The Hereward League – a series of time trials hosted by the participating clubs on their usual club courses – got under way, with the first traditionally hosted by Peterborough CC.
A field of 46 eligible to score points for their respective clubs and two guests lined up for the starter at Southey Woods, with Spalding Cycling Club having eight riders.
Of those, three finished in the top 20 in a race with the top four places separated by just 16 seconds and won by Mark Bleakley, of the promoting club, in 23.15mins – just short of 26mph on the fast, technical and undulating course.
Runners-up Bourne Wheelers’ Antony Gough and Tom Comben posted rides of 23.23 and 23.27. Best Spalding rider with 24.57 was Ben Moore who clearly found the course to his liking, finishing 7th overall. His time was just 20 seconds slower than that posted at Drop Bar Challenge two days beforehand.
Simon Wright recorded 25.41 for 14th overall – a time consistent with his Pode Hole course results.
The last rider inside the top 20 was Ross McGivern, who stopped the clock on 26.31 – a little slower than usual but maybe with an eye on doing well in the Wisbech Wheelers 25 three days later.
Perhaps the same could be said for Chris Bettinson, and Gary and Sarah Bentley who were all to start the Boston Wheelers Open 10 at the weekend. A finish time of 28.45 finish put Bettinson in 28th place overall while Gary Bentley posted 29.29 with Sarah just behind (30.00).
Natalie Tooley and Tom Wright, the club’s U14 rising star, matched each other’s time of 31.08mins with Tom taking third overall in the U14 Category in his debut Hereward League event.
In the Bourne Wheelers event on the A15 Osbournby to Sleaford course, the win went to Peterborough CC’s Malcolm Smith in 21.31. Andy Broxholme, of Lincoln Wheelers, and Witham Wheelers’ John Pilgrim were joint runners-up on 21.40.
Fastest lady was Spalding’s regular guest rider Louise Day, of Team Swift, in exactly 26 minutes.
An overall place of 33rd went to Gary Bentley, who bettered his regular 28 minute times with 27.53. Another solid ride of 28.31 went to Chris Bettinson.
Sarah Bentley posted 29.21, earning the award for 3rd Lady by just one second. The club’s supervet, Bill Wood, posted yet another time trial result into his collection of over 1,000 time trials by completing the course in 36.40.
In the Wisbech Wheelers event, favourable conditions on the fast course near King’s Lynn enabled no fewer than 25 riders to get inside the hour.
The 2015 winner Daniel Bloy, of Team Velovelocity, was fastest with 52.09, ahead of Barry Charlton, of Swinnerton Cycles, and Charlie Nurse, of North Norfolk Wheelers, who posted 52.34 and 52.59 respectively.
Andy Bowser was fastest of the three Spalding riders, finishing with 57.56.
Ross McGivern’s well judged effort to finish on 59.49 was his first time inside the hour. Barry Drew made up the trio on 1.08.12hr.
