Archives 2001

Times down in 10 miler

Yeovil cycling clubs first promotion of the year took place on the A303 near Podimore on Saturday –a 10 mile time trial. A strong south westerly wind made the outward leg to the Ash flyover really hard and return to Podimore a real flyer – but times were generally more than a minute slower than usual.
Fastest was Rob Lyne (CS Bristol) in 21 minutes 52 seconds. Local man Graeme Lackford (Anglia sport), just back from riding the Tour of Malta, clocked 22:23 for seconds spot. VC Camelot's Matt Law was sixth with 22:52.
Dean Ward of Chard was Best Junior (26:55) and leading improver was Russ Gray (Mendip), Somerset RC took the team award.
Other local riders: VC Camelot– Andy Millward 23:15; Yeovil CC – Mike Loader 23:47, John Clemit 24:02, John Fazackerley 24:51, Dave Walters 25: 09; Chard Wheelers– Tim Reeves 24:21, Julian Ridgley 25:35 including 1:15 late start, James Denslow 27:49, Doug Ward 28:26, Tim Reeves 31:51, Mark German 49:54 including 24:00 late start; Gillingham and District Wheelers–Shaun Walsh 26:42, Richard Hansford 26:51, Adrian Wyncoll 27:44, Brian Perry 28:22, Sandra Carpenter 28:40, Steve Noyce 28:40, Carole Miller 29:04, Anthony Gates 31:00, Jane-Anne Wyncoll 32:01.
The Pittards and Ham Hill Road races, due to take place this weekend, have been postponed because of foot and mouth disease.

5 April 2001

Loader triumphs in season opener

Mike Loader was the first rider home in the Yeovil Cycling Club’s opening 10 mile time trial of the season. The first three racers to finish were all from the Yeovil club
Loader clocked 22 minutes 8 seconds. Next was Chris Absolom (22:20) and in third place was John Clemit with a personal best of 22 minutes 34 seconds.
Somerset Road Club’s Rick Johnson was fourth (22:41). Andrew Mortimer (Ribble Valley CRC) was next (23:01) and Chard’s Mark German, who took sixth posted 23 minutes 15 seconds.
The series continues every Thursday evening until the end of August. Visiting riders are welcome. Riders should belong to a registered club – if not, the first event may be written under the try it scheme.

26th April 2001

Yeovil pipped to team award

Yeovil cycling club's time trial lists came within one second of their first team award of this season – in the Bournemouth Arrow 25 on Sunday.
Mike Loader was Yeovil's fastest rider, John Clemit recorded a personal best 57:56 in seventh place and Chris Absolom came 14th with 58:36.
Race winner was former Lands End to John O'Groats record holder John Woodburn (Maidenhead & District, Berkshire) with 55:05. Bournemouth Jubilee took the team award.

3rd May 2001

Loader pipped

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s Mick Loader was pipped to second spot in the CC Weymouth Ten between Owermoigne and Winfrith, Dorset.
Loader recorded 22 mins 58 secs, 22 seconds behind winner Eamon Deane (Bournemouth Jubilee) and three seconds adrift of runner-up Pat Dunn (CC Weymouth). Yeovil's Chris Absolom was fifth.

17th May 2001

Lackford on form

GRAEME Lackford, Yeovil Cycling Clubs leading road racer, won the first stage of the Totnes-Vire Twinning Race in south Devon. Victory by ten seconds gave him the race leaders purple jersey. With only one of his Anglia Sport team-mates riding in support, Lackford knew that defending the jersey would be difficult against the numerically superior teams.
The next road stage proved hard - the other teams were reluctant to chase down attacks, leaving the work to the Anglia Sport riders. They held out for most of the stage but the gap was cut
in the closing miles.
With his lead gone, Lackford rode his own race in the third and final stage and took fourth place. He finished seventh overall, one minute and 30 seconds down on winner Jake Folkerd-Hobbs of Finsbury Park CC. Lackford gained 40 ranking points over the three stages.
The Yeovil clubs evening time-trial was a ten-mile two- up team event in which experience won over youth. Yeovils Chris Absolom and Nick Armstrong recorded 22 mins to beat VC Camelot’s Andy Millward and Matt Law by eight seconds. Yeovil’s John Clemit and Darren Edmonds were third (22:33). Army team rider Paul Haggerty was fastest in the solo event, clocking 21:58, while Chard junior James Denslow managed a personal best of 25:28.

