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Darran Bennett approaching the finish line - Credit Davey Jones

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 26th November 2019

ELY JUNIOR SHINE IN CYCLOCROSS RACING

Members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs of all ages were racing in the Diss CC Suffolk Supercross event held on Saturday in Redgrave, Suffolk but the highlight of the day was the performances put in by some of the junior members. In the Under 10s race Harvey Woodroffe raced to 7th despite being gridded at the back of the field. In the Under 12s race Kieran Vanhoutte also had to battle his way through the field after a slip on the first lap, but did so with great determination to finish in 9th place.

In the Youth Race Tom Lewis was returning to competition after having broken his arm, and raced hard with Isaac Barton throughout the race. In the end Barton's superior technique on the hurdle was not enough to make up for Lewis's speed on the bike, and Lewis finished ahead in 22nd place (8th place in the Under 14s category) with Barton one place and 25 seconds back in 23rd place. Andrew Hambling finished just a few places back in 29th.

Ferenc Vanhoutte was the club's sole representative in the Veterans race, finishing 41st, while in the Grand Veterans race Martin Holland finished in 36th place and Simon Hambling in 56th.

Martin Holland in the Grand Vets race. Credit Davey Jones.

Ferenc Vanhoutte in the Veterans race. Credit Davey Jones.

Tom Lewis on his return to competition after injury. Credit Davey Jones.

Isaac Barton takes on the hurdles. Credit Davey Jones.

Isaac Barton in the Youth race. Credit Fergus Muir

Harvey Woodroffe works his way through the field in the U10 race. Credit Davey Jones.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 6th November 2019

OFF-ROAD RACING FOR ELY RIDERS

Members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs took part in a variety of off-road racing this weekend. The first racing action took place on Saturday, with the 7th round of the Eastern Cyclocross League in the West Suffolk Cross race held at West Stow. Harvey Woodroffe had another good result taking 8th place in the Under 10s race, followed by Lucas Bowman in 15th. In the Under 12s race Kieran Vanhoutte finished in 12th place, while in the Youth category Isaac Barton was 30th in the Boys race. Later in the day four Ely riders took part in the Veterans race, with Ferenc Vanhoutte being the first Ely rider to finish in 41st place. Dan Bromilow took 49th place followed by Neil Bowman in 55th place and Nick Barton, in his first ever competitive bike race, in 58th.

On Sunday it was the turn of the Ely mountain bike racers with the first round of the Thetford Winter Series cross-country race series. Returning to competition from injury, Mathew Eley took an impressive 2nd place in the 1.5 hour Senior race, despite suffering a puncture on his third lap which required a short pit stop before the last lap to rectify. In the Veterans 1.5 hour race John McAndrew, returning to racing after a two year break, took 13th place while Cliff Loveday finished in 42nd place.

Veteran and junior cyclocross racers at the end of the Veterans race. L>R, Dan Bromilow, Neil Bowman, Kieran Vanhoutte, Ferenc Vanhoutte, Nick Barton and Isaac Barton.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 29th October 2019

CYCLOCROSS DEBUTS FOR ELY RIDERS

After their victories in last weekend's Muddy Monsters races at Milton Country Park, Lucas Bowman and Eleanor Stewart were racing in the Eastern Cyclocross League race at Grafham Water this weekend, with Eleanor making her debut in the Eastern Cyclocross League along with Harvey Woodroffe. Harvey was the first of the Ely riders to finish in the Under 10s race, coming home in 8th place, while Eleanor finished in 18th and Lucas in 25th places respectively.

Keiran Vanhoutte was the only Ely rider in the Under 12 race, and he finished in 15th place. In the Youth race, Isaac Barton had his best result of the season so far finishing in 27th place with Tom Setchell close behind in 34th place. In the Veterans race Ferenc Vanhoutte also had his best finish of the season so far, finishing in 47th place, with another cyclocross debutant Neil Bowman finishing in 63rd place. After a DNF in the previous round due to illness, Martin Holland took 42nd place in the Grand Veterans race.

All Photos credit of Davey Jones

Tom Setchell

Lucas Bowman

Kieran Vanhoutte

Isaac Barton

Martin Holland

Eleanor Stewart

Harvey Woodroffe

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 16th October 2019

SUCCESS FOR ELY JUNIORS

Junior members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs dominated the Under 10s category in the latest round of the Muddy Monsters North Cambridgeshire junior off road racing series. The Muddy Monsters series is an introductory race series for junior riders in which the riders race off road on a grass track for two races, a sprint race and an endurance race. Racing at Milton Country Park, Lucas Bowman and Eleanor Stewart won the boys and girls Under 10 races, with Harvey Woodruff coming second overall in the Under 10s boys race.

On Sunday the club held its annual hillclimb in conjunction with Mildenhall CC. Chris Brown won the Club Senior Championship, with Oscar Barter finishing in first place in the junior category and Megan Holland winning the Junior girls race.

