By next day, Sunday 16 March 2008, the bike-swift weather of Saturday had morphed into leaden cold rain driven by a gusting south wind, which was of great assistance on the outward ride of the three-up 25-mile team time trial on the Old Romney-Brenzett-Ashford-Old Romney course, but enervating during the return. Thornton RC had one team competing in the ride, incorporating Colin Tuckwell, Steven Butt, and Michael Pumphrey. The team completed the ride in a very respectable 1 hr 4min 47 sec. David Wheeler, normally a Thornton rider, participated in this time trial as a member of a composite team that included Malcolm Whitehead and Nick Collins. Clocking a splendid 56:31 for the ride, the composite nature of the team (i.e. not under the aegis of one particular club) meant that although it set the third fastest time, it did not formally qualify for third place. An unfortunate formality but a gratifying result, especially for Dave Wheeler who had also clocked sixth place in the VC Elan Hilly 22 ride on 9 March.

Thornton RC Time Trial Dates 2008

Six time trials are proposed for 2008, all of which will be held on the club’s Romney Marsh 10-mile course based at Newchurch Village Hall (course Q10/8). Details are given in the table below. Participants should sign in at Newchurch Village Hall about half an hour before start time.

The start of the course is about two miles south of Newchurch, halfway up the lane that meets the main road just less than half a mile southwest of St Mary in the Marsh. The course passes northeast through St Mary in the Marsh to the first junction, turns north to Newchurch, where it turns west past Brooker farm and Lodgeland farm to Poplar Farm. Here the course turns to the southeast, through Ivychurch to the first turning on the left, from whence it is two miles to the finish.