Mercia Report 28-06-2015

 The Walsall Roads Cycling Club’s 25 mile time trial turned out to be a bonanza for the majority of riders who were wanting fast times on the Etwall Uttoxeter course. It was a thundery wet day with no wind, thundery weather as the advantage of higher oxygen levels. Seven Mercia riders entered the time trial and completed it. Five members did personal bests and two recorded their fastest times this year. Jason Seabridge recorded 49 58 a personal best and a new club record to finish in 11th place. Next was Jack Hugill in 53 02 his fastest 25 mile time this year. Sean Sleigh, 53 24 a personal best, Ben Startin 55 24, a personal best ,Nigel Finch 57 03 a personal best, Tony Marlow 58 22 a personal best at the age of 70 and Anne Staley 1 05 50 her fastest 25 mile time this year. The winner was Matt Bottrill (www.drag2zero.com) who had the worst of the thunder storm as a later starter but still did the fastest 25 mile time this year in 46 30.Eleven riders rode in the evening 10 mile time trial at Yoxall on the A515 between Yoxall and Constitution Island Lichfield. It was a nice sunny evening with a light breeze. Jason Seabridge was the fastest, setting up a new course record in 21 59. The rest of the riders times were Ben Startin 24 02, Oliver Parker 24 26, John Quimby (Coalville Wheelers) 25 46, Tony Marlow 26 06, Jeff Slinn 26 41, Andy Stewart 26 51, Robert Mangham, 27 16, David Lovatt 28 20, Adrian Waters 29 54 and Graham Dingley 30 35.Mercia member Terry Knight has now completed 4 Audax Rides at 200, 300, 400 & 600 kilometres to become a Super Randonneur for 2015, so he can now go over to France and complete the 1200 kilometres Paris Brest Paris Randonneur in August, organised by Audax Club Parisian, this famous event goes back to 1891.The 200km in 25/01/2015 started near Cheadle to go to Market Drayton, the route passed by the Cheshire and Shropshire Meres using quite lanes to go through Ellesmere, Hodnet and Hawkstone Park to Audlem to return to Cheadle.

The Plains 300km 18/04/2015 was the next. With the Audax starting in the late evening at Poynton near Stockport on the eastern edge of the Cheshire Plain. Terry was accompanied by Clive Walker.

Llanfair.PG is the title of the 400 km 09/05/2015 This is basically a ride a from Chester along the North Wales coast to cross over the Menai Bridge onto Anglesey and then to Holyhead and back. There were 2 hard climbs at Halkyn Mountain and the Sychnant Pass .The rest of the ride was famous for it’s Bridges.

Finally it was the 600km (A pair of Kirtons) 06/06/2015. Starting again at Poynton to head east into Lancashire climbing over the Pennines to climb to the high point of 492 metres on Saddleworth Moor still going in an easterly direction the route took Terry into East Yorkshire and onto Hull to cross the Humber by the spectacular bridge to ride to Kirton in Lindsey (not far from Scunthorpe) then to Gainsborough and onto Boston and the famous “Stump” then onto Kirton in Holland travelling west now to Colsterworth near Grantham. Soon it was into Leicestershire to stop at at Castle Donnington for a café stop. On through Derbyshire to Uttoxeter to take the B5027 road to Stone, continuing to Prees Heath near Whitchuch finally back to Poynton to complete the 600 kilometres.