All Photos credit to Davey Jones

Oscar Barter, junior winner of the Ely Hillclimb championship

Chris Brown, winner of the Ely Senior Hillclimb championship

Lucas Bowman and Eleanor Stewart racing to victory at Muddy Monsters

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 9th October 2019

PB FOR HOLMES AND CYCLOCROSS WOES FOR ELY RIDERS

With the time trial season drawing to a close, and a flooded course preventing the Norwich ABC 25 mile race on Sunday from going ahead, the only time trial action involving riders from the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs last weekend was Martin Holmes racing in the Norwich ABC 10 mile event which took place on the B10/43 course on Saturday. However, Holmes made the most of the opportunity, setting a new personal best time for the course by 11 seconds with a time of 22 minutes 37 seconds leaving him in 11th place overall.

The wet weather on Sunday didn't stop the Ashwell Cyclocross race on Sunday from going ahead, but it did contribute towards a series of mechanical issues faced by Ely riders. Andrew and Simon Hambling were both afflicted by mechanical failures, with Andrew Hambling's in the Youth race being brought to a premature end by a bent gear hanger, while a broken gear hanger prevented Simon Hambling from taking the start in the Grand Vets race. Kieran Vanhoutte was also affected by mechanical issues in the Under 12s race but still managed to finish the race, coming home in 15th place. Isaac Barton was racing in the Youth Race and finished in 41st place. In the Veterans race Ferenc Vanhoutte finished 52nd, and in the Grand Vets category Martin Holland took 35th place after being brought down by another rider crashing during the first lap of the race.

Martin Holland feels the pain in the Ashwell CX race. Credit Fergus Muir.

Martin Holmes on his way to setting a new personal best on the B10/43 course. Credit Dominic Austrin.

Ferenc Vanhoutte racing in the Veterans race in the Ashwell CC event. Credit Fergus Muir.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 24th September 2019

BENNETT BREAKS CLUB RECORD

On Saturday afternoon three Ely riders took part in the Leo 30 time trial race, riding on the E2/30 course on the A11. Coming within a whisker of completing the course at an average speed of 30mph, Darran Bennett stopped the clock at 1 hour 1 minute and 1 second to set a new club record for 30 miles, beating the previous record set by Mathew Eley in 2015 by 1 minute and 47 seconds. Rob Golding and John Manlow also put in strong performances, finishing in 1:04:59 and 1:06:39 respectively.

Martin Holmes had a busy weekend's racing, competing on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday he raced in the DAP CC 10 mile time trial on the B10/43 course near Bungay, finishing with a time of 22:57 in 13th place. On Sunday Holmes return to Bungay to take part in the Godric CC 25 mile race on the B25/50 course, finishing in a time of 58 minutes 36 seconds. This gave Holmes 8th place overall in the event and represented a 40 second improvement on his previous best time for the course.

Sunday also saw the third round of the Eastern League Cyclocross series held at Northlands Park near Basildon. Keiran Vanhoutte had the best result of the Ely riders, finishing in 7th place in the Under 12 race, using his endurance to overtake other riders after a slow start. There were three Ely riders in the Youth race, and Isaac Barton, Tom Setchell and Andrew Hambling finished close together in the rankings in 32nd, 35th and 36th places respectively. In the Veterans race Ferenc Vanhoutte finished in 50th place, while in the Grand Vets category Martin Holland finished 40th and Simon Hambling 61st.

Darran Bennett on his way to a club record in the Leo 30 event. Credit Davey Jones.

John Manlow racing in the Leo 30 event. Credit Davey Jones.

Rob Golding racing in the Leo 30 event. Credit Mike Fishpool.

Andrew Hambling, Thomas Setchell and Isaac Barton (L>R) wait for the start of the Youth Cyclocross race

Martin Holmes in the VC Baracchi 50 mile time trial, credit Dominic Austrin

John Manlow racing on the F2/15 course near Cambourne, credit Davey Jones

Derek Ricketts racing on the F2/15 course near Cambourne, credit Davey Jones

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 28th August 2019

A BUSY WEEKEND FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS

Last weekend's action for members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs started on Saturday afternoon with the Cambridge CC time trial race held on the the F2/15 course running along the A428 near Cambourne. Once again Darran Bennett was the fastest Ely rider, completing the 15 mile at an average speed of just under 30mph to give him 13th place on a time of 30:34. John Manlow was the second fastest Ely rider with a time of 33:15, with Derek Ricketts and Steve Peck just behind on 33:37 and 33:54 respectively.

Racing continued on Sunday, with Martin Holmes being the club's sole representative in the VC Baracchi time trial on the B50/17 course near Harleston in Norfolk. Holmes rode the 50 miles in 2:05:05, leaving him in 11th place overall on the day.

Sunday also saw off-road racing in the form of round 7 of the Mud Sweat and Gears Eastern mountain bike race series at Radical Bikes venue near Chelmsford. Mikie Burrell was racing in the Sport race and ended up having his best result of the season so far. Taking advantage of a tyre change shortly before the race to take account of the wet and twisty course, Burrell had a good start taking 4th place off the line, only to be held up by an early crash which put him back to 12th place. Burrell fought back to 10th place, and was unlucky to miss out on 9th place, coming up just short in the final sprint for the line.

