Report: RTTC 100 mile TT Championship

Kieron Davies and Alice Lethbridge winners in the RTTC 100 mile TT Championship on the H100/88B course

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Result: RTTC 100 mile TT Championship

Report from Chris Lovibond

MENS

Kieron Davies (Drag2Zero) is the 100 mile Champion for 2017. He finished in 3.23.48 to beat former competition recordman Charles Taylor (Team Botrill/HSS Hire) by the clear margin of 7 minutes 17 seconds, with Mark Nulty (Glossop Kinder Velo) just 19 seconds further back in third place.

Davies, who won this Hounslow event last year as a novice 100 miler, progressed smoothly from start to finish. His was a well judged ride, he had no bad patches but, he said, he “had nothing left in the tank at the finish”. Although conditions this year were rather less favourable than last, particularly in terms of heat, this championship ride was an improvement of 3 minutes 46 seconds over his 2016 performance.

Surprisingly, he does not see the hundred as his best distance, preferring fifty miles. He was disappointed not to win this year’s 50 championship, although he was only 57 seconds in arrears and did take the silver medal; perhaps this is an example of a champion’s mindset. A teacher from Carmarthen and originally a rugby player, he is in his fifth racing season. Kieron is keen to mention the vital help he receives from Drag2Zero, particularly from Simon Smart, Natalie Alkins and Alan Murchison. Perhaps most of all he is grateful for the understanding and support of his wife.

The new champion, at thirty years of age, is still relatively young and clearly not yet at the summit of his powers.

Silver medallist Charles Taylor has enjoyed a distinguished career over the past eighteen seasons. He is a recent competition record holder (3.21.31. in 2015) and said he ‘just likes riding’ and that his main target for this event had been to help win a team victory for his club, something he comfortably achieved. He was perhaps unlucky to come up against a rider as formidable as Kieron Davies on the day.

If cycling is a good antidote to the modern plague of obesity, Mark Nulty could be a perfect standard bearer for the cause. Now aged thirty two, he had never ridden a bike until 2013 when he weighed nearly twenty stones and took part in a charity event on a mountain bike. He immediately fell in love with cycling, bought a road bike and worked up to a 300-350 weekly mileage. That was the end of his weight problem.

Let us consider his potential, bearing in mind the following: he has reached his current level without a coach or financial backing, he rode this event unsupported having driven from Manchester and ‘sleeping’ in his car. We await future results with interest.

Adam Duggleby, the favourite and holder of a glittering new comp. record for the distance, was suffering from an infection. He honourably came to the start line, went well for the first half, but unsurprisingly ran out of steam and abandoned at 70 miles.

Ladies Championship.

Drag2Zero certainly had an excellent day, since in addition to Davies’ victory, they took first and second places in the Ladies department.

Alice Lethbridge is the new Ladies Champion having recorded the excellent time of 3.48.14. Surely a personal best for her? No, she is the current competition record holder with a time of 3.42. 37. Perhaps even more stunning is the fact that the comp. record came in only her second 100, and this championship victory is her third ride at the distance. Even with this 3.48, her winning margin was not great since her team mate Kate Allan (the current 50 mile champion) finished in 3.50.38, which itself would have been comp. record as recently as 2010.

Alice started cycling only in 2012 after injury problems ended her career as a runner; she thought bike riding looked more fun than keeping fit in the gym. She is not a pure time triallist and likes road racing “I like riding for a team. I just sit on the front and try to break the field up, and then I protect the team’s sprinters”

Another teacher, she says her best form usually comes towards the end of the summer holiday. There’s no doubt it’s a stressful profession.

It’s worth noting that the riders all complained of the heat, especially in the later stages, and thirteen, over ten percent of the field failed to finish. A further point is that although the organisers had no choice but to use this course since it is currently the only approved hundred in the London West District, there must be a question mark over its suitability for an event at this high level. Because it consists of just ten miles of road (that’s to say: five twenty mile laps) there was inevitably a lot of overlapping and even bunching of riders, in addition this situation was aggravated by a number of local triathletes ‘training’ on the same road. I wish to stress that I did not see anyone taking pace, but it was clear that difficult situations could arise in the future. Surely a championship is a race to find the best man or woman on the day, so there should be no need to use a ‘fast’ course.

In spite of these difficulties it is true to say that the event was a great success and was efficiently organized by Bruce McMichael of the Hounslow & District Wheelers. It attracted 120 competitors and took place on the Farnham-Alton course.

Women
1 Alice Lethbridge DRAG2ZERO 03:48:14 Female
2 Kate Allan DRAG2ZERO 03:50:38 Female
3 Jackie Field CC Ashwell 03:57:36 Female
4 Karen Ledger Team Bottrill / HSS Hire 04:07:15 Female
5 Katja Rietdorf Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 04:08:54 Female
6 Christina Murray Army Cycling Union 04:11:05 Female
7 Crystal Spearman NOPINZ 04:13:50 Female
8 Lynne Biddulph Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 04:21:33 Female
9 Lisa Davis Lewes Wanderers CC 04:27:06 Female
10 Virginia McGee Charlotteville Cycling Club 04:31:27 Female
11 Naomi Shinkins UK-Biking – Bournemouth Cycleworks – Trek 04:39:33 Female
12 Theresa Taylor Preston CC 04:40:21 Female
13 Janet Fairclough St Helens CRC 04:41:23 Female
14 Jackie Dodd Kingston Phoenix RC 04:47:49 Female
15 Alison Vessey Mickey Cranks Cycling Club 04:57:44 Female
16 Sharon Clifford WCS Racing Team 05:05:57 Female
17 Jill Bartlett Hounslow & District Whs 05:11:49 Female
18 Jacqueline Hobson Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 05:19:08 Female
… continued after advert

