Wrekinsport Hilly 18.

Chris Morris  44:32  9th place

Andy Convery  44:47  11th place

Phil Hunt  46:05  16th place

Adrian Manning  47:11  27th place

Dave Briggs  50:16  50th place

Ian Connolly  51:27  57th place

Paul Crook  52:32  62nd place

Banbury Star Hardriders 23

Chris Morris  1:00:22  5th place

Phil Hunt  1:04:53  13th place

Ian Connolly  1:11:55  25th place

Report by Brian Clarke

Wyre Forest CRC riders were reminded that winter is not yet over as they started their summer season of time trials with two races at the weekend.  Making a return to full time racing after a prolonged absence Chris Morris led his team home in the SPOCO championship event promoted by the Wrekinsport CC  held in windy conditions over a hilly 18 miles course near Bridgnorth finishing 9th from 90 entries in a time of 44-32.  He was closely followed by Andy Convery in 11th place with a time of 44-47, Phil Hunt in 16th place with 46-05 and Adrian Manning 27th in 47-11.  Backing up the team were David Briggs 50th in 50-16, Ian Connolly 57th in 51-27 and Paul Crook 62nd in 52.32.  Race winner was trade team rider Andy Bason with a time of 39-51.

The following day Morris, Hunt and Connolly were in action for another SPOCO event organised by the Banbury Star CC.  This race over an undulating 23 miles was run in a snow storm in freezing conditions, but the riders toughed it out to record some excellent performances with Morris again leading home his team in 5th place with a time of 1-00-32.  He was followed by Hunt in 13th place with 1-04-53 and Connolly in 25th place with 1-11-55.   

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Reliability Trials – report

On Sunday 12^th February 55 midlands cyclists took part in the long established annual reliability

trials run by local club, Wyre Forest CRC. In cold and dry weather the participants

were started on their way by club chairman and event organiser David Prior. The

largest and fastest group left the HQ at Stourport Sports Club at 09.30, with the

remaining entrants following 5 minutes later. The course covers a testing 58 miles

going over Abberley Hill and out past Tenbury Wells into Shropshire, coming into

Leominster on the quiet Luston road. The return leg heads back towards Tenbury with

the energy sapping road up to Leysters before dropping down Raddle Bank and into

the market town, over the river Teme, and then a straight retracing for home.

There are dozens of these trial rides across the country during January and February

with many competitive cyclists joining the more leisurely ones in preparation for the

coming racing season. Of course this adds a fair degree of hard riding, particularly

for the fast group - those aiming to get round inside the Gold Standard time limit, set

at 3hrs-30mins, an average speed over 17mph. It’s incredible, given the cold weather

and the nature of the course with 2 ascents of Abberley Hill plus the harder climb to

Stockton on Teme, that the first 4 riders completed the course in just 2hrs-40mins.

First of the 11 Wyre Forest club riders back were James Jenkins, Andrew James, and

Jack Coombe, all 2hrs-47min. Last to get inside Gold was veteran Ken Bradbury who

for the 2nd successive year suffered a puncture on the outward leg and after making

repairs continued alone for over 30 miles, making it a particularly hard day out for

him.

Next wk/end a number of the club members will be riding in the Beacon Road Club

audax events, called the Sunrise (08.30) and the Snowdrop (09.00). These are a little

more steady than a reliability trial, but cover a distance of some 80 miles starting and

finishing in Hartlebury industrial estate, the Sunrise takes a clockwise route around

the county, the Snowdrop route is anti-clockwise.

WFCRC RELIABILITY TRIAL     RESULTS 2012

Emile has ridden the last two WMCCL races. At Wolverhampton on 22nd Jan he won, beating overall series winner Dan Barnes who came second, twenty seconds down.

Today (Sunday)  at Sedgely's Baggeridge Park Emile  came third after getting caught up with lapped younger riders on the narrow section of the course and just getting beaten in the sprint to the line. Two great results consolidating his second place overall in the series.