A relatively small field of 43 rode the Old Ports 10 mile TT but Ian Bashford and his team did a great job at running a safe, well marshalled event.
Chris Yates and Ben Crick were the only riders from EGCC who donned the pointy hat and skin suit and with a brisk westerly wind, they were going to need to be aero.
This was my first ten of the season, after missing the first club ten due to even stronger winds and Chris also never raced to defend his “fixed wheel “ title due to feeling rough during the day.
G10/57 can be a very fast course and our own Steve Dennis has been close to 19 minutes before and Chris Yates close to 20. Having been under 24 on this course myself, I was hoping for a good time, ever the optimist.
It was dry and about 11 C at 0600 but that SW wind was gusting up to 25MPH so it was going to be fun. By the turn around, I was ahead of my PB for the course and a few Strava PB’s no doubt. By mile 7, I was still on track for a course PB but then the wind hit me and for the next 5 minutes I could not get over 20 MPH. I rolled over the line and clocked a 24:45 feeling wasted.
Back at the HQ, I saw Pete Tadros had won and managed to get under 21 mins. More amazing was that three riders finished 2nd with the same time and the fifth placed guy was only 1 sec behind them.
Ben C
1st Peter Tadros In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT 20:48 2nd Mark Perry All Terrain Cycles 21:31 2nd Christian Yates East Grinstead CC 21:31 2nd Iain Brogden Eastbourne Rovers CC 21:31 5th Nick Malins 4T+ Velo Club 21:32 28th Ben Crick East Grinstead CC 24:45
