Archives 2008

Cyclists treat crowd to excellent road race

CYCLING fans were treated to a fine display of road racing in the John Andrews Memorial race on the circuit starting and ending at Long Sutton and passing through Upton, Langport and Huish.
The 65-mile event covered 12 laps of the circuit and there were bursts in the field from the word go which continued throughout the race.
The decisive move, however, came at the halfway stage when eight riders forged ahead and, working well together, extended their lead over the others by a minute a lap.
Devon rider Will Jansen (Bikinmotion) took the checkered flag by one length from Ben Anstie (Chippenham) in a time of 2hrs 33 mins.
Somerton's Douglas Dewey (Team Tor 2000) was third with Guy Wilkins (Bikeinmotion) fourth and Adam Holmes (Mid Devon) fifth.
Chards Rex Facey was the last survivor of the breakaway group and finished eighth. His teammate Paul Barratt lead in the remainder of the main field and claimed ninth.
Meanwhile Chards Dave Moffett was 15th and help his club to the team prize.
Of the se starters only half finished the full course.

25th June 2008

MIKE Loader was fastest of the regulars at Yeovil’s come-and-try-it five- mile time trial on the Yeovilton-Ilchester course, clocking 11 mins 3 secs - only 4 secs off the course record.

OTHER RESULTS: 2 Hugo Baidacchino (Yeovil) 11:38, 3 Chris Martin (Yeovil) 12:00, 4 Dean Ward (Chard Wheelers) 12:10, 5 Alex Lake (Yeovil) 12:54, 6 Steve Pym (Yeovil) 13:06.

Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said:" Andy Parsons was best of the ‘try its’, recording 13 mins 10 secs. He was followed by Robert Gummer, with 14 mins 48 secs, and Tom Martin, with 17 mins 1 sec."
Yeovil promote an open 25-mile event on the Podimore-Cartgate- Yeovil-South Petherton-Podimore course on Sunday. First rider will be off from Podimore at 8.07am.
Chard stage a massed-start road race at Long Sutton, on Sunday (10am).

24th July 2008

YEOVIL Cycling Club’s open 25-mile time-trial - on the Podimore-Yeovil -South Petherton-Podlmore course attracted only 34 riders - but the good news was that there was just one non-starter.
Hosts spokesman Garry Mitchener said: 'Any riders who did not bother entering must be kicking themselves because they missed a near-perfect morning, warm with only a light breeze. Charles Zanettacci of diamond-hf.com won the event on his first visit to the course, recording an excellent 54 mins 10 secs.'
David Kiddell of Cavalier CC clocked 54 mins 42 secs for second place. Andy Winterbottom of Somerset RC was third with 56 mins 3 secs, Chas Thursfield of Dream CC came fourth with 56 mins 27 secs and Jonathon
Wilkinson-Lockyer of Team Tor 2000 finished fifth with 58 mins 41 secs.
Our Chris Martin was sixth, with 58 mins 47 secs, when riding only his second 25. His time was an improvement of 6 mins on his previous effort.

OTHER LOCAL TIMES: Yeovil - Hugo Baldacchino 59:08 (8th), Dave Driver 1:1:30 (13th), Doug Ward 1:9:31 (28th), Chard Wheelers - Bernard Ford 1:18:23 (33rd); Team Tor 2000 - Richard Smith 1:2:13 (16th), RNRMCA - Barrie Whitehead 1:0:43 (12th).

Mitchener said: Because of the low entry the team prize was awarded to the club with the best two riders- it is usually three - and Yeovil won with Martin and Baldacchino.
Our fast man Mike Loader was the organiser so he could not ride but he did win the previous Thursdays ten-mile race, clocking 22 mins 9 secs from Chards George Gori who posted a personal-best 23 mins 25 secs.
Martin was third in 23 mins 34 secs, Chard’s Dean Ward came fourth with 24 mins 2 secs, Driver was fifth with 24 mins 51 secs and unattached rider Simon Rouse finished sixth with 25 mins 46 secs.

