These cuttings are from 2003 , where there is a date for the clipping it is stated.
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SADDLE STARS: Yeovil Cycling Club's top performers of 2002 display their trophies following an end-of season buffet and prize-giving Ceremony. From left, David Notley, Dave Walters, Mike Loader, Gary Swain and Chris Absolom.
December 2002
Veteran best local in Pittards Trophy
YEOVIL Cycling Club Opened their
75th year with the popular Pittards
and Ham Hill Trophy road races.
Last week also saw the opening of
the clubs evening time trial series.
The 45-mile Pittards Trophy for
third and fourth category riders and
juniors was a fast race with two
notable solo attacks. The first came
from Somerset Road Clubs Jon
Wynn and the second over the last
of the three laps was the winning
move by Mid Devons Alex
Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald held off the main field
to finish 20 seconds ahead of
Wynn, who had escaped again from
the bunch which was lead in by
Adrian Street (North Devon
Wheelers). Yeovil’s best finisher
was veteran Steve Pym in the main
bunch.
The Ham Hill Trophy was contested over 75 miles by elite, first, second and third category riders and
was a triumph for the new West-based Team Endurasport. A group
of six riders went clear on the first
of the five laps - and by the second
they were joined by four more. As
the pace and distance began to tell
they split into two groups of five.
Endurasports Gregg Sandy of
Taunton was a clear winner, sprinting in ahead of Grant Bayton (Anglia
Sport), Mark Perry and Ben
Luckwell (FS Maestro-Fircroft Hotel)
and John lbbottson (Taunton). Keith
Lilley (Alltrax) lead in the second
group for sixth place. Endurasport
took the team prize with third
counter Andy Parsons well up in the
bunch.
The first time-trial of this years
evening series was a ten-miler -
and the promoting clubs Chris
Absolom was fastest, recording 22
mins 37 secs. Andy Thomson
(Exeter) clocked 23:17, Mark
Kurpyter (Somerset RC) 23:23, Ian
Hounsel (Mendip) 23:40, John
Clemit (Yeovil CC) 23:49 and VC
Camelot’s Andy Millward 23:50.
Yeovil promote an open ten-mile
time-trial on Saturday. First of the
117 riders starts at 2pm from
Podimore.
10th April 2003
Chris has a ‘Ball’ in Yeovil Ten
Having returned to the sport after an 11 year break Chris Ball of
Team 53.12 Multisports added the
Yeovil Ten to his tally of wins this
season. Ball of Kingston Deverill
near Mere is a former national
junior competition record holder at
the distance and was nearly one
minute clear of the field, recording
20 mins 33 secs.
A crosswind made conditions far
from ideal so the £30 on offer for
breaking Clive Brooks course
record 19:55 went unclaimed.
Somerset Road Clubs Jon Wynn,
runner-up- in the previous weeks
Pittards Trophy road race, was second again, clocking 21:31, with
Army rider Paul Haggerty in third
with 21:33. Jimmy Little of
Chippenham (21:42) was fourth,
Mark Wareham of VC St Raphael
(21:46) came fifth and Mark Dredge
of Westbury (21:48) was sixth.
Mike Loader was Yeovil's best
rider in eighth place, recording
21:54. Chris Absolom was 11th in
22:09 and third counter in the team
was John Sharp who clocked
23:26.
Despite the conditions two Yeovil
riders recorded personal bests -
Rod Bowditch had 25:03, improving
47 seconds, and Gary Swain posted 25:25, an improvement of 15
seconds. VC Camelot’s Andy
Millward clocked 22:42 in 18th.
The event incorporated the West
District Team Championship - and
the mens title went to Somerset
Road Club with Wynn, Andy
Winterbottom and Iain Hounsel
whose aggregate time was 1 hr 6
mins 29 secs. Yeovil were second.
The women’s title went to Bath
Anfibians team of Gillian Pears and
Susy Orr - only two riders were
required in the women’s event.
Terry lake of Poole Wanderers
was best veteran on age standard,
his 21:49 giving him a plus of 7:45
for a 59 year old. Pears was fastest
lady with 26:53 and Kyle Tilley
(Chippenham) was best junior in
26:21.
Last Thursdays club ten on the
same Podimore-Ash Flyover course
saw stronger winds push times
down on the previous week.
Rick Johnson (Somerset RC) was
fastest in 23:03, Matt Law (VC
Camelot) had 23:19, K. Hayward
(CC Weymouth) posted 23:22 and
was followed by teammates P.
Hogben in 23:23 and P. Gould with
24:09. First Yeovil rider was Loader
who clocked 24:18 for sixth spot.
17th April 2003
Absolom third in Wessex ten-miler
THE recent changeable weather has hit cycle
time-trialists, the strong winds slowing riders
and the rain making racing very uncomfortable. Last Saturdays Wessex Veterans' ten-mile
event on the fast A303-based Thruxton-
Andover-Thruxton course was a good example
but the heavy rain was worse than the wind.
The event was staged as two races - 40 to 49
years, in which the Yeovil riders competed, and
over-50s. Chris Absolom was Yeovil’s best,
recording 21 mins 17 secs for third place. John
Sharp was ninth with 22:24 and Stuart Wroot
23rd by clocking 24:09.
Mike Loader was due to ride but decided the
rain and resulting spray on the busy road made
racing unsafe. ironically the rain had eased by
his start time.
Loader has recently hit top form with a club
record ten of 20:05 at Easter and then winning
on his next three starts - the Somerset RC Two-
Up 25 with Somerton’s Pete Kench (Liphook
Cycles RT),.the Bath CC ten and the Weymouth
ten.
Crabwood CC staged another ten-miler for
younger riders starting after the veterans
events. Andy Millward (VC Camelot) was the
best local rider, clocking 21:30, and Yeovil’s
Chris Fendt returned 23:45.
Yeovil’s Thursday-evening ten was won by
club secretary John Clemit in 23:20. Mark
Kurpyta (Somerset RC) was second in 23:21 and
Yeovil’s Hugo Baldichino third with 24:35.
Clemit was in road-race action on Sunday in
the 85km Brent Tor Road Race in Devon. In a
tough event which included elite and first-category riders he finished a creditable 16th.
22nd May 2003
