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In the last major time trial of the 2007 season, eight Thornton riders lined up at the start of the Veteran Time Trial Association’s 15 mile time trial on the Q15/4 course on Sunday 30 September 2007. Mellow autumnal light poured from a cloudless sky that morning, and a gentle east wind gave a chilly bite to shady spots unwarmed by the maturing sun. Thornton rider numbers equalled those of Rye & District Wheelers, and together the two clubs accounted for a third of the forty-seven starters. Of these, thirty-eight were veterans (aged 40 or more), each of whom raced against a standard determined by respective age (the older the rider, the higher the standard allowed), and nine were non-veterans, who raced against a standard of zero (i.e. scratch). Among the non-veterans, Thornton rider Dave Wheeler finished third overall and the second best non-veteran, for which he gained a silver medal. Based on better or worse than standard, Eric Bates was eleventh out of the thirty-eight veterans, and best among the Thornton veteran riders. That does not mean of course that he was Thornton’s fastest: among the veterans, Simon Gibbs and Russ Mason were both faster, and the scratch riders Dave Wheeler and Steve Bunn were as jet ’planes to a microlight. The best veteran on the day was Carol Gandy (39 min 23 sec) and the fastest rider overall was Phil Bull (35 min 19 sec).
VTTA 15 mile time trial: results for TRC riders – 30 September 2007
| Position |
Rider |
Vet/Non-vet
|
Standard |
Time |
Better(+) /
Worse(-)
|
| Scratch |
Standard |
|
3 |
|
Dave Wheeler |
NV |
|
35:36 |
|
|
10 |
|
Stephen Bunn |
NV |
|
39:13 |
|
|
32 |
11 |
Eric Bates |
V |
48:23
|
45:20 |
+3:03 |
|
28 |
26 |
Russ Mason |
V |
44:00
|
44:38 |
-0:38 |
|
40 |
31 |
Ian Fowler |
V |
44:00
|
48:21 |
-4:21 |
|
27 |
32 |
Simon Gibbs |
V |
38:51
|
43:50 |
-4:59 |
|
34 |
36 |
Steve Gates |
V |
39:09
|
46:14 |
-7:05 |
|
47 |
38 |
Gordon Davis |
V |
48:23
|
1:01:58 |
-13.35 |
| |
1 |
Carol Gandy
(Kent Cycles) |
V(♀) |
48:45 |
39:23 |
+9:22 |
|
1 |
4 |
Phil Bull
(V C Elan) |
V |
41:39 |
35:19 |
+6:20 |
Thornton RC scheduled five time trials on its St Mary in the Marsh-Newchurch-Ivychurch 10-mile course (Q10/8) during the summer of 2007, despite the possibility of impediment by road works at the drainage bridge one mile south of Ivychurch. The posted schedule is given below. Interested riders were asked to report at Newchurch Village Hall at least half an hour before the start time.