17th May 2001

Loader misses best time

Cycling clubs Mike Loader continued his recent fine run of form when he came 10 seconds away from a personal best time.
Loader finished in third place in the Crabwood 10, on the Thruxton – Andover A303 course, in a time of 21 minutes 5 seconds. There was a high-class field of 90 riders.
Army man Paul Haggerty clocked 22 minutes 30 seconds to win the Yeovil club’s 10 mile time trial. The next five places were filled by Yeovil members Chris Absolom (23:08), John Clemit (23:59), John Fazackerley (24:00), Steve Pym (24:59), and Nick Armstrong (25:57).

31st May 2001

Loader sets club record in resort ride

MIKE Loader continued his run of good form with a club record in the Bournemouth Jubilee 30-mile time-trial. The Yeovil Cycling Club rider recorded 1 hr 6 mins 25 secs, knocking one minute and 50 seconds off the previous best. He was narrowly beaten into second place by Londoner Keith Caffey, who was five seconds faster.
In the Yeovil clubs Thursday evening time- trial series Paul Haggerty (Army CU) was quickest, recording a personal-best 52:53. He was trailed by Loader (54:43), Chris Absolom (55:12), Graeme Lackford (55:20) and John Williams (55:53).
Yeovil’s John Clemit was sixth with a personal best of 57:46. Tim Reeves was the fastest Chard Wheeler, clocking 59:16, and Richard Hansford was Gillingham’s best with 1:03:55.
Douglas Northcott of Somerton took his first national track championship medal, a bronze, in the tandem sprint. Northcott and partner Ian Dyer, a British Cycling Federation weights coach, qualified fifth in only their second outing in tandem sprinting.
They reached the semi-finls where they were knocked out by the eventual silver medallists. They won the third-fourth ride off.

7th June 2001

Four Yeovil riders in the points

VETERAN Chris Absolom finished seventh in the inaugural South West Regional Championship and was one of four Yeovil Cycling Club riders to score ranking points in the 90-mile event
based around Tiverton, Devon.
Yeovil rider Mike Loader was 15th and Darren Edmonds 17th. John Clemit (18th) scored his first points road racing. VC Camelot’s Matt Law was also in the points in 16th place – points are
awarded to the first 20 finishers in races of more than 80 miles.
Yeovilton-based Army Team member Paul Haggerty, who has been dominating the Yeovil Thursday evening time-trial series, showed he can perform in open events. He won the Bristol South CC Ten mile. He was riding for Pete Reed Racing and won in 20mins 53secs. Yeovil’s Dave Walters clocked 23:33 and David Notley 25:35.

14th June 2001

PEDAL POWER: Competitors take part in the John Andrews Memorial Road Race, organized by Yeovil Cycling Club, on Sunday.
Stuart Pickering of Penzance Wheelers won the 88~mile contest on the llchester-Coppitts Hill-Yeovilton course. Jon Gall (Clevedon & District CC) was second and Andy Moore (Somer Valley CC) was third. Malcolm Cox of Portsmouth-based VC St Raphael led the 60-man field for much of the race. He was overtaken on the penultimate lap and finished fourth. Sixth-placed Mike Loader was Yeovil’s highest finisher. Matt Law of Yeovil-based VC Camelot finished 11th and Gillingham’s Jeremy Carter was 20th. Yeovil members Steve Pym and John Clemit were 21st and 23rd. Somerton rider Peter Kench won Yeovil's 25-mile time trial in a time of 56 minutes 48 seconds. Loader was second with 57 mins 3 secs and John Williams (CC ASbergavenny) was third with 57 mins 37 secs. Picture by Len Copland.

