Message from Kev Brown re this Sundays Yorks Div RR Champs and Brian's Vets National 10

Dear All,

As you know, the BC Yorkshire Regional Events Team have formed a working group to promote the 2016 Yorkshire Regional Road Race Championships. This year the event will be held on the Upper Denby circuit which is a smaller version of the Upper Cumberworth circuit. We are now just a few weeks away from the event and are seeking help with volunteers on the day and help in promoting the event. Everything is shaping up quite nicely and we are out tomorrow walking around the circuit, meeting residents and letter dropping to each house on route to give notice of the event.

Could I ask you all the promote the link below and flyer attached to your club and cycling contacts. 

Article here:

http://bcyorkshire.co.uk/2016-regional-rr-championships/

If you would like to help, please let Ashley Brown or myself know and we’ll allocate you a job! Most have done already which is great news.

Congratulations to Brian who celebrated his 73rd birthday by taking the bronze medal in the Veterans National 10 mile Time Trial Championship on a course in Lincolnshire on Saturday 21st of May. 

Trevor Lever Memorial Ride

Just a reminder, this Wednesday, the 1st of June, its The Trevor Lever Memorial Ride, a 32 mile ride to Skipton and back. 6.45 pm from the Causeway Foot Inn, Ogden, Halifax. Always a well supported ride followed by a social gathering in the Causeway Foot Inn. £2 on the night to enter,

I'm a bit out of touch with racing news at the moment, not having seen Brian or Grimpy for a few weeks I haven't had the opportunity to prize information from them. Chris has continued to be active on the TT front. He and Brian rode the Holme Valley Wheelers 25 last Saturday, Chris recording a 58 min ride and Brian a 59, although I don't know who the winner or his time is. Chris had a good ride in the Halifax Imps Mountain Trial in poor conditions last Wednesday evening coming 4th overall and Simon made his Open TT debut last Sunday in the BBM Revolution 10 on the Fairburn course recording a 25 min ride, which is 2 minutes faster than his only previous 10 - he's hoping to continue a similar rate of improvement and reckons that Alex Dowset's national record for the distance will be under threat after another four 10's .

Paul, Chris and myself had a good day out at The Struggle sportive, from the Army College at Harrogate a week last Sunday. A hilly 108 mile loop round the Dales taking in many of the most feared climbs including a newly resurfaced Park Rash.

I think the ride of the week must go to Melvin who rode the 165.6 miles to Kippford in Scotland for his holidays, at an average speed of  18.8 mph - he did however have a half hour stop en-route.

Hope to see a good turn out on Wednesday, Pete

29th and counting

With Peter again indisposed with Audax duties the rest of us can have a pleasant potter somewhere sunny. Meet 9am in Keighley on Sunday for a tour lead by the genial Mr Hartley to Silverdale and back via le cafe in Airton.

22nd in Barley

With some of our clubmates apparently committed to Audaxing (enjoy 'the struggle' Peter) I'm going to meet myself at 9am in Hebden Bridge and saunter slowly to Sabden, or possibly breakfast in Barley, or a potter around Pendle. Other alliterative routes are also possible, such as a bumble to Burnely or a clatter to Clitheroe.

Updates

I rode round the Fred with the faster lads from Ians workplace (Team Appleyard Lees) We formed a band of 4, myself, Dave (centre) Rob (right) and another Chris who sadly got dropped before Whinlatter. We rode nicely together, but I was conscious of maintaining my well drilled Condor manners and waited at the top of each climb for them. 

A bit too warm to fly around with the mountain rescue straining to cope with collapsing dehydrated riders. I finished with Rob with a leisurely time of 7.16, Dave arriving 10 mins later. a proper good day out in the beautiful lakes with time to appreciate it.      Chris.

Thanks to Chris for his Fred Whitton report. For anyone not in the know the time of 7.16 may be leisurely for Chris but faster than over 4/5ths of the finishers.

