It's difficult knowing where to start with the plaudits this week as the TSE riders manage to out perform themselves all over the shop.
On the hotly contested ECCA 25 that was run on 25/06/16 Sam 'Bling' Hayes and Hugo 'Hockers' Hocknell gave their respective PB's a real tidy up as they battled the conditions on the famously renowned Newmarket based course. Sam reduced his 25 mile PB significantly to post a 52.57. We'll have to check the record books but that may well be bragging rights in the team for quite some time. Hot on his (w)heels was Hockers. He also smashed his PB with a time of 54.12 despite a run of Hockers Jnr based contagion. It's a real shame that we didn't have a third rider as a team time and team record would have been a possibility. Chapeau!
Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away, or Northamptonshire as it is called, Steve 'Whiskers' Franklin turned in his performance of the season to date (so say we) in Rd 6 of the 2016 N&DCA TT series. Although Steve is still learning his craft he's evidently becoming an ardent student as he nailed a 53.06 for the 20.8 mile sufferfest around Lamport and Old. Running him close was James Gomm. Despite suffering a bout of hayfever and panda-eyes, plus the obligatory hold up with cars, Gommo notched 53.36. Another solid performance.
Simon Doyle and David Ledgerton were on the road a tad later. They also got the same soaking that Steve and James got. Ledgie consolidated his position in the points series with a 56.56. Simon improved on his 2015 time by over a minute, posting a time of 50.10. This should help 'Speedy' claw up the points board.
Completing the day's racing was Dave Wentworth. Dave pitched up to the Dunstable RC event on the Tring based F11/10 to record another +25mph time of 23.48. Gladly a less eventful post-race scenario greeted him this week.
Sunday (26/06/2016) saw another run of miserable weather as 4 riders set off for (potential) glory, again on the F11/10 course in the NORLOND Combine 10 TT. Our Stella (Artois not McCartney) loving DS (Ric Palmer) made a most welcome debut to the open TT scene following a 2 year sabbatical. Ric managed to break his tri-bars on the outward leg but he persevered and got on the drops to post a 25.38. This is a great achievement as a) he had the courage to enter and break his open 'duck' and b) it was a tough old day. Try riding for 6 miles in to a headwind....
Keeping Ric company were: Nigel Hale, posting a 21.23 (Nigel routinely posts short-20s so this shows how hard things were); Simon Doyle who was back in action for another double-header, he was a minute or so down on the last F11/10 endeavour (22.10) and finally; Steve Robinson who brought the team in to the reckoning for the team prize with a 23.19. Steve was held up significantly at turn #1, thereby robbing him of a long 22. Breaking news - Nigel looks like he landed himself in 3rd spot in the solo competition. Even more reason to celebrate.
Well, that's all for now folks. Stay tuned for more top class time trial reportage in the near future.
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