Simon McNamara (HuntBikeWheels.com) and Tracey Williams (Brighton Excelsior CC) were quickest male and female riders on time trial bikes at the Sussex CA 10-mile event in West Sussex on Saturday morning.
McNamara, 46, covered the course near Kirdford in 21041 to take the win by 25 seconds from Steven Kane (Team TMC), while another TMC rider was third with Nik Allen clocking 22-47.
Williams, 52 and from Shoreham by Sea, was fastest female in a time of 29-28 which was more than eight minutes quicker than second-placed Jan Farmer (Serpentine Running Club).
It was a case of what might’ve been for Charlie Bailey, the Foran CC rider who was placed fourth. A late start of a minute and a half gave him a time of 23-13, but were it not for his misfortune he would’ve placed second and been just two seconds shy of McNamara.
Behind him, Dave Shepherd (a3crg) was fifth and led a3crg to the team prize alongside Mike Boyle and Simon Craig-McFeely.
In the road bikes event victory went to Andy Betts (Nuun-Sigma Sport RT) with 23-59, fastest by 1-11 from GS Stella’s Tony Reeves, while third spot went to Ragnar Laan of Twickenham CC).
Eastbourne Rovers’ Erica Martin was quickest female on a road bike in 30-01, which was 1-24 better than second-placed Liz Halliday (Sussex Nomads).
Hounslow and District Wheelers were celebrating a win in the medium gear event for Nic Stagg in a new course record time of 26-05, which was almost two minutes quicker than his nearest rival Mike Marchant (Southdown Velo), with Norwood Paragon’s Peter Owen taking third in that category.
The popular G10/45 course is an anti-clockwise loop starting at the junction of Rickmans Lane and Foxbridge Lane south of Ifold. Riders head south through Kirdford then turn east towards Sparr Farm airstrip, before heading back north on Skiff Lane towards Loxwood. They then turn off toward Ifold, into Plaistow, and back down to the finish just beyond the start.
McNamara’s victory comes after placing second in the Bed CC 25 and Epson CC 10 earlier in the month, and he will be hoping for more wins as he rides the Sussex CA 25 on Bank Holiday Monday as well as the Utag RT 10 next Saturday.
Williams’ win is her first in open time trialling this season. After a couple of years away from time trialling, she has returned this season and has finished second in several events including the Brighton Excelsior 25 in July as well as the Lewes Wanderers 30 and Sussex CA 15.
Like McNamara, she will be hoping to make it a double winning weekend as she rides the Sussex CA 25 on Bank Holiday Monday.
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