N&DCA Round 4
Start.
Wet. Windy. Wet and windy. Lumpy roads. Wind. Wetness. Hills. Wetness. Bendy roads. Wetness. Rain. Wind. Bendy roads again. Bizarre turn at the outer reaches of the course.
Perform above in reverse direction.
Finish.
Dry out. Wonder when you will find time to clean the bike thoroughly. Go to bed with Lemsip.
And so ended the N&DCA Round 4 which was hosted by A5 Rangers. The Litchborough based 19 miler was one of the toughest rides of the year to date. The elements didn't help the riders much at all but it was with great aplomb that Sam Hayes continued his rich run of form. Provisional marking gave Sam the nod somewhere near the very top of the series counting riders. Possibly 3rd place at time of writing. Sam posted a time of 45.08.
Sam's ride however was hugely over-shadowed (to the point where the author totally forgot in the first draft) by the return to racing of the veritable Andy Roffe. Like a cycling-Lazarus for the modern era, Roffe eschewed his recent diagnosis of DVT to pick the worst day possible, ever, to return to racing. Mentored by "special adviser", Chris Rimes, Roffe must have been spitting Victoria Sponge as he reintroduced his mind and body to the time trialling discipline. A time of 49.28 was a fantastic achievement (but not one that I remembered obviously), given that Andy has not spent much time getting race ready.
Well done Andy, great to have you back!
(Ed - Can you win next time, that way I'll remember to put you in the write up that Steve will conveniently ignore doing. Thanks).
The supporting cast was legion with Simon Doyle (47.24) being second in the TSE pecking order. Steve Robinson (48.33) held the continually improving James Gomm at bay (49.22). Steve Franklin produced some new found power output to make his mark with 50.13. David Ledgerton closed off the contribution with a 53.39.
Roy Robinson was a DNS with some flimsy excuse about being 70. Happy Birthday Roy! The team are all looking forward to taking to the line with you in your 8th decade.
Early indications point to the team competition tilting a bit more in TSE's favour. Onward and upward for Round 5. Let's hope the sun reappears by then.
VTTA Nationals
In drier but gusty conditions, Dave Wentworth competed on the A14/10a course to put TSE colours on the national map. Dave pushed a time of 25.08. Results still pending. Chapeau Dave!
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