14th June 2001

Fall guy
YEOVIL Cycling Clubs Darren Edmonds,- who failed to finish the John Andrews Memorial Road Race on Sunday.
He was forced to withdraw after falling following a clash of handlebars in the 88-mile contest. For report see Page 62.
Picture by Len Copland.

14th June 2001

HOME WIN: Yeovil Cycling Club won their open 25-mile time trial on Sunday. Mike Loader led Yeovil to their success, recording the fastest time of the day (55 mins 57 secs). He was just under a minute ahead of second-placed Andy Winterbottom (Wellington Wheelers), victor in 2000. Chris Absolom of Yeovil claimed fifth place (58:31). Rick Johnston (Somerset RC) clocked 1:00:03 for sixth spot and West Coker-based veteran Dave Pitman was seventh (1:00:04) riding for VC Camelot. Picture by Len Copland.

12th July 2001

Event back for the first time since 1970s

For the first time in 23 years, Yeovil cycling club's time trial series includes a 50 mile event. Seven riders, all Yeovil members, took up the challenge. Thirteen other cyclists opted for the 25 miler.
Mike Loader improved on his time in the Salisbury 50 the previous week with 1 hour 53 minutes 39 seconds. John Fazakerley was the only other rider under the two hour mark (1:58:53).
Graeme Lackford (Anglia sport) was the fastest in the 25, recording 58:03.
This Sunday, the Yeovil club hold an Open 25 mile time trial on the A303 (Podimore-Cartgate-South Petherton-Podimore course). The first of the 50 entrants starts at 8am.

5th July 2001

Loader's good week

YEOVIL Cycling clubs Mike Loader put into good performances over the last week. He won his clubs 25 miler by three minutes, recording 57 minutes 8 seconds on a very windy evening, and took second spot in the Reading 25.
Graeme Lackford (Anglia Sport) rode a single fixed gear and was second (1:00:21) in the Yeovil 25 mile time trial. Gillingham’s Jeremy Carpenter was placed third (1:00:23). Yeovil roadman Nick Armstrong clocked 1:03:38 and Steve Pym 1:04:05.
Loader travelled to Aldermaston, Berkshire for the Reading 25 and posted 54:38 to tie for second place behind winner James Maynard (Charlotteville CC), who clocked 53:30. Loader was held up by a queue of traffic on the last roundabout, losing valuable seconds.

19 July 2001

Yeovil duo shatter time-trial records

YEOVIL Cycling Club time trialists Chris Absolom and Mike Loader have been targeting the fast courses and are rewriting the record books.
Loader was the first to go down in history - when the pair rode in the Westerley RC 100-mile event at Botley near Oxford. Clocking 4 hours and 15 seconds in his debut at the distance he took second place, behind the experienced Ken Platts (Coalville Wheelers,
Leicestershire) who recorded 3:55:00.
Loaders time shattered the club record by more than 13 minutes - it had stood at 4:13:18, which was set by Clive Brooks in 1984.
Absolom took third place with 4:02:43, which was an improvement of nearly 15 minutes on his previous best and won him the handicap award.
On Sunday it was Absolom’s turn to set a club record. He recorded a personal-best time of 52:44 in the Merthyr CC 25 at Glenneath, South Wales. He broke the club record by 31 seconds in being placed seventh.
Port Talbots Martin Sage won with a very fast 49:10 (30.5mph). Loader also recorded a personal best - 54:09 - for 14th place.
Dave Pitman of West Coker near Yeovil was one of the regions top road racers 20 years ago - and he has made a successful return to competition in Veterans' League and open events.
On Sunday he Won the over-50s race at Fareham in Hampshire, making his winning move on the ascent of Portsdown Hill. In open events he has been picking up ranking points. He managed two fifth places but really came into his own in the hilly Mendip Road Race. The Somer Valley CC promotion was open to second, third and fourth-category riders. The 65-miler included four climbs of Burrington Coombe.
Pitman used his considerable climbing ability to take third place on the hills top finish, no mean feat against riders less than half his age
Tonights Yeovil Cycling Club ten-mile time-trial will be the last of this year's series. The event starts at 7pm at Podimore Services by the A303

23rd August 2001

PEDAL POWER: Action from Yeovil Cycling Club's open 25-mile time-trial, which took place on the A303 on Sunday. Picture by Len Copland.