7th August 2008

CHARD Wheeler Tom Aliban has claimed his first victory in a Yeovil Cycling Club time-trial. He broke his Yeovil duck by taking top spot in a ten-miler.
Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: Veteran Aliban recorded 22 mins 51 secs to beat Team Tor 2000's Jon Wilkinson, who clocked 23 mins 18 secs.
Nathan Cox of Chard was third with 23 mins 28 secs and club-mate George Cori posted 23 mins 35 secs for fourth.
Richard Smith of Team Tor 2000 was fifth, with 24 mins 11 secs, and Yeovil’s Robert Martin was six in 26 mins 29 secs.
One of the best rides of that evening was by 14-year-old Ash Martin who clocked 27 mins 52 secs in his first ten-mile race. Nicola Morgan, a 17-year-old triathlete, continued to impress by clocking 29 mins 28 secs for tenth place.

14th August 2008

WINDY conditions did not stop several riders clocking a personal-best time in Yeovil Cycling Club's first five-mile-time-trial handicap-trophy event, staged on the Yeovilton-Northover course.
Best was Christine Vince who clocked 18 mins 23 secs which gave her an adjusted time of 10 mins 23 secs.
Adele Martin missed out by three seconds but beat her father Rob who was third with 10 mins 39 secs; ,
Fastest on the night was Hugo Baldacchino with 11 mins 46 secs but he did not feature in the handicap as this was not near his fastest time.
Michael Leech (Team Tor 2000) was second-fastest in 11 mins 51 secs - the handicap was for Yeovil members only.
Mike Loader, scratchman in the handicap, was third-fastest with 11 mins 56 secs. Chris Martin was fourth, in 12 mins 13 secs and Shaun Walsh - returning to racing after five months off the' bike following a road crash - came fifth with 12 mins 19 secs.

At the Clevedon & District clubs open ten-mile time-trial Driver was equal-first veteran on time standard clocking 24 mins 18 secs. And Loader clocked 20 mins 18 secs in Andover Wheelers’ten-miler on the A303 Hampshire.

18th September 2008

SIX clubs were represented at a Thursday time-trial organised by Yeovil Cycling Club.
Garry Mitchener, Yeovil spokesman, said: Conditions were quite good - warm with only a light breeze.
Doug Dewey of Team Tor 2000 made the most of them, recording a course-record time of 10 mins 35 secs Yeovil’s Mike Loader was second with 11 mins 20 secs, followed by Hugo Baldacchino with 11 mins 38 secs.
Chard Wheeler Nathan Cox rode the course twice. He clocked 11 mins 57 secs the first time. Six minutes later he started again and improved to 11 mins 48
secs.
His times were the fifth and fourth fastest respectively. Chards Dean Ward was sixth with 12 mins 8 secs.
The Martin family from Langport had four entrants, parents Rob and Clare clocking 13 mins 15 secs and 17 mins 21 secs respectively, son Ash posting 14 mins 11 secs and daughter Adele finishing in 16 mins 26 secs.

4th September 2008

RICKY Gibbs is the 2008 winner of Yeovil Cycling Clubs annual Handicap Time-Trial Shield.
He recorded a time of 30 mins 49 secs, his handicap allowance of 9 mins 49 secs giving him 21 mins.
Andy Gaylard was -second with 21 mins 37secs and Rob Martin clocked 21 mins 58 secs for third.
Club ' spokesman Garry Mitchener said: The handicap allowances were based on the average of a riders last five ten-mile times.
Mike Loader was the scratch man and he clocked 21 mins 50 secs actual time, for fourth on handicap.
Second-fastest on the night was Chards Tom Aliban with 22 mins 50 secs and third was Rick Johnson of Somerset Road Club with 22 mins 58 secs.
Johnson was followed by George Gori of Chard with 23 ins 15 secs, Hugo Baldacchino of Yeovil with 23 mins 19 secs and Dean Ward of Chard with 24 mins 14 secs.

21st September 2008

DAVID Kiddell of the Cavalier club won Yeovil’s final open event of the season - a ten-mile time-trial on the A303-based Podimore-Ash flyover- Podimore course.
Yeovil spokesman Garry Mitchener said: Conditions seemed quite good for some fast times but, as is often the case, a light breeze was blowing across the course and was no help at all and times were disappointing. David Kiddell, the fourth-fastest on paper, was the best on the day, recording 21 mins 27 secs to pip our Mike Loader by 3 secs. Jake Prior of VC. St Raphael was third with 21 mins 39 secs and Bath’s Bob Pears - the scratch man - could only make fourth with 21 mins 40, secs. Yeovil’s Dave Driver was the fastest veteran on age standard, clocking 24 mins 1 sec for a plus of 7.44. Sue
Brimecombe of C.S. Dynamo, Exmouth, was fastest lady with 26 mins 6 secs and top junior was Simon Chesterman of Chippenham & District Wheelers with 28 mins 37 secs.
Somerset Road Club won the team prize. Rick Johnson clocked 22 mins 17 secs, Tim Reeves 22 mins 47 secs and Neil Hudghton 22 mins 56 secs.
Last Thursday’s Yeovil five-mile event was the last in this years evening series. Loader was the quickest, clocking 11 mins 5 secs, Johnson was second with 11 mins 41 secs and Yeovil’s Hugo Baldacchino
came third with 11 mins 52 secs.