| Day |
Date |
Start Time |
| Saturday |
2 June 2007 |
7.30 am |
| Tuesday |
19 June 2007 |
7.00 pm |
| Saturday |
30 June 2007 |
7.30 am |
| Tuesday |
24 July 2007 |
7.00 pm |
| Saturday |
4 August 2007 |
7.30 am |
Thornton rider Dave Wheeler set a new course record of 22 min 53 sec on 24 July. Three days later, he set a new club record for 10 miles of 22 min 20 sec on the Rye & District Wheelers’ course at Tenterden. Time trial results on the Thornton RC course up to the end of the 2007 season were:
| 02-Jun-07 |
Dave Spice |
Rye & Dist |
|
25:22:00 |
| |
Steve Bunn |
Thornton RC |
|
25:33:00 |
| |
Michael Pumphrey |
Thornton RC |
|
25:46:00 |
| |
Colin Tuckwell |
Thornton RC |
|
26:05:00 |
| |
Eric Bates |
Thornton RC |
|
28:34:00 |
| |
Jim Holland |
Rye & Dist |
|
28:44:00 |
| |
Ian Fowler |
Thornton RC |
|
29:04:00 |
| |
Gordon Davies |
Thornton RC |
|
40:39:00 |
| 19-Jun-07 |
Dave Williams |
VC Deal |
Thunder storm
|
20:02:00 |
| |
Jeremy Temple |
Rye & Dist |
Thunder storm
|
24:17:00 |
| |
Dave Wheeler |
Thornton RC |
Thunder storm |
24:31:00 |
| |
Colin Tuckwell |
Thornton RC |
Thunder storm |
25:01:00 |
| |
Ian Fowler |
Thornton RC |
Thunder storm |
27:50:00 |
| |
Eric Bates |
Thornton RC |
Thunder storm |
28:56:00 |
| |
Russ Mason |
Thornton RC |
Thunder storm |
29:10:00 |
| |
Tony Wheeler |
Junior |
Thunder storm:
first TT |
31:11:00 |
| 30-Jun-07 |
Eric Bates |
Thornton RC |
|
28:40:00 |
| |
Ian Fowler |
Thornton RC |
|
28:58:00 |
| |
Sue Spice |
Rye & Dist |
|
31:45:00 |
| 24-Jul-07 |
Dave Wheeler |
Thornton RC |
New course record
|
22:53:00 |
| |
Dave Williams |
VC Deal |
|
24:35:00 |
| |
Jeremy Temple |
Kent Cycles |
|
25:01:00 |
| |
Steve Bunn |
Thornton RC |
|
25:19:00 |
| |
Michael Pumphrey |
Thornton RC |
|
25:40:00 |
| |
Rhys Clegg |
Apollo Cycle Sport |
15 years old
|
27:22:00 |
| |
Eric Bates |
Thornton RC |
|
28:23:00 |
| |
Steve Gates |
Thornton RC |
|
28:55:00 |
| |
Ian Fowler |
Thornton RC |
|
29:47:00 |
| |
Rachelle Pumphrey |
Thornton RC |
First time trial
|
30:50:00 |
| 04-Aug-07 |
Colin Tuckwell |
Thornton RC |
|
24:54:00 |
| |
Dave Spice |
Rye & Dist |
|
25:23:00 |
| |
Rhys Clegg |
Apollo Cycle Sport |
15 year old
|
27:34:00 |
| |
Mark Nash |
Rye & Dist |
|
27:44:00 |
| |
Eric Bates |
Thornton RC |
|
28:23:00 |
| |
Simon Gibbs |
Thornton RC |
|
28:55:00 |
| |
Jim Hollands |
Rye & Dist |
|
29:25:00 |
| |
Ian Fowler |
Thornton RC |
|
29:56:00 |
| |
Steve Clegg |
Apollo Cycle Sport |
|
31:12:00 |
| |
Sue Spice |
Rye & Dist |
|
31:26:00 |
| |
Kevin Hall |
Rye & Dist |
|
32:27:00 |
| |
Gordon Davis |
Thornton RC |
|
38:11:00 |
| |
Jaqui Temple |
Rye & Dist |
|
41:11:00 |
Thornton RC riders’ results on the Ashford Wheelers’ course can be seen by going to the Ashford Wheelers’ website
(www.ashfordwheelers.btinternet.co.uk). Best times by Thornton riders on that course up to late August were Dave Wheeler 22:48, Colin Tuckwell 24:20, Steve Bunn 24:33, Luke Klugman 24:47, Michael Pumphrey 25:13, Don Houghton 26:22, Steve Gates 27:22, Eric Bates 28:08, and Gordon Davies 36:03.
