This event forms part of the Bioracer series, a series of Time trials that don’t require riders to use a Time trial bike, making them an ideal way of dipping your toe into the Time Trial scene.
This particular event should be right up our members street, as it’s a rolling course and as Dan said “…it’s a “great” lumpy course. I last rode it in 2017 or 2018 and was caught for a few minutes by the eventual winner, Hamish Bond (a NZ Olympic rower that was changing sports. He’d come to the UK, as our TT scene is the best in the world apparently, to train at TT’ing with aspirations of being selected for the NZ squad for the worlds/Olympics – as a pairs rower, I understand he was more or less unbeaten at international level – but I’ve not Googled him so I stand to be corrected!).”
There are some great pictures of the event on the link below.
https://gibworth.pixieset.com/wheelershilly2021/
My personal objective was somewhat more humble and as ever there was a good chance I would be last. I reviewed the Course and the start list, Kieron Savage was riding, Kieron had been team mates with our very own Louis Szymanski, I now knew who would be first and who would be last.
Off I drove to the beautiful village of Warslow in the Staffordshire Roaches, meeting Paul Warrener from Rossendale Road club. Paul suggested he had been round previously at an average of 20 MPH. I had in mind that 17 MPH would be a stretch, that said the map showed a decent amount of descending on the return leg so perhaps my mass may be of assistance.
Beautiful Warslow
I got off to a good start riding at steady pace and within myself, (for once), the first batch of minute men passed me quite early on and it wasn’t until the end of the major climb that the next batch passed me. My Wahoo showed 9 Miles to go and I really couldn’t face any more riding up hill, thankfully the terrain was nice and rolling before revealling a rapid and technical descent, followed by a sharp kick up to the finish. I was pretty much finished on the last 1 mile when Kerion stormed passed me.
We all need support sometimes so it felt good to be in the bottom quartile supporting the rest of the field and knowing that I could improve next time.
The next event is the Team TT on the 24 June and I am pleased to announce a great Team in the form of Louis Szymanski, Liam Lee, Carl Edwards & Constantino Sway. Please join me in wishing them well.
Just following up on Hamish Bond. He was a two time gold medalist at the Olympics. 2012 and 2016 When he “retired” he took up TTing and was very good. Third in the TT at the 2018 Comm Games and rode at a couple of Worlds with good results. Retired again and got his third gold in the 8s in Tokyo. Amazing
Colin from NZ ex Cheshire Roads but 1962