Three of the club's junior members kept themselves and their fathers busy on Sunday by taking part in the Tour de Broads ride, starting and finishing in Whitlingham Country Park in Norfolk. Tom Lewis, Kieran Vanhoutte and Isaac Barton, together with their fathers Martin Lewis, Ferenc Vanhoutte and Nick Barton, braved sun, rain and a stiff headwind on the return leg to complete the 75 mile ride, and are looking forward to testing themselves on the longest 100 mile option next year.

Mikie Burrell in the Mud Sweat and Gears MTB XC race

Martin Lewis, Isaac Barton, Tom Lewis, Nick Barton, Kieren Vanhoutte and Ferenc Vanhoutte (L>R) at the finish of the Tour de Broads ride.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 30th July 2019

Ely Riders versus The Great British Summer.

The Weekend racing started with Martin Holmes having an early alarm call to compete in the Victoria CC 10 Mile Time Trial near Saffron Walden. Very wet conditions saw less than half of the original list of riders making it to the event, however Holmes with typical determination took to the start and posted a time of 24:31 in the very challenging conditions. The winner was John Mulvey of Active Edge Race Team with 21:30.

On Saturday afternoon 4 riders from Ely & District CC-B&T Motor Repairs rode in the Team Chronos 10 mile TT on the A428 near Cambourne. There was a possibility the event would be cancelled due to the heavy rain that was falling up until lunchtime, thankfully the rain eased and with a strong breeze blowing the standing water on the course soon reduced to a safe level enabling the large field of riders to compete.

Darran Bennett carrying on with his impressive run of results was fastest Ely rider home in 20:11 giving him a 50 second course PB, then came John Manlow with 22:09 and another course PB, and Will Shepherd with 22:47. Sharon Bennett continued her recent improvement posting a time of 26:03 giving her a Distance PB of a 90 seconds. The winning time was achieved by John Mulvey of Active Edge Race Team. After winning the early morning race near Saffron Walden he towelled down grabbed some breakfast and drove to the afternoon event to post a time of 18:15.

Ely & District CC-B&T Motor Repairs run their own Time Trial events on a Tuesday evening through the summer, all are welcome whatever level of ability.

In contrast to the short but sharp suffering that Time Trialists endure, E&DCC club members Zena Palgrave and Dan Bromilow have just undertaken an epic adventure. They both took part in The Three Peaks Bike Race. Starting in Vienna, finishing in Barcalona and taking in three iconic European mountain passes, The Stelivo, The Col de Finestre and the Arcalis-Ordino. The two intrepid explorers completed the race in 9 days and 5 hours, cycling a total of 1,413 miles and climbing a staggering 81,911 feet.

Martin Holmes racing the Victoria CC 10 - Credit Davey Jones

John Manlow on his way to a course PB - Credit Davey Jones

Darran Bennett smashing his course PB - Credit Davey Jones

Will Shepherd on the Team Chronos 10 mile TT - Credit Davey Jones

Sharn Bennett en-route to a 90 second course PB! - Credit Davey jones

Dan Bromilow and Zena Palgrove at the finish of the Three Peaks Bike Race in Barcelona, looking remarkably well considering the 1413 miles and a staggering 81,911 feet of climbing!

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Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 23rd July 2019

Persevering through wind and rain.

The weekend saw a mixed bag in terms of weather conditions and results for E&DCC- B&T Motor Repairs riders.

On Saturday four hardy souls braved the windy conditions and challenging road surface up on the A11 near Attleborough . With Rory Havis, Will Shepherd, John Manlow and Steve Peck all taking part in the Anglia Velo 10 mile Time Trial. For a good part of the day there was a danger of the event not going ahead with heavy rain and strong winds forecasted, thankfully the rain held off but the wind blew, Havis was fastest Ely rider posting a time of 22:09 and the three other club members all coming in fairly close to each other, with Manlow stopping the clock at 23:15, Shepherd 23:17 and Peck 23:34. The winning time was posted by Lloyd Chapman of Plomsgate CC with 19:56.

The weather was somewhat kinder on Sunday with Rory Havis once again in action, this time joined by Martin Holmes. They were both competing in the Diss & District CC 10 mile TT, with Havis posting a time of 22:20 and Holmes completing the course in 24:18. Once again the winner was Lloyd Chapman of Plomsgate CC with 20:28.

Also on Sunday but a little earlier in the morning, Darran Bennett was competing in only his second 50 mile Time Trial organised by Shaftsbury CC and run on the E2/50 course which takes in the A11 and A14. Bennett was only a handful of seconds from breaking the club record for the distance posting a time of 1:47:37. The winner of the competition which involved 120 riders was pre event favourite Chris Bartley of A S Test Team with 1:35:37.

There was off-road action as well with Mikie Burrell taking part in the HSBC National Cross Country Championships held at Cannock Chase. Burrell suffered a crash in practice on Saturday but recovered to take his place on the grid Sunday. A fast paced race saw Burrell digging deep and finishing in an exceptional 8th place,

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 2nd July 2019

SUMMER SUN FOR ELY RACERS

After weeks of cancelled races as a result of the persistent rain, members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs faced different challenges this weekend with soaring temperatures.