On Sunday 24 June, a day of relentless rain and wind, six club members were programmed to take part in the Kent Cycling Association 100 miles time trial, which incorporated the Veterans’ Time Trial Association’s 2007 National Championships. The course (Q100/1) was four laps of the Kingsnorth, Brenzett, Hamstreet, Kingsnorth circuit. Fifty-two riders were on the start sheet, but only thirty-nine finished. Among those who did not finish were Thonton RC’s Michael Wilkins (who did not start the ride), and Paul Westlake, who punctured for the second time when he was two miles from the finish line. His second spare tube proved to have a faulty valve, and he could only walk to the finish, wet but not downhearted. The Thornton riders’ results compared to the best on the day are shown below.
| Rider |
Age |
Time taken |
Age standard |
Better+/worse- |
| Shaun Boorman |
40 |
5:09:02 |
4:54:02 |
-15:00 |
| Michael Smith |
57 |
5:19:17 |
5:33:45 |
+14:28 |
| Robert Woolacott |
41 |
5:20:09 |
4:56:14 |
-23:55 |
| Thomas Reddick |
50 |
5:32:22 |
5:16:49 |
-00:15:33 |
| Michael Wilkins |
49 |
|
5:14:27 |
Did not start |
| Paul Westlake |
37 |
|
|
Did not finish |
| Best time overall |
44 |
4:07:12 |
5:02:56 |
+00:55:44 |
| Best imp. over age standard |
62 |
4:29:33 |
5:46:23 |
+01:16:50 |
Earlier in the year, cold mornings made memorable by dense mist-laden air were no deterrent to the club’s determined cycling athletes who competed in the Southborough and District Wheelers’ 17 March 10-mile time trial held on the Q10/33 course (Tenterden-Appledore-Woodchurch), and three weeks later on 6 April, in the Veterans’ Time Trial Association (Kent Group) 30-mile event (group championship) on the Q30/12 course (Lydd – Brookland – Kingsnorth – Lydd). Club members’ results were good, but not as good as the best on the day. Here they are:
| TRC Rider |
Southborough 10-m TT |
VTTA (Kent) 30-m TT |
| Donald Houghton |
00:27:30
|
|
| Russ Mason |
00:29:15
|
|
| Ian Fowler |
00:29:58 |
|
| David Wheeler |
|
1:15:58 |
| Michael Pumphrey |
|
1:22:53 |
| Fastest Rider |
Not available |
1:07:45 |
Bethersden Village Hall, New Year’s Day 2007, hummed with the chatter and gossip of cyclists dedicated to the masochism of a mid-winter 10-mile time trial. From Southborough and District Wheelers’ start sheet of seventy-seven riders – including the illustrious Sean Yates, eight riders from Thornton Road Club, and a jaw-dropping twenty-one from Rye and District Wheelers – sixty riders completed the course. Gordon Davis and Paul Westlake of Thornton RC were unable to participate, but the remaining six TRC brave hearts rode with vigour. The morning of the ride was relatively warm (about 8° or 9° Celsius) after pre-dawn rain, but savagely windy from the southwest. Since the Q10/10 course runs broadly east and northeast along the A28 through Bethersden to Great Chart, Ashford, and back to Bethersden, riders faced the prospect of a swift ride out but a laboured ride home. And so it proved.
The three fastest times of the ride exceeded 23 minutes compared to last year’s best three of about 22½ minutes. Sean Yates incidentally did not produce the fastest time; his appearance on the start sheet was only wishful because he did not ride. Thornton riders achieved times of between 28 min 24 sec and 34 min 24 sec, but despite their heroic, teeth-baring efforts, won no prizes. Here are their times:
| Rider |
Vet
/ Non-vet |
Age |
Previous best |
Vet standard |
Time taken |
| Stephen Bunn |
Non-vet |
|
30:00:00
|
|
28:24:00 |
| Colin Tuckwell |
Non-vet |
|
30:00:00
|
|
29:41:00 |
| Stephen Burt |
Non-vet |
|
30:00:00 |
|
30:06:00 |
| Russ Mason |
Vet |
58 |
31:25:00 |
29:20:00 |
32:16:00 |
| Eric Bates |
Vet |
69 |
28:24:00 |
32:00:00 |
32:33:00 |
| Jeff Lyle |
Vet |
59 |
35:00:00 |
29:34:00 |
34:24:00 |
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