Lewes Wanderers get stuck into time trials

Event promoter and Club Time-trial Secretary had late headaches as he discovered his bike had broken handlebars so had to borrow a club-mate’s machine, plus roadworks in North Chailey necessitated a late change of course and repositioning of marshalls, but the show went ahead with Neil among the 11 entrants.

There were two “apologies for absence” on the morning, one due to illness the other to attend to a sheep about to give birth, but the remaining flock of nine riders took to the start line on the A275 near the Chelwood Gate event headquarters like lambs to the slaughter.

Overnight rain left much of the just under 17-mile revised course greasy with many of the numerous potholes full of water, but no rain fell during the exertions and it was a relatively mild and windless morning, if not sunny.

From the start the riders raced fast downhill through Danehill and Sheffield Park before a rolling middle third punctuated by punchy ramps through Newick and Piltdown along the A272, before turning up the Maresfield bypass and the cruel final third drag up through Nutley and across the Ashdown Forest to Wych Cross.

Fastest on the day was Noah Faiers (Saddledrunk Race Team) who sped round in 2 seconds outside of 49 minutes. Neil Edwards overcame his issues to claim runner-up spot on the podium 40 seconds back with Darren Haynes in third in 50:40.

Paget Cohen was fourth (52:05) just ahead of Alex Middleton (52:33). Ben Gregory (54:30) was 6th, just 4 seconds ahead of Alex’s father Charlie Middleton, while Barry Mitchell was 8th (55:23) and Steve Barry 9th (56:34).

Peter Baker was the lone Lewes Wanderer lined up for an East Sussex Cycling Association 10-mile time-trial.

On an equally chilly, but bright and sunny spring morning Peter struggled to find form on the A22/Boship course he has raced numerous times over the years and his time of 28 minutes and 32 seconds placed him 16th from 18 finishers.