On Saturday afternoon Mikie Burrell was racing in the 5th and final round of the HSBC National XC MTB series in the Sport category. Conscious that the hot conditions would sap the riders' energy over the course of the race, Burrell moderated his pace at the start of the race and his cautious approach paid off when he started overtaking other riders during the course of the first lap. A mistake in a technical section of the course nearly caused Burrell to crash, but he gathered himself together and was able to take back one position in a final sprint for the line, finishing 26th overall.

Later on Saturday afternoon, Dan Bromilow and Zena Palgrave took part in the Breckland CC 50 mile time trial on the A11 near Attleborough. The high temperatures and lack of any shelter made it a hard race, particularly for Palgrave whose water bottle was shaken loose on the rough road surface before she had even managed to take a drink from it. Bromilow completed the 50 mile course in 1 hour 53 minutes and 3 seconds, while Palgrave finished in 2:08:27 to leave her in fourth place overall in the women's category.

On Sunday three Ely riders raced in the EDCA 10 mile championship race on the B10/37R course near Tottenhill, and all three took advantage of Sunday's cooler conditions to set new personal bests for that course. Rory Havis was the fastest Ely rider on the day, his time of 21:27 earning him 5th place overall. Cliff Loveday finished in 22:43 while Will Shepherd stopped the clock on a time of 23:49.

A few days previously on Thursday evening the final 10 mile evening race on the E2/10 course near Newmarket. Two Ely riders took part, with Dan Bromilow finishing the 10 mile race in a time of 21:46 and Steve Peck setting a time of 22:25.

Mikie Burrell descending in the XC National Championship series. Credit Richard Howes.

Mikie Burrell racing for the finish line. Credit Richard Howes.

Dan Bromilow at the start of the VTTA 10 mile race. Credit Davey Jones.

Steve Peck about to start the VTTA 10 mile race. Credit Davey Jones.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 26th June 2019

NEW CLUB RECORD FOR PALGRAVE

Zena Palgrave set a new club record for the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs on Sunday, breaking her own record for a 100 mile time trial. Racing on the E2/100c course along the A11 in an event organised by the ECCA, Palgrave completed the 100 mile event in a time of 4 hours 26 minutes and 57 seconds, knocking just over 3 minutes off her previous record set the year before.

A few days earlier, Rory Havis and Will Shepherd were also racing on the A11 albeit over a rather shorter distance. Havis and Shepherd took part in the third of the four 10 mile races organised by the VTTA on Thursday evenings. Havis repeated the impressive performances he had given in previous races, stopping the clock on 20:08, which gave him eighth place overall, while Shepherd finished the 10 miles in a time of 22:23.

On Saturday, two Ely riders took part in the Victoria CC 10 mile event on the E1/10a course near Stansted. Darran Bennett finished the course in a time of 22:13, leaving him in fourth place overall, while Cliff Loveday completed the race in a time of 24 minutes exactly.

Zena Palgrave at the beginning of her 100 mile race. Credit Davey Jones.

Zena Palgrave rounds the turn on the E2/100c course. Credit Fergus Muir.

Will Shepherd battles a headwind on the E2/10. Credit Davey Jones.

Zena Palgrave nears the finish only 20 metres to go. Credit Davey Jones.

Rory Havis racing on the E2/10 course on Thursday. Credit Davey Jones.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 19th June 2019

A WINDY WEEKEND FOR ELY TIME TRIALLISTS

The weekend started early for members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs with another VTTA race on the E2/10 course near Newmarket on Thursday. Setting the tone for the weekend, the blustery wind presented a serious handicap for the riders. Out of the Ely riders, Rory Havis handled the challenging conditions best, completing the 10 mile course in a time of 20:48. Will Shepherd was the second-fastest Ely rider with a time of 23:13, followed by Glen Clark and Alison Fox on 25:01 and 26:41 respectively.

Strong winds remained an issue for the Ely riders taking part in the Godric CC event on the B10/43 course near Bungay on Saturday, but despite the conditions three Ely riders set new personal bests for the B10/43 course. The fastest Ely rider in the event was Cliff Loveday, who continued his recent strong run of form to overcome the unfavourable conditions, his time of 22:28 beating his previous best time on the course by 45 seconds. Derek Ricketts and Martin Holmes also set personal bests on the B10/43 with times of 22:43 and 23:03, followed by Steve Peck on 23:11.

Having been the stand-out Ely rider of the season so far in 10 and 25 mile events, Darran Bennett took part in his first ever 50 mile race on Sunday in the Viking CCC race organised by the Cambridge Cycling Club. With the unfavourable weather once again a factor, Bennett paced himself well to finish well under the 2 hour mark in a time of 1:50:02.

Last but by no means least, John Manlow was also racing on Sunday, taking part in the EDCA 25 mile championship race on the B25/6 course near Wisbech, finishing the 25 mile course in a time of 57:38.

