Crabwood CC's series of 10 miles events on Saturday afternoon 3rd July on the A303 course west of Andover featured, as usual, the Group's Championship at that distance. There were separate races for Veterans under and over 50 years of age with plusses on standard in both age group events counting for the awards.
On a good but not exceptional day regular visitor Dennis Milsom (Mid Shropshire Wheelers) was BOS overall +11.05 and his time of 24.24 is a National Age Record at age 82 years. Group awards went to John Woodburn 2nd BOS +10.36 (22.26) and this a new Group Record at age 73 which equals the existing national record set by Jim Goodwin in 2005. ~Terry Icke 3rd BOS +10.32 (20.43) and another national record beating John's 68 years plus set five years ago and Jack Brown's time of 23.32 (+10.15 = 6th place on Standard overall) is also a Group record beating Roy Fairchild's times at 75 and 76 years in the last two seasons. This is the first time that I can recall that all three placed riders have had a plus of over 10 minutes and when a total of six riders over 50 years achieved that mark. Charlotteville CC (+21.16) were Group Team on Standard with Dave Bennett +9.23 (his time of 24.43 the fourth Group Record of the day), Ron Osborne +7.13 and Alun Millard +4.40 Chris Summers of Sotonia CC won the Chalky White 'Lanterne Rouge' Trophy with +1.46.
Other Group members featured in the overall prize list with Lesley Walkling recording 22.01 for second place in the Ladies event behind Julia Shaw (20.20). Lesley's time beat her own record set last year and also that of Maggie Duganski (age 49) in 2006 for yet another Group Age Record at 44 years. The first three fastest in the Over 50s event were Steve Whitewick 19.52 (a member of Utaq Yamaha's team on scratch with Julia Shaw & Aaron Carter), Chris Long (TVS Sherborne) 19.59 and Stece Walkling (20.00) whilst Charlotteville CC taking overall team on standard +21.32 (Dave Bennett, Ron Osborne & Glenn Smith) and last but not least Dave Driver and Shaun Walsh of Yeovil CC (20.09) probably set another tandem National Age Record.

Antelope CC had another 10 mile event on the same Andover course seven days later when exceptionally favourable weather conditions meant that times in general were about a minute faster. John Woodburn improved thirty seconds to record 21.56 and faster than three existing National Records for ages 71/72/3, Terry Icke established a new record of 20.23 at age 66 and Lesley Walkling at 44 years of age (21.48) beat last year's National record time of 21.51 by Christine McLean (49 years), Jack Brown set a new record for 76 years of 23.27 but only held it for some 20 minutes before Dave Bennett (one year older) cam in four seconds faster wit 23.23. This latter ride meant he had improved his time at the distance three times already this year as well as probably setting new records at 25.30 and 50 miles.

The last Championship of the season was incorporated in the Bognor Regis CC 50 miles event on 25th July. Roy Fairchild took over as Event Secretary from John Maule who had promoted this race for quite a few years but stepped down this year through ill health. It was nice to see that John was present on the day assisting with the Result Board.
Fifty seven riders entered (slightly down on last year) and there were 46 finishers from the 51 who actually started. Don Lambert of the promoting club had unfortunately had a recent fall so could not ride but all other sixteen Group members finished except Chris Long who went off course. Simon Tout of Velocity Bikes CC (one of the very few non Veterans) did a fine ride of 1.50.31 to win by just over three minutes from Iain Brogden (Eastbourne Rovers) who was Fastest Veteran whilst Graeme Stirzaker was third fastest (1.54.04) on a cloudy morning with patchy rain about and a slight nagging wind on the open stretches of the A27. Jack Brown (a3crg) did 2.14.40 at 76 years of age to achieve a plus of 44.27 and so is Wessex Champion for 2010 with Dave England (Crabwood CC) +41.21 (2.6.09) second and Dave Bennett (Charlotteville CC) in third place with +37.46 (2.22.42 and this a new Age Group Record at 77 years beating Dick Poole's time set last year by almost nine minutes). The team award was won, very convincingly, by a3crg (Graeme Stirzaker, Jack Brown and Ken Rayson) whose combined plus was 85.16).

After the fourth round of the Rudy Project Series John Woodburn led the Target Time category having dropped only one point and he Again scored a maximum with +7.41 (his time over the 16 miles course being 43.09) in the next round in the Midlands on 7th August and for good measure he could be either 2nd or 3rd on actual times.
Incidentally another Wessex member (Alan Miller of Caesarean CC) was lying in 2nd place on Target time before Round 5.
There were many other fine rides recorded in other events during the past three months and information on those I spotted or was advised of will be found on the Group's website in due course.
Notably Julian Jenkinson has followed up his good 50 time in the National 50 miles with 3.36.55 for 1st place in the BDCA 100.
At the time of writing it is not known whether he intends to ride a 12 Hour event this year but if he does he could be highly placed in the BBAR table again.
His fellow club member Steve Whitewick continues to improve Wessex age records and recorded 50.11 in the Team Axiom 25 miles as well as getting an Age award (45-49 years) in the CTT National 10 on 23rd May with a time of 20.27.
Malcolm Matcham (Sotonia CC) advises me that he rode the CTT 24 Hour Championship and improved on his last year's effort recording 374.2 miles.
His aim is to beat 400 miles and will be trying again in next year's event and the majority of car drives certainly would never dream of going that far in a day! Mary Corbett (also Sotonia CC) did 325.796 miles, only a handful of miles fewer that Robert Watson (North Hampshire RC) the third Group member in the event.

I am sorry to have to report two fatalities in Open events recently.
Alex Anderson (North Hampshire RC) died very shortly after an accident in the Dursley RC 25 on 12th June and Peter Tindley (CC Weymouth) was pronounced dead at the scene of another accident during the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 50 on 1st August.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to their respective families and friends at this time.
No result has been posted on the CTT National Website of the times recorded in the Dursley event but I am aware that John Woodburn did either 55.39 or 55.49 for yet another National Record and Claire Newman achieved a very good time of 1.01.34 which is yet another Group Record.

Members of the association may well have noticed the absence of Roy Fairchild) who has in total set the most group age records of anyone over the last decade or so) from any results this year.
Since the end of last season he has been suffering with what cyclists delicately refer to as a saddle injury which has meant that he could not even ride a bike and a similar injury to that suffered long ago by the great Eddie Merckx and more recently by Robbie McEwen.
However a second operation at the end of July may well have solved this and he tells me he is expecting to get back on the bike again shortly and, hopefully, looking forward to a return to competition in 2011.
We welcome three new members Simon Hall (Andover Wheelers), Andy Langdown (Hampshire RC) and Colin Bezant (CC Basingstoke) who have joined our ranks since the last issue of the magazine.

Finally a reminder to members that the Annual General Meeting will be held at Valley Park Community Centre, Chandlers Ford on Sunday, 7th November commencing at 10.30 am and please make every effort to attend as it is your chance to air views on the running of the Group.