Team 10 Record Terminated!

Breaking News!

Nigel 'Terminator' Hale smashes the TSE 10 mile time trial record with a blistering 20.01.

Riding in the VTTA series based on the E2/10 course near Newmarket, Nigel improved on his lifetime personal best by 5 seconds as well as scalping the existing team record that was set by Martib Jones (20.20) last year.

Nigel Hale 20.01 - pic Davey Jones

Wait till he gets favourable conditions.

Brilliant ride, well done Nigel!

Bling and Hockers post-PBs! 8 out of 10 riders prefer Whiskers. Hale on the podium.

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.

Nice 'n' Speedy does it

It's hard to keep track of what the TSE riders are up to at the moment such is the variety and geographic spread of the time trials we are riding. 

Here's this week's round up.

During the week Nigel 'Ernie the Derny' Hale took a punt on the  E2/10 (almost literally as it was that wet), to ride round 2 of the VTTA series that runs during June. He had to settle for a 21 this week. By his own standards he viewed the ride as "not that good". Which by other peoples' standards translates to a great performance.

On Saturday 18th June, 2016, Roy 'Ox' Robinson took to the  Thanet RC 10 mile time trial at Fowlmead Country Park near Deal, Kent. Roy set a new course PB by 40 seconds with a  28:27 in windy conditions. "Satisfying" was the verdict from the great man himself. 

Meanwhile in Essex, David Ledgerton was our sole representative in the Victoria CC Rd 2 10 miler. The usual E1/10 course was subject to roadworks so the E91/10 near Chelmsford had been employed by the organisers. David clocked 26.33 for the sporting course. Hugo Hocknell was incapacitated by a bug. 

In the "3 up team" version of the same event Sam Hayes, Steve Robinson and Simon Doyle reformed to do battle with a strong field. A new triumvirate of Chelmer CC claimed top spot but our trio put in an improved shift on round 1 to clock 22.34 on their inaugural run on this course, The TSE lads take the series lead but will be up against it in the next two rounds. "Gotta be in it to win it" and all that. 

Simon (Speedy to his mates) went on to do a hot-shoe-shuffle to get across to Tring, Herts for the F11/10 based Hemel Hempstead CC 10. With 6 hours between rides an intense set of stretching, foam rolling and banana eating helped him to bag a 21.00 time for his second event of the day. A lifetime best by 44 seconds. It's not often we go fast-course riding but Simon's time shows how you can benefit from riding SPOCOs and technical circuits. Joining him in the event were Chris Hartley and Dave Wentworth. Chris recorded another 23 for the distance in the overflow event (23.56). Dave recorded 23.08 in the main event with Simon. 

Rounding off a Saturday of activity was James Gomm. Riding the Herts Wheelers' F20/10 near Ware, James was held up by what seems to be a convoy of every vehicle within 100 miles of Hertford. This robbed James of a 10 mile PB by nanoseconds. 23.20 was recorded. It is only a matter of time before he cracks a 22. Keep calm and carry on James!

And finally, congratulations to TSE alumni Martin Jones on a new 25 mile PB. Well done Martin.

Our thoughts are with Dave Wentworth, whose wife Jill was taken ill during the course of Saturday afternoon - now on the mend apparently. 

Back in the game

Well done to Rik Palmer for pinning a number on after a couple of years' break. A very creditable 28.12 in the Hitchin Nomads CC non-aero 10.

Onwards and upwards Rik.

Rik (l) and Nigel Hale (r) at the finish

Hail Nigel - fastest on the roster for 10 miles

It was Nigel Hale's turn to take the plaudits this week with a simply stunning 20.22 for 10 miles. Taking part in event one of a four series VTTA E2/10 set of races, Nigel was within 1 second of the team's previous best at the distance. Martin Jones's record is safe by the skin of its teeth, well at least until Thursday and round 2. Nigel is now the quickest on the current roster and is certainly coming in to some form (despite him saying otherwise, frequently!).

Over the weekend (11th May) a mass of TSE riders took part in round 5 of the N&DCA series.  Andy Roffe returned to action again and proved that his form is coming along nicely. There was no truth in the rumour that he ate all the cakes at the HQ afterwards.

This latest event was based on the N15 course (over a 15 mile distance) near Sawtry. Sam Hayes was quickest again, consolidating his position on the leaderboard. Simon Doyle had a PB, as did James Gomm (which he clipped again the following day).

Sam Hayes 34.19, Simon Doyle 35.33, Andy Roffe 36.25, Steve Robinson 36.43, James Gomm 37.57, Steve Franklin 38.40, David Ledgerton 40.22, Roy Robinson 44.40, Stuart Hocknell 57.10.

Our mate Simon Norman from BRRT won with a blisteringly quick 31. Well done Simon.

The N&DCA series pits team mates against their peers over 10 races, the points gained from race form the basis of how well riders are performing against the field over the year. There'll be a few diversions to go and ride some vanity courses which offer an opportunity to obtain a flattering PB time, but the series is where the real tests of ability seem to be occurring. Loads more racing to come over the next few weeks.

Race round up - May/June 2016

In case Andy Roffe has ridden and I have forgotten about it, he did really well, whatever it was he did. If he didn't ride, then I am sure he will smash it up next time out.

In other news, Hugo Hocknell smashes out a 55 and Chris Hartley dips under the hour. Some people ride in threes and Roy gets his didgeridoo primed for action. Rik Palmer also managed to eat a spoonful of Chicken Naga but he moaned about how hot it was so we won't be making a big deal of it.

So here goes.

On 29th May 2016 during the ECCA Championship event Hugo clocked 55.54. Hugo was in good company as Alex Dowsett (Movistar) took the national 25 record time with a stunning 44.29. Well done Alex! Hockers had already posted a 54.44 in the Welsh CA championship earlier in May. 25s seem to be Hocker's forte this year. Not to be out done, Chris also met his goals for the year with a 'long 59' (59.44) in the Shaftesbury CC event on the same course (04 June 2016).

In the Hitchin Nomads CC promoted F14/25 (28 May 2016), Nigel Hale (59.24) and James Gomm (1.03.54) took to the rolling Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire countryside.

Nigel Hale on the F14/25 going under the hour on a really hard roadman's course. Pic M Webb.

Earlier that day, four of Gomm and Hales' team mates participated in Rd1 of the Victoria CC 10.2 competition. David Ledgerton was the solo solo, recording a strong time of 26.19. In an inaugural outing as a trio, Simon Doyle, Sam Hayes and Steve Robinson rode the 3up team time trial part of the same event. The boys came in second by a margin of 20s. Chelmer CC took the win in the 3up but round 2 may see the boys go quicker.

And if that wasn't enough....

Roy Robinson at the ToC - pic David Ledgerton

Roy Robinson, David Ledgerton, Steve Franklin, Steve Robinson, James Gomm and Simon Doyle took part in the Tour of Cambridgeshire Chrono. The closed-road 17 miler was part of the world masters UCI qualification process. Roy may well be looking to get his sun lotion out as he is on the cusp of qualification and ready to go to Australia (for the World Champs). Like a good wine, Roy is improving with age. Results to follow.

A good day's racing on closed roads, in good company. Happy days.