Jandanol - a 'flat' course……….
Sunday 11 December saw the final event for Spokes Cycle Club season 2011 and with just 15 minutes to start time only three riders had registered and with one being Junior, one female and one male, race results were determined. With the day being quite steamy, and many having had a busy weekend "celebrating" the lead into Christmas, the three riders were pretty happy to take the win without actually having to ride……………….
Thankfully a last minute rush saw another six riders arrive and the handicapper assigned start times for the 20km Individual Time Trial. Rhonda Bradley was first to head off and having never ridden the circuit before she burst out of the start only to pause and ask over her shoulder about where to turn! Barb Glenister left one minute later and as always was happy to be on her bike and out on the course. Junior rider Jonty Calder was third to go and quickly slipped into his high cadence and speed.
From here time intervals spread out to two minutes with all of the male riders present able to hold good speed on this course. Mike Reymond headed onto the course at +4 minutes followed by Eddie Muller, Paul Dodson, Andre Eastough and Paul Matthews. Just after Paul Matthews departed, Tom Thuijs arrived having not realised it was an 8am start and so was the last onto the course.
Jonty Calder was first to complete the inaugural lap and was looking very comfortable. He was hotly pursued by Mike Reymond who had caught Barb Glenister and Rhonda Bradley and was riding strong until a puncture stopped him just past the start line. This caused Mike to have to walk back to the start area where he changed his tube and then restarted.
Rhonda was also having problems with her bike but a quick check and she was back on the road.
Eddie Muller and Paul Dodson came through very quickly and Andre Eastough and Paul Matthews were working hard with Paul M using tri bars to improve his aero position. Tom Thuijs rounded out the group and maintained good speed and composure given his unorthodox start.
The second lap of the course saw Eddie Muller puncture and as he was on the furthest point of the course it took him the remainder of the racing time to walk back to the start line! Dodson, Eastough and Matthews continued at speed overtaking Bradley and Glenister into the last lap. Calder rode very well and was only caught at the very end of the race - he has improved immensely since his first event and his training is well and truly paying off.
Dodson finished ahead of Eastough and Matthews with Calder next across the line. They were followed in by Glenister, Reymond and Thuijs. Unfortunately for Rhonda Bradley, she flatted twice in the last lap and had to get a lift back.
On corrected times Paul Matthews was fastest for the men in a time of 33:08 across the distance, averaging 34.4km/hr. Andre Eastough averaged 33.8km/hr and was last heard suggesting that the loan bike from Roger had cheap training tyres and this slowed him down. This comment did stem from the fact that Andre managed to sustain a flat tyre after the race and after changing the tube and pumping it up, it went straight back down and he had to abandon riding home in favour of a lift!
Paul Dodson was third fastest in a time of 35:06 at 32.5km/hr. Dodo was very chivalrous after the ride - he provided tubes to Eddie Muller so that he could ride home and then assisted Rhonda Bradley with changing her flat tyres before she packed her bike away. Unfortunately this left Dodo without any tubes for himself and so he was less than impressed when he realised he also had a flat tyre and needed help. "Who would have thought Jandanol would have so many flats" was Dodo's statement before being supplied a tube and getting ready for the ride home.
Many thanks to Tim for putting out signage and marking cycling lines on the corners and to Jonathan Tamm for marshalling. Special thanks to Barb for once again supplying delicious cake for all to enjoy.
A full list of results is below.
Spokes Cycle Club would like to wish all cyclists a safe and wonderful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in 2012.