All photos courtesy of Davey Jones

Alison Fox racing in Thursday's 10 mile race on the E2/10

Darran Bennett, 20 miles into his 50 mile race

Will Shepherd racing in Thursday's 10 mile race on the E2/10

Rory Havis racing in Thursday's 10 mile race on the E2/10

Glen Clark racing in Thursday's 10 mile race on the E2/10

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 12th June 2019

ELY RIDERS RACE IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Three riders from the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs took part in the VTTA National Championships this week, racing on the E2/25 course over a distance of 25 miles. The conditions were not conducive to fast times, but the fastest Ely rider Darran Bennett still completed the 25 mile race is well under one hour in a time of 54 minutes 31 seconds. John Manlow and Derek Ricketts finished the race in times of 58:13 and 59:28 respectively.

The Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs also hosted its own open event on Sunday in the form of a 10 mile time trial on the B10/1R course starting and finishing near Mepal with the turn at the Lancaster Way roundabout. Six Ely riders took part, with Rory Havis the fastest having completed the race in a time of 22 minutes 26 seconds. Martin Holmes was the second fastest Ely rider with a time of 23:59. Steve Peck was the third fastest Ely racer with 24:34 following closely behind by Chris Brown in 24:50. Glen Clark continued his return to time trial racing with a time of 26:19 and Alison Holmes finished in 29:34. The event was won by Felix Barker in a time of 20:31.

A few days before, four Ely riders had also taken part in the VTTA event held on Thursday evening on the E2/10 course on the A11 near Newmarket. Rory Havis set the best time of the Ely riders with 20:28, a personal best for Havis on that course, followed by Steve Peck (22:27), Will Shepherd (22:36) and Glen Clark (24:06).

All photos courtesy of Davey Jones

Will Shepherd racing in the VTTA 10 mile event on the E2/10

John Manlow racing in the VTTA National Championships

Steve Peck racing in the VTTA 10 mile event on the E2/10

Glen Clark racing in the VTTA 10 mile event on the E2/10

Rory Havis racing in the VTTA 10 mile event on the E2/10

Darran Bennett racing in the VTTA National Championships

Derek Ricketts racing in the VTTA National Championships

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 28th May 2019

BANK HOLIDAY TIME TRIAL RACING FOR ELY RIDERS

Riders from the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs had a busy race schedule over the bank holiday, taking part in the three different time trials. The weekend's action started early on Saturday morning in the Victoria CC race on the E1/10A course near Saffron Walden. Cliff Loveday finished the 10 mile course in a time of 23 minutes 35 seconds, beating his previous best on the course by 39 seconds. Martin Holmes finished the race in a time of 24:29.

On Sunday morning it was the ECCA championship race on the E2/25 course near Newmarket. Four Ely riders took part, riding the first half of the 25 mile course into a stiff headwind but enjoying the benefits of the tailwind on the return leg. Darran Bennett was again the fastest Ely rider with a time of 53:48, followed by Dan Bromilow (55:15), John Manlow (56:31) and Derek Ricketts (57:48).

Will Shepherd was the only Ely rider racing on Bank Holiday Monday, riding in the Stowmarket CC 10 event on the B10/38 course east of Bury St Edmunds. Shepherd had an eventful race, with an early incident involving a pothole knocking his handlebars out of their usual position and later having to take evasive action to avoid a loose pony on the course, but he completed the race in a time of 23:23.

Photos from Davey Jones:

Derek Ricketts racing in the ECCA Championship race on the E2/25

Martin Holmes racing in the Victoria CC race on the E1/10A

Cliff Loveday racing in the Victoria CC race on the E1/10A

Dan Bromilow racing in the ECCA Championship race on the E2/25

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 22nd May 2019

NEW RECORDS SET BY ELY RIDERS

There was a good turnout of riders from the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs on Saturday in the ECCA 10 mile time trial held on the E2/10 course from Six Mile Bottom to Fourwentways and back. The fastest Ely rider in the event was once again Darran Bennett, who took advantage of the favourable conditions to complete the 10 mile course in a time of 19:47 at an average speed of 30.3mph, the fastest time ever set on the E2/10 course by an Ely rider. John Manlow was the second fastest Ely rider in a time of 21:19, a personal best for him at that distance, with Derek Ricketts third fastest in a time of 21:33, Ricketts' fastest time ever on the E2/10 course. Martin Holmes finished in a time of 21:45, a few seconds faster than Will Shepherd on 21:52, who also set a new personal best over 10 miles. Glen Clark, in his first open time trial for several years, finished in a time of 23:34 and Alison Fox was the third Ely rider to set a distance personal best with her time of 24:17.

On Sunday Rory Havis took part in the Great Yamouth CC race held over a 25 mile distance on the BS13A course between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Havis finished the 25 miles in a time of 57:35 which gave him third place on the day.

Rory Havis riding to a podium place in the GYCC race. Credit Dominic Austrin

John Manlow on course for a distance PB on the E2/10. Credit Davey Jones.

Will Shepherd racing to a new distance PB for 10 miles. Credit Davey Jones.

Martin Holmes racing in the ECCA 10 mile event. Credit Davey Jones.

