo by TIM BRYETT
An impressive 121 riders took part in the fourth edition of Spalding Cycling Club’s popular Nelson Sportive event – managing a whopping 7,885 miles between them.
Organiser Simon Wright remained loyal to the traditional routes – which saw the participants ride along scenic roads from the Curlew Centre in Sutton Bridge and on into Norfolk’s Sandringham and Brancaster.
All cyclists completed either 58 or 80 miles, ensuring that the feed station – run by Katy, Sophie and Tom Wright and Jo Kendall at the Rose and Crown in Snettisham – was as popular as ever.
Innovative for this year was a start number raffle for those who had entered on line for the 58 mile event, with a prize of a bike workstand kindly donated by Paul at Cycle Wright.
The prize was won by Annabel Brackstone of Spalding Cycling Club.
On the course marshalling and maintenance tasks were undertaken by Tim Bryett, while Spalding CC’s thanks go to Morrisons at Pincheck for supplying boxes of bananas for the racers.
The club’s thanks also go to sponsors Gibbons Cycles, ShareTeq and Specialized Distribution (Spalding) Ltd for helping to meet the costs – and ensuring that the club were able to keep entry fees at an attractive level.
Spalding CC were also indebted to Jenny Neilson and Sarah Palmer, who provided refreshments. Donations from those raised almost £130 for Lincolnshire Air Ambulance and the staff of the Curlew Centre.
- Round Four of Spalding Cycling Club’s ten mile Time Trial league provided a record number of personal best (PB) times.
More than ten riders set new bests, including Ed Holliday (25.16mins), Ross McGivern (27.30) and Paul Kendall (29.17) improving on PB’s set the previous week.
Other PB’s went to Andy Bowser (24.55), Gareth Richards (26.49), Rob Boothman (28.02) and Chris Bettinson (30.13).
Incredibly, in a mirror image of the previous week, the top five places went to the same riders in the same order… and all were quicker too.
Neil Palmer (23.02) took first, narrowly missing out on getting inside 23 minutes. Chris Ward just managed to hold off Sam Bentley for second place with 23.21.
Bentley finished third and best under-18 in 23.29, which was a new PB for him.
Chris Pratt made it back with 24.16 for fourth and Andrew Gurney filled fifth place with 24.43.
Aimee Stocker (26.08) was top lady ahead of new club member Katie Butler, who took 23rd place with a PB of 29.28.
Meanwhile, Nicole Flatters showed a return to form with 37.32.
Will Gurney (29.19) was top under-16, beating second placed William Boothman by just over two minutes.
Top under-16 girl was Tilly Gurney in 29.58, while Sophie Wright recorded a PB of 33.26.
Guest rider times: Bourne Wheelers – M Green (24.04); Adam Bottely (26.18). Squadra Donna – Sian Bottely (26.43); M Hills (29:22). Spalding Tri – K Adams (29.40); C Wookey (34.08).