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MEN
1 Kieron Davies DRAG2ZERO 03:23:48 Male
2 Charles Taylor Team Bottrill / HSS Hire 03:31:05 Male
3 Mark Nulty Glossop Kinder Velo Cycling Club 03:31:24 Male
4 Jonathan Shubert Arctic Tacx RT 03:37:52 Male
5 Andy Jackson SSLL Racing Team 03:37:57 Male
6 Andrew Meilak VeloRefined.com Aerosmiths 03:38:04 Male
7 Alexander Colman Alford Whs 03:38:16 Male
8 Mark Smith Crawley Wheelers 03:39:42 Male
9 George Fox Team Bottrill / HSS Hire 03:40:48 Male
10 Matthew Davies Rhino Velo Race Team 03:42:28 Male
11 Rich Hunt Army Cycling Union 03:42:32 Male
12 Matthew Charlton Farnborough & Camberley CC 03:42:54 Male
13 Stephen Williamson …a3crg 03:44:51 Male
14 Richard Gildea Didcot Phoenix CC 03:45:17 Male
15 Nick Clarke Lovelo Cinelli RT 03:47:00 Male
16 Tom Morris Portsmouth North End CC 03:47:34 Male
17 Jon Puleston-Jones Dulwich Paragon CC 03:50:49 Male
18 Edward Nicholson Team Bottrill / HSS Hire 03:51:14 Male
19 Matthew Parfitt Charlotteville Cycling Club 03:52:11 Male
20 Gregory Woodford Reading CC 03:52:12 Male
21 Julian Elliott Finsbury Park CC 03:53:25 Male
22 Iain Boardman Dulwich Paragon CC 03:53:29 Male
23 Dale Lush Kingston Phoenix RC 03:55:36 Male
24 Peter Hooper Eastbourne Rovers CC 03:56:18 Male
25 Julian Pegg Hitchin Nomads CC 03:57:08 Male
26 Simon Healey Andover Wheelers 03:57:20 Male
27 David Shepherd GS Stella 03:57:22 Male
28 Philip Watts North Hampshire RC 03:57:39 Male
29 Edward Nunn Berkshire Tri Squad 03:57:41 Male
30 Joel Natale Dulwich Paragon CC 03:58:06 Male
31 David Gleave East Kilbride Road Club 03:58:07 Male
32 Nicolas Stagg Hounslow & District Whs 03:59:20 Male
33 Andy Warby AeroCoach 04:00:08 Male
34 George Eyles Maidenhead & District CC 04:00:17 Male
35 Robert Bullyment Catford CC 04:00:27 Male
36 Rupert Robinson Crawley Wheelers 04:01:38 Male
37 Tim Bayley Arctic Tacx RT 04:03:17 Male
38 Martin Winter Twickenham CC 04:03:57 Male
39 Ben Boardman New Forest CC 04:05:52 Male
40 Robert Taylor Bec CC 04:06:01 Male
41 Peter Perrin Bournemouth Arrow CC 04:06:12 Male
42 Stuart Hewlins Hounslow & District Whs 04:07:26 Male
43 Paul Winchcombe Chippenham & District Wheelers 04:07:36 Male
44 Adrian Blacker Norwood Paragon CC 04:08:47 Male
45 James McKenzie CC Ashwell 04:10:43 Male
46 Christopher O’Hearn Dulwich Paragon CC 04:10:46 Male
47 Simon Trehearn Kingston Phoenix RC 04:13:47 Male
48 Paul Holdsworth Hounslow & District Whs 04:14:34 Male
49 John Glaysher …a3crg 04:16:45 Male
50 Nic Stevenson Westerley Cycling Club 04:16:47 Male
51 Mick Black Springfield Financial Racing Team 04:17:00 Male
52 Nick Austin Sotonia CC 04:17:32 Male
53 Stuart Peckham New Forest CC 04:19:04 Male
54 Oliver Dammone Gloucester City Cycling Club 04:23:08 Male
55 Peter Baker Lewes Wanderers CC 04:24:44 Male
56 Andrew Gough Velo Club Venta 04:25:18 Male
57 Gary Martin Westerley Cycling Club 04:25:57 Male
58 Ray Claridge GA Cycles 04:26:02 Male
59 Tom Cox Northover VT / Rudy Project 04:26:03 Male
60 Adrian Watkins Tornado Road Cycling Club 04:31:24 Male
61 Samuel Crossley Dulwich Paragon CC 04:34:19 Male
62 Barry Tooke North Hampshire RC 04:34:33 Male
63 Jon Fairclough Woking Cycle Club 04:37:12 Male
64 Richard Claxton VC Elan – Harry Perry Cycles 04:48:57 Male
65 Paul Heggie Birdwell Wheelers 04:49:27 Male
66 Edgar Reynolds Born to Bike – Bridgtown Cycles 04:59:30 Male
67 Harry Haseley North Lancs RC 05:01:47 Male
68 Peter Horsfield Redmon CC 05:05:30 Male
69 Andrea Taborelli Berkshire Tri Squad 05:21:41 Male
70 Vernon Schutte Farnborough & Camberley CC 05:34:47 Male

The Team result
Men: Team Bottrill / HSS Hire: Charles Taylor 3.31.05., George Fox 3.40.48., Edward Nicholson, 3.51.14.
Women: Born to Bike/Bridgtown Cycles: Katja Rietdorf 4.08.54, Lynne Biddulph 4.21. 33. Jacqueline Hobson 5.19.08.

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