25th September 2008

THE annual Yeovil hillclimb event at High Ham was rearranged because of wet weather on the scheduled date - and riders were rewarded with a dry morning.
Although conditions seemed quite good, times were down on last year when there was a following breeze.
The first three places went to Chard Wheelers, Tom Alliban clocking 3 mins 19 secs, Toby Gillmore 3 mins 21 secs and Andrew Mapson 3 mins 24 secs.
New Yeovil champion is Hugo Baldacchino who recorded 3 mins 32 secs for fourth place overall, edging out Severn’s Simon Rouse who managed 3 mins 33 secs. Yeovil’s Shaun
Walsh was sixth, posting 3 mins 45 secs.

OTHER TIMES: Dale Robinson (Chard) 3:46, Mark Harris (Chard) 3:54, Dean Ward (Chard) 3:56, John Williams (Yeovil) 4:01, Chris Martin (Yeovil) 4:02, Chris Woodman (Chard) 4:04, Ashley Martin (Yeovil) 4:10, Rob Martin (Yeovil) 4:12, Ivan Henry (Chard) 4:18, Andy Gaylard (Yeovil) 4:23.4, Dave Moran (Chard) 4:23.6, Adele Martin (Yeovil) 5:09.

23rd October 2008

Cycle road race could become classic event

by Claire Bryant
Staff Reporter
e-mail newsdesk@westgaz.co. uk

CYCLISTS from across the country tested their limits in the let Chard Wheelers inaugural road race.
The 68-mile race began at 10.30am from the Five Dials pub in Horton on 18 May.
Brandon Ellis, chairman of the Chard cycle group, said: The idea to bring some of the best riders in the country to compete on local roads paid off handsomely, and Horton village and the spectators were rewarded with a superb attacking race.
But the South West’s leading riders were not overawed and put up a good showing in front of local crowds. Polish man Marcin Bialoblocki won the adrenaline-filled event. Mr Bialoblocki of Langport beat teammate Ben Luckwell and South West junior champion Guy Willans after a group of 12 riders came together in the closing miles.
Mr Bialoblocki led all the way in a fast, exciting dash to the line. Dave Clarke from the Midlands took fourth place and Matt Rowe of Wales, fifth, with Exeter resident James Williams
sixth.
The route was based on a new 11-and-a-half-mile course on the edge of the Blackdown Hills, with runners completing six laps of the circuit.
Mr Ellis said: That a dozen riders contested the -finish belies the nature of the tough 11-and-a-half- mile course that included the notorious Staple Hill, which will be used in the Tour of Britain stage starting in Chard.
This was followed by a sapping drag to the Eagle Tavern on top of the Blackdowns ridge before a high-speed descent down the A303 back into Horton. Under the influence of the
course and an active and attacking field, groups constantly formed and split as the race developed.
Chard Wheelers’ own Rex Facey and Paul Barratt both finished the ultra tough race, which was sponsored by Mckinlays. One of the biggest cheers of the day came for Horton
resident Toby Gilmore as he crossed the line just behind the last major group. Mr Gilmore, who has been racing for less than a year, finished a race that several elite-level
racers retired from due to its toughness.
Somerset County Council leader Jill Shortland presented the prizes to the first three riders and the King of the Blackdowns competition.
Mr Ellis said:The club is already making plans for the race to be even better next year and knows, after the first year, it may have a classic race in the making.

LOCAL LADS: Two racers from the 1st Chard Wheelers Club, Rex Facey and Paul Barrett.
NEARLY THERE: Somerset County Council leader Juill Shortland rings the bell to signal the last lap of the race.
CLOSE CALL: The winners come through to the finish
TROPHY TIME: Somerset County Council leader Jill Shortland presents the winners trophy to Marcin Bialoblocki.