12th July 2001

Veteran shaves ten minutes off best

VETERAN roadman Chris Absolom turned time trialist - and surprised a top-class field in the Belle Vue CC 50-mile event on the Didcot course in Oxfordshire.
The event had a 5.30am start and was restricted to 90 riders as for safety reasons the last one had to be off the A34 by 9am. That meant Absolom and Mike Loader left Yeovil at 3am.
Conditions were far from ideal with a head wind over the first half of the course. Most riders were at leasts two minutes over their best times. Absolom, however, had different ideas and stormed round in 1 hr 51 mins 48 secs - a ten-minute improvement for fifth place. His time was a Yeovil club record.
Loader clocked 1:54:13, under a minute outside his best. Winner Ken Platts (Coalville Wheelers, Leicestershire) had 1:48:32.
There was also success in circuit racing for another veteran, Steve Pym. He scored his first ranking points when he sprinted into third place in the fourth category 60km race at Colerne Airfield, Wiltshire. The ten points he gained will promote him to third category

2nd August 2001

Absolom rides to second in Devon

Chris Absolom of Yeovil Cycling Club took second place in the Exeter Wheelers 50. He recorded 2 hours 55 seconds on the Exeter-Barnstable A377
Although he was only a minutes down on eventual winner John Wynn (Somerset RC) at the halfway mark, Absolom faded over the closing miles. Wynn clocked 1:57:28.
Absolom (21:15) came out on top of a field of 32 in a Yeovil 10 miler. Team mate Mike Loader was second (21:23) and Graeme Lackford of Anglia Sport was third (22:00).
Yeovil is John Clemit took 11th place– just outside the points–in a 60 km third category circuit race at Colerne, Wiltshire.

16th August 2001

Yeovil pair in Devon cream

Yeovil cycling club is Chris Absolom took fourth place in the North Devon Wheelers 25. He recorded 59 minutes 6 seconds. Fellow Yeovil Rider Michael Loader was fitth with 59:17.
Only six of the 45 riders beat the hour on the Exeter-Barnstable A377. National time trial champion Stuart Dangerfield (Camel Valley) won with 54:30.
Riders were helped by good conditions in a Yeovil 10 miler. Army man Paul Haggerty was fastest, clocking 20:31. Absolom came second with a personal best 21:07 and Loader was third in 21:28.
Juniors also recorded personal bests– Chard Wheeler James Denslow, aged 15, had 23:46 and Adam Pearce, 14, of Yeovil posted 26:04.

6th September 2001

Absolom sets third record

CHRIS Absolom set another Yeovil Cycling Club record - in the 12- hour Icknield Road Race at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
Absolom had recorded personal-bests in ten, 25, 50 and 100-mile time-trials this season with club records in the 25 and 50.
And in Bedfordshire, he improved the club record by nine miles and his persona1-best by four miles.
He covered 252.86 miles in the allotted time to finish in ninth place. Top seed Nick Gardiner (Timetrial.co.uk Race Team) covered 280.72.
Conditions were not very good, the wind far too strong for this gruelling event. To make matters worse for Absolom, he suffered mechanical trouble - his chain came off several times.
Mike Loader was the only Yeovil club rider in the Wellington Wheelers' 25 staged on the Podimore-Yeovil-South Petherton-Podimore course. Loader came out on top, recording 55
mins 54 secs.
VC Camelots Dave Pitman (58:08) and Andy Millward (58:13) were fifth and sixth respectively and took the team award with John Saunders (1:04:10).
Jeremy Carpenter was Gillingham & Districts best rider. He took eighth place, clocking 58:51.
Army rider Paul Haggerty won the last of the seasons Yeovil time trials. He finished in 22:21. Loader was second with 22:28 and John Williams (CC Abergavenny, Wales) came third with 22:33. Millward (22:47) and Pitman (22:48) were fifth and sixth respectively

