Two of Spalding Cycling Club’s top prizes doubled up into one event last week as the Club Championship and Fisherman’s Arms Trophy were up for grabs.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given his form this season, the club crown went the way of Josh Wallis after he completed the ten-mile course in a time of 21.26mins.
Second place went to Tim Lister (22.37mins), with Matt Ellis (22.52mins) just behind in third.
The Fisherman’s has a slightly different format, in that the winner is not necessarily the fastest rider, but the one who beats his previous best time on the course by the largest margin.
This was a much tighter affair, with only six seconds separating winner Barry Drew and third-placed rider Keith Seaton – who, at 79 and in his first season time triaillng, managed a personal best (PB) time of 31.00mins. Nigel Howard took second spot.
- Spalding’s Lister took on the Bourne Wheelers ten-mile 2-up event – but as a solo entrant.
Amazingly he took first spot in 23.01mins ahead of not just the other solo riders, but the pairs as well. It was an impressive ride, given that 2-up riders are mainly faster than individuals.
- Spalding duo Wallis and Keiran Buffham both represented the club in the Rockingham Criterium category two/three event.
Buffham got away in a two-rider break, with Wallis assisting by watching and blocking any attempts to catch the break away.
It paid off, as Buffham grabbed second place – riding 28.5 miles in 1.07.00hrs.
Behind him, Wallis won the bunch sprint that followed to take third place.
This gave Wallis enough points to finally achieve his category one licence.
- Spalding talent Matt Ellis was on impressive form as he competed in the Junior Tour of Wales.
The event was due to be a five-stage race but, one had to be cancelled due to massive puddles on the course.
This comprised a five-mile time trial and three road races of 74 miles, 57 miles and 58.5 miles respectively.
The latter included a four-mile mountain top finish up Tumble Mountain near Abergavenny.
Ellis, who qualifies as Welsh through his mother Nicky, moved up from 40th after the stage one time trial to finish tenth overall – which gave him the honour of being the first Welsh rider.
- Thomas Wright competed in the Mildenhall grass track youth omnium over the weekend.
In the dry but windy conditions, Spalding’s Wright managed second in the one-lap sprint, third in the keirin, fourth in the devil and second in the six-lap scratch race, which put him in third overall.
Tristan Bramier, racing in the under-8 group, managed first in the one-lap sprint and keirin, but finished in the group in the three-lap sprint. His great performance across the day it put him into first overall in the omnium.
- The weekday riders enjoyed a 64-mile ride to Wymondham Windmill near Melton Mowbray, while on Saturday the club social group (including two riders new to the club) rode a 46-mile loop to Little Bytham.
