The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A hotly-anticipated rivalry between red-hot Josh Wallis and returning star Matt Ellis was the highlight at Spalding Cycling Club’s latest ten mile time trial league meet.
Ellis, who was back from riding overseas for a French Second Division team for a training break, was hoping to break Wallis’ recent stranglehold on top spot.
On the night the result went with form, however, as it was Wallis (21.04mins) who came out on top by an impressive margin of 1.05mins.
Third place went to Andrew Gurney (24.57mins), with Mark Hills (25.48mins) fourth and fifth-placed Nigel Howard clocking a personal best (PB) of 27.05mins.
Other results: Andy Richardson 27.38mins; Derek Chamberlain 29.15mins; Velvet Bowser 31.24mins; Bill Wood 36.08mins.
- Spalding CC’s focus last weekend was at the Tour of Cambridgshire UCI championships – which started and finished at the Peterborough Showground and all of the rides had the benefit of closed roads with no vehicles.
These races gave the competitors the chance to qualify to represent Great Britain at the Amateur world Championships in Poznan, Poland in September.
All the races were broken down into age groups: 19-34, then four-year groupings of 35-39 up to 75 and over.
The top three qualified by right, while other riders in the top 25 per cent of their group are often selected too.
Spalding had seven riders competing over several events and had an amazingly successful weekend, managing to get a quartet of members qualifying to go to Poland two of whom stood on the podium to receive their medals.
Saturday was the Individual Chrono and Team Chrono, on a challenging 16.5mile course which included climbing Morborn Hill and several leg-sapping long drags.
Furthermore, most of the ride was into a brisk south westerly wind and temperatures were in the mid 20s.
Rob McAlinden, competing in the 19-34 years group, was 37th in 42.49mins, but Neil Palmer’s 11th place in 38.00mins gave him a qualifying spot.
Andrew Gurney (50-54) was 56th in 44.17mins, while Sarah Bentley (60-64) clocked a time of 49.46mins to gained herself third spot a qualification, and a podium presentation.
Barry Drew (70-74) finished in 47.31mins, which also gave him third spot and a qualification. He narrowly missed second spot by nine seconds, having pulled back 3.51mins on the rider who went out four minutes before him.
Palmer then rounded the day off by becoming a double qualifier, racing in the Team Chrono where he competed in team Velo One. They picked up second spot against approximately 20 teams of four riders, in 36.54mins.
Chris Ward, who represents Team Swift, raced in the 50-54 age group and finished in a time of 39.15mins to take 23rd spot.
Sunday was the turn of the longer rides, the 67 and 100 miles Grand Fondo, which also counted as qualifiers to Poland along with the equivalent road races for which a British Cycling licence is required.
There were also 100 and 67 mile Sportives, which did not involve qualification.
Conditions on the day were far more difficult than Saturday, with the south westerly wind very strong – leaving the riders feeling like they were hitting a brick wall on a course that wound its way round the Fens and the former Alconbury Airbase.
To add to that, there were numerous short climbs and long drags which made for around 1,700 feet of elevation.
Two Spalding riders Keith Seaton and Drew, competed in the 67 mile Grand Fondo.
Seaton, who is 79, performed well in the 75+ age group and became the club’s fourth qualifier – taking third spot in an excellent time, given the conditions, of 4.50.00hrs.
Drew was in the 70-74 group, but annoyingly missed out on getting under the four hours with a time of 4.00.46hrs.
His hopes for time of around 3.30hrs went out of the window with the wind.
Brian Johnson rode the 100 mile Sportive and finished in a pleasing 6.25.00hrs.
Both Johnson and Drew were unable to latch onto a group to ride with, therefore had no one to draft, riding most of the route solo.
On another front, Frazer Wallis and Andy Bowser raced in the 36-mile Velo 99 race at Laughton.
Frazer Wallis had a few attempts at breaking away but, the race ended up in a bunch sprint and he took another third place – gaining one point, which puts him in overall top spot after six races.
Andy Bowser was active throughout the race, making a few attacks and ended up with sixth place in the sprint.
