CYCLING: Dennis shows his menace
ALMOST ideal conditions saw guest rider Steve Dennis of East Grinstead CC come close to the existing course record in Sunday's hilly 42-mile time trial run by the Crawley Wheelers.
With warm sunshine bathing the tough course that takes in Handcross, Cowfold, Steyning, Henfield and Shaves Thatch before heading back to the finish at Handcross, fast times were on the cards.
And Dennis did not disappoint despite using the race as training towards the open event that the Wheelers will be promoting on the same course in some four weeks' time.
Dennis finished with a time of 1.38.11 around a minute slower than the existing record but a full seven minutes faster than second man home, also a guest rider, Paul Byford of GS Stella who clocked 1.45.26.
First Wheeler home and picking up his first ever club trophy in a time of 1.48.04 was Nigel Langridge, just beating Mike Anton of East Grinstead.
Despite going off course and completing an extra two miles, Rupert Robinson was next home, his time of 1.50.45 indicating that he would have been lifting the club trophy had he been more familiar with the course.
Nick McMormick, riding for Epsom CC was next to arrive, in a time of 1.51.42 beating an out of sorts Doug Fox who could only manage 1.51.59.
The next group of riders home were also fairly close together, headed by Andy Taylor on 1.54.00 and followed in short order by Reade Harfield, whose 1.55.26 represented a PB by more than eight minutes, and Mark Penfold who was fairly happy with 1.56.33.
Stuart Nisbett was one rider who chose to ride a training rather than a competition bike, having heard of a number of stretches where the road had been dressed in the previous week and paid for the choice with an unrepresentative 2.00.16.
For the full version of this report, read this week's Crawley Times
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Weather for Crawley
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