Derek Ricketts setting a new course PB on the E2/10. Credit Davey Jones.

Darran Bennett setting a new club course record on the E2/10. Credit Davey Jones.

Rory Havis riding to a podium place in the GYCC race. Credit Fergus Muir

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 15th May 2019

RICKETTS RACES IN THE RAIN AND HAIL

After a series of races having been cancelled due to the weather, most members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs who had been planning to race at the weekend were denied the opportunity once again, albeit not due to the weather on this occasion. The 50 mile race organised by the E2/50 course had to be cancelled after a road traffic accident on the A11 near Newmarket resulted in one lane being closed off, while the 25 mile race on the B25/8 course further up the A11 near Snetterton had to be cancelled due to a defective level crossing which prevented riders from getting to and from the start and finish safely.

This left Derek Ricketts as the club's sole representative in time trial races this weekend. Ricketts was racing in the North Road CC event on the F14/25 course near Guilden Morden. The event went ahead despite the weather, with Ricketts facing heavy rain punctuated by two hailstorms during the course of his ride. Riding through the rain and hail, Ricketts completed the 25 mile course in a time of 1:02:34, leaving him in 35th place overall with a 51 second course personal best.

The club's MTB contingent was also in action over the weekend, with Mathew Eley and Mikie Burrell taking part in the 3rd round of the HSBC National MTB XC series which was held at Cannock Chase. Eley finished 22nd in the Expert Race, and Burrell 37th in Sport category.

Derek Ricketts braving the elements on the F14/25 course. Credit Michael Fishpool

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 8th May 2019

ELY RIDERS RACE AGAINST THE ELEMENTS ON BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Despite strong winds and poor weather conditions which led to the cancellation of the Cambridge CC 15 mile race on the A428, the Lea Valley 10 mile event on the E2/10 course went ahead on Saturday with three Ely riders taking part. Rory Havis was the fastest of the three, finishing the ten mile course in 20 minutes and 32 seconds, 3 seconds faster than time Havis set in the same event in 2017 and giving him a new course PB by 3 seconds. Will Shepherd finished in a time of 23:32, and Alison Fox stopped the clock at 29:09.

On Sunday attention turned to off-road racing with the fourth round of the Mud Sweat and Gears MTB series held at Carver Barracks. Despite the cold and windy weather the ground conditions were excellent which led to some fast and exciting racing. Mathew Eley took another strong result finishing 8th in the Elite/Expert race, and in the Sport race Mikie Burrell finished 29th. Martin Holland was 27th in the Grand Vets category and Geoff Brewster finished in 11th place in the Super Grand Vets race.

Easter Monday saw more time-trialling action with Steve Peck riding in the VTTA 10 event on the F11/10 course near Tring. Peck completed the 10 mile race in a time of 22:59. Cliff Loveday was also racing on Monday in the VC Barrachi 10 race on the B10/43 course near Bungay. Loveday finished the race in a time of 23:13 minutes.

Mathew Eley racing at Carver Barracks.

Mikie Burrell racing at Carver Barracks.

Will Shepherd racing in the Lea Valley 10 mile event.

Martin Holland racing at Carver Barracks.

Geoff Brewster racing at Carver Barracks.

Rory Havis on his way to setting a new course PB on the E2/10.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 16th April 2019

THRILLS AND SPILLS FOR ELY MTB RACERS

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs riders Mathew Eley and Mikie Burrell were both racing in the HSBC UK National MTB series at the weekend, in the second round of the series which was held at the Hadleigh Farm course built for the 2012 Olympics, and both riders had their fair share of excitement during their races.

Eley was racing in the Expert category again, and having finished 18th in the first round in Nottinghamshire Eley was looking for another good result. However, he was held up during the first lap by other riders crashing in front of him, and then had a crash of his own on a technical rocky uphill section. Despite being tempted to abandon the race due to cramp and lower back pain, Eley continued to the finish and ended up in 22nd place. Mikie Burrell was racing in the Sport category, and also had an eventful race, crashing on the second lap when his front wheel lost traction and slid wide. Despite going over the handlebars and injuring his shoulder and knee, Burrell also climbed back on board to finish the race in 27th place.

The Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs road racers were also in action, with Darran Bennett and Rob Golding racing in the VTTA time trial held on the E33/25 near Newmarket. Bennett was the fastest rider in his age category, finishing the 2-lap 25 mile course in a time of 57 minutes 32 seconds, with Rob Golding two places behind in the same age category finishing just outside the hour mark with a time of 1:00:07.

Mikie Burrell riding one of the technical features of the Olympic MTB course. Credit Richard Howes.

Mathew Eley riding one of the technical features of the Olympic MTB course. Credit Francesca Eley.

Darran Bennett en route to winning his age group in the VTTA 25 race. Credit Davey Jones.

Rob Golding racing on the E33/25 course near Newmarket. Credit Davey Jones

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 9th April 2019

GOLDING AND HAVIS WIN IN DISS 2-UP RACE

The highlight of the weekend's racing by members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs was in the Diss CC 2-up time trial race held on the B25/17 course near Thetford on Sunday. Rob Golding and Rory Havis completed the 25 mile course in a time of 56 minutes and 1 second to give them victory in the 2-up race for riders racing in pairs.