It was a stunningly beautiful day though, and not just in the Lakes. The Dales were looking at their finest as witnessed by our club run where Damien, Nigel, Pete W, Simon, Sean & Niall and myself made the most of the conditions going to Feizor cafe via Malham Cove (right side) and Knight Stainforth, returning via Wham and The Herders after an hour sat enjoying the sunshine, tea and BE&S butties. A more perfect day out in the Dales would be hard to imagine.

On the racing front Grimpy and Brian continue to dominate their category nationally in vets road racing, both enjoying wins in different races whilst the tourists were enjoying Feizor. Chris has been busy with mid week, enter on the line TT's, with wins at Rossendale and on the Imps Wednesday evening Norland circuits plus a fine 2nd place at the Holme Valley Wheelers 10 on the Birdsedge course with a 23 minute ride; a fast time for such a hard course. Also riding the HVW 10, making his TT debut on his all new Planet X superbike was Simon Fortune. Whilst soundly thrashed by Chris it was a great relief for him to catch his son, Adam (enjoy it whilst you can Simon). I have no doubt there is much more speed to come from Simon once he's got more races under his belt and wears his aero lid.

I'm sure most will know that our New Zealand team are back in the old country for some warm weather training. Paul touched down on home soil last Monday, I'd talked him into entering the Cumbrian 200 Audax last Saturday in the hope that he would still be suffering the effects of jet-lag.
Unfortunately there was no lagging of any description. A superb route from the shores of Windermere, over Kirkstone, Matterdale End, Mungrisdale, Back o' Skiddaw, Newlands, Cold Fell, Wasdale, Eskdale, Birker Fell, Dunnerdale, Kiln Bank, Torver and Hawkshead. Together with perfect weather and the wind in the right direction it was probably the best days cycling ever, anywhere, it will never be beaten.

Sunday 15 May

The western section are meeting 0900 in Keighley for a potter to Pateley Bridge this Sunday at a modest pace and with a butty stop already planned.

Updates, and Sunday 8th May

Superb evening for mountain biking yesterday (thanks to Tim for the pic.) which shows Adam Fortune at the top of the podium in recognition of his weeks efforts, racing at Manchester Velodrome Tuesday, making his TT debut on Wednesday at Holme Valley Wheelers 10 on the grueling Birdsedge course and mountain biking on Thursday (when does he do his homework). His dad Simon, also made his TT debut in the same event, starting 2 minutes after his 13 year old son both had maximum motivation to go as hard as possible and father did eventually pass son but not without a great deal of effort. Adam tells me he is planning to let his dad beat him this year but next year will show no mercy.
Our very own Chris Smith took 2nd place in the event squeezing under 24 minutes, an excellent time on that course in windy conditions but one position lower than the previous night when he won the Rossendale 10.

However life hasn't been smiling on all Condors this week; catastrophe happened for Richard on the way home from Thirsk on last Sundays club run when, whilst attempting to put on his gloves in the middle of Otley slipped on a grate and fell, breaking a bone in his hand, a miserable end to his preparations for this Sundays Fred Whitton Challenge.

Life must go on though and we must plan for the future. Firstly I welcome 2 new members to our endurance squad, Gary Mitchell has signed up from Ravensthorpe CC and his mate John Lumb (not that J Lumb) from HTC. Gary's presently recovering from a problem that made sitting on the saddle painful during the recent Red Rose 200 but both are natural hard-riders and I look forward to seeing them regularly on our rides.

Several Condors have entered the following Events in May -

Saturday 14th May - Cumbrian 200k Audax

Sunday 22nd May - 'The Struggle' sportive.

Saturday 28th May - Richmond 5 Dales Sportive
                                  and Holme Valley Wheelers 25m TT

Wednesday 1st June - Trevor Lever Memorial Skipton & Back

Sunday 8th   Meet 8.30am Denholme Gate or 9am Keighley for Feizor via Malham Cove and return via Wham.

Wednesday 11th  MTB run is meeting at Shelf roundabout this week, at the usual time, 6.30pm; Tim is taking us for a tour of St Ives.