13th September 2001

Loader leads way at Weyhill

Yeovil cycling clubs Mike loader was the best local rider in Andover Wheelers Weyhill weekend
He clocked 20 minutes 53 seconds, a personal best, to claim in 11th place in Saturday's 10 mile time trial. VC Camelot is Andy Millward (21:18) was 19th out of 86 finishers. Winner was Richard Prebble (Team Clean) with 19:16.
Almost 100 riders competed the veterans race. Yeovil’s Chris Absolom was placed 14th 21:35. Dave Notley of Yeovil was 73rd with 23:59 and club mate Stuart Wroot was equal 74th with three other riders on 24:00. Ray Hughes (Clarence Wheelers) was fastest with 20:03.
The cold north-easterly wind was a lot stronger on Sunday for the 25 mile events. Loader was eight with 57:39 although he lost time because of A.D. rail chain. Prebble was again fastest recording 53:05.
Cycling club's latest open promotion of the season a 10 mile time trial takes place on Saturday afternoon on the Podimore-Ash flyover-Podimore section of the A303. The first rider off is at 2:30pm. Organiser David Notley reports an entry of 91, Taunton’s Greg Sandy on scratch.

September 2001

Team time trial award for Yeovil

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s time trial season finished on a high note with the club taking the team award in its own 10 mile promotion.
Mike Loader led the team home and recorded 21.21 for third place behind winner Greg Sandy (Bikeshop.com.uk) (20.55) and Nick Hustler (Essex Roads CC) (21.16). Chris Absolom was seventh clocking 22.00 and Steve Pym was third counter with 24.07 in 24th place. Other Yeovil club times were junior Adam Pearce 26.25, finishing on a Hat tyre, and Gary Swain 28.54. Andy Millward was VC Camelot’s best - equal 13th with 22.39 and John Saunders clocked 24.33.
Tim Reeves led the Chard Wheelers home with an equal 13th position in 22.39. James Denslow won the fastest junior prize clocking 24.22. Dean Ward clocked 25.42 to beat his father Doug (26.31) and veteran Dave Smith won second best improvement with 27.07.
Gillingham and District Wheelers Sandra Carpenter was fastest woman recording 25.54 and Jeremy Carpenter was 19th overall with 23.01. Paul Horan was 26th in 23.45, Shawn Allen 38th in 24.28 and Carole Miller clocked a 26.21 personal best. .
Mike Lawrence (Clevedon) was best veteran on age standard with a plus of 6.52. Best improvement award went to Robert Heathcote (Western) who was more than a minute better for 24.40.
Loader and Absolom were up early the next morning to travel to Botley near Oxford for the Polytechnic CC 25. The event atrracted 120 of the top 25 milers.
Loader recorded 53.41, a personal best by 28 seconds, for 30th place while Absolom was 44th with 55.12. Winner was Michael Hutchingson (Team MDT) with 48.58 and former Tour de France yellow jersey Sean Yates (Team Clean) was second in 49.32.

11th October 2001

HILL CHAMPION: Rex Facey of First Chard Wheelers won the Traditional end of season hill climb championship at High Ham, finishing six seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
More than 20 cyclists from the Chard, Yeovil and CRT Tor 2000 clubs - took part in the event, with Facey fastest over the threequarters of a mile climb in a time of 2 minutes 58.8 seconds. Guest rider Paul Vincent of MI Racing was second in a time of 3 mins 4.5 secs, while John Clemit became the new Yeovil champion with a time of 3 mins 7.2 secs. Veteran rider Chris
Absolom, the Yeovil champion for the last six years, ended up in fourth place, 11 seconds behind Clemit. Picture by Garry Mitchener

1st November 2001