However, Golding and Havis were not alone in setting good times in time trial races at the weekend. Four Ely riders braved the cold conditions on Saturday and took part in the Kings Lynn CC 25 mile race near Downham Market. Darran Bennett was the fastest Ely rider, finishing the 25 mile course in just under an hour, with a time of 59m45s, to leave him in 9th place. Hard training over the winter by Derek Ricketts and John Manlow paid off for the pair, with both riders setting personal best times for the course. Manlow finished just 12 seconds faster than Ricketts in a time of 1:01:08, leaving them in 12th and 13th place overall. Will Shepherd finished in 20th place with a time of 1:04:49.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs riders also took part in mountain bike racing at the weekend. 3 riders took part in the 3rd round of the Mud Sweat & Gears MTB series held at the Lee Valley Velopark. In the Elite/Expert race Mathew Eley finished in a very strong 7th place, 3 minutes and 38 seconds down on the winner, and in the Grand Veterans race Martin Holland finished in 24th. Geoff Brewster was unlucky not to finish in the Super Grand Veterans race, but a broken chain put him out of the race while he was competing for 3rd place in that category.

Finally, junior rider Ollie Sinden was again taking part in his preferred discipline of downhill MTB racing in the Mountain Mania Ricochet race at Aston Hills. Sinden was in 3rd place after his first run, 1 second behind the 2nd place rider and 1 second ahead of 4th place in a tightly-packed field. On his second run he improved his time by 4 seconds to ended up in 2nd place, his first podium in a downhill race.

Rob Golding and Rory Havis on their way to victory in the Diss CC 2-up time trial. Credit Fergus Muir.

Darran Bennett racing in the Kings Lynn CC 25 mile race. Credit Dean Gooding.

Ollie Sinden takes to the air on his way to a podiuim finish in the downhill racing at Aston Hill. Credit Emma Laurie.

John Manlow on his way to a course PB in the Kyngs Lynn CC 25 mile race. Credit Dean Gooding.

Will Shepherd racing in the Kings Lynn CC 25 mile race. Credit Dean Gooding.

Derek Ricketts on his way to a course PB in the Kyngs Lynn CC 25 mile race. Credit Dean Gooding.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 26th March 2019

TIME TRIAL SEASON STARTS IN EARNEST FOR ELY RIDERS

With Spring well underway, the time trial season started in earnest for members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs this weekend. On Saturday, Derek Ricketts and Will Shepherd were racing on the E2/10 course running along the A11 in an event organised by the ECCA. Shepherd finished the 10 mile course in a time of 22:59, while Ricketts' hard season of training paid off with a time of 21:42, a new course record for him. The winning time of 18:52 was set by Daniel Northover of Finsbury Park CC.

On Sunday, three Ely riders took part in a 15 mile time trial organised by Wisbech Wheelers on the B15/2 course near Wisbech, running along the A47. Fastest Ely rider was Rory Havis, with a time of 33:36, followed by John Manlow in 37:03 and Robert Goult in a time of 44:11. Fastest rider of the day overall was George Fox of Team Bottrill who completed the course 15 mile course in 30:56.

However, time trialling was not the only discipline in which Ely riders took part at the weekend. In the first round of the 2019 HSBC National cross-country mountain bike championships, Mathew Eley finished 18th in the Expert Male category, while Mikie Burrell finished in 48th place in the Sport Male race.

photos:

Derek Ricketts on his way to setting a new personal best on the E2/10 course. Credit Davey Jones.

Will Shepherd racing on the E2/10 in the ECCA event on Saturday. Credit Davey Jones.

Rory Havis riding in the Wisbech Wheelers 15 mile time trial. Credit Fergus Muir.

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 19th February 2019

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING FOR ELY RIDERS

Riders of all ages from the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs took part in mountain bike races at the weekend. Junior rider Ollie Sinden was racing downhill in the second race of the 100% Minidownhill series at the Forest of Dean. Ollie's first run went well, leaving him in 4th place and less than a second behind the rider in 3rd place. Ollie was hoping to improve on this in the second race, but crashed towards the end of the run and ended up 7th overall.

Sunday also saw the final round of the Revel Outdoors Winter Series cross-country races at Shouldham Warren. Dan Bromilow took part in the 3 hour race for Veterans and finished in 40th place. In the 1.5 hour races, Matt Eley took a podium place in the Senior Race finishing in 3rd place while Mikie Burrell finished in 15th place in the same race. In the Veteran 1.5 hour race Cliff Loveday was the first Ely rider to finish, in 47th place, followed by Martin Holland in 62nd place and George Hallam in 94th place.

Matt Eley racing to 3rd place in the 1.5hr Senior race. Credit Fergus Muir

Cliff Loveday racing in the 1.5hr Veterans race. Credit Fergus Muir.

Matt Eley racing to 3rd place in the 1.5hr Senior race. Credit Fergus Muir

Ollie Sinden racing over the roots in the 100% Minidownhill race. Credit Mark Sinden

Matt Eley on the podium having finished in 3rd place. Credit Fergus Muir

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 12th February 2019

TIME TRIAL SEASON STARTS WITH ELY HARDRIDERS RACE

On Sunday Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs hosted the tradititional season-opener for the year's time trial season. The course is a 25 mile circuit of Fen roads, featuring a number of very rough minor roads. Combined with the persistent rain and gusty winds the event certainly lived up to its name as the Hardriders Race, particularly with very low temperatures throughout the race and plenty of standing water thanks to the constant rain.

Last year's second-placed rider Felix Barker went one better to win the event, in a time of 56:25.

Barker was one of only eight riders to break the one hour barrier, and finished ahead of Toby Cowell and Rob Walker in second and third respectively. In the women's race Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs riders Zena Palgrave and Alison Holmes came second and third respectively, behind the winner Cindy Berry. The team prize went to Cambridge University CC, whose riders filled 3 of the top ten places.

In the Veterans race, Frank Holmes came out on top on standard times, with Andrew Ashwith second and Mark Williams in third. Williams was lucky to be riding in the event, as he inadvertently brought two rear wheels and no front wheelto the race, but was able to borrow a front wheel from an Ely club member to allow him to race. In the Under 23s race, Toby Cowell came first with Jack Brown and Lucas He in third. David Halliday won the road bike category for riders using conventional road bikes rather than specialist time trial bikes.

One of the Ely junior riders was also racing at the weekend. On Saturday Tom Lewis took part in the Essex Roads Cycling Club junior road racing at the Redbridge cycling centre in Ilford. Tom was racing in the Under 12 category, and was just beaten into second place at the line. In the second race Tom was boxed in towards the end of the second lap, allowing other riders to get away off the front of the pack, but Tom was able to take fourth place in a sprint finish.

Jason Ward in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Davey Jones

Zena Palgrave racing to second place in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Davey Jones

Alison Holmes racing to third place in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Davey Jones

Martin Holmes in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Paul Harbinson

Jason Ward in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Davey Jones

Felix Barker on his way to a win in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Davey Jones

Tom Lewis racing in the Easter Roads Cycling Club event. Credit Martin Lewis.

Zena Palgrave racing to second place in the Ely Hardriders race. Credit Paul Harbinson

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 29th January 2019

CYCLOCROSS SEASON FINALE FOR ELY RIDERS

The final round of the Eastern Cyclocross League was held in Milton Country Park on Sunday at an event organised by Cambridge Junior CC. Although the rain forecast for Sunday held off, the rain overnight had left the ground very wet and, as a result, very slippery once the course started to become worn. In the Under 8s race, two junior Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs riders took to the starting grid for their first Cyclocross race. Toby Turner finished in 12th place in the Under 8s race, narrowly beat Lucas Bowman by only 6 seconds at the finishing line. In the Under 12s Tom Lewis had another strong race, finishing in 10th place, while Kieran Vanhoutte put in another solid performance to finish in 20th place. In the Under 14s race Isaac Barton rounded out the season with another good result, finishing in 19th place.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Martin Holland continued his run of good results in the Grand Vets race, finishing in 26th place. In the Veterans race Dan Bromilow finished in 39th place in his best result of the season while Ferenc Vanhoutte finished in 52nd, hindered somewhat by finishing the race with some of the course tape tangled up in his rear derailleur.

With the final race of the season completed, the series results have been produced. Riders are obliged to finish six events to get a placing in the series and their result is based on their best ten results from the sixteen race calendar. Of the Ely riders who rode enough races to qualify, Kieran Vanhoutte took 15th place overall in the Under 12s, Isaac Barton finished in 13th place in the Under 14s, Stephen Croft and Ferenc Vanhoutte finished in 38th and 54th places respectively in the Veterans category and Martin Holland finished the season in 31st place overall in the Grand Vets division.

However, the Cyclocross riders were not the only members of Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs racing on Sunday. Ollie Sinden was at the Forest of Dean taking part in the 100% Mini downhill mountain bike race. After some encouraging practice runs on Saturday and Sunday morning Ollie rode well to finish his first run in 5th position out of 24 riders, only a second behind the rider in fourth place. In the second and final run Ollie went one better, snatching fourth place by just 0.4 seconds for his best result to date.

Toby Turner racing in his first race in the Eastern Cyclocross League. Credit Davey Jones.

Lucas Bowman racing in his first race in the Eastern Cyclocross League. Credit Davey Jones.

Kieran Vanhoutte racing in the U12s race at Milton Country Park. Credit Davey Jones.

Tom Lewis racing in the U12s race. Credit Davey Jones.

Isaac Barton in the Youth race at Milton Country Park. Credit Davey Jones.

Martin Holland in the Grand Vets race. Credit Davey Jones.

Dan Bromilow racing in the Veterans race at Milton Country Park. Credit Davey Jones.

Ferenc Vanhoutte racing in the Veterans race at Milton Country Park. Credit Davey Jones.

Ollie Sinden leaping tree roots on his way to 4th place.

Ollie Sinden jumping in the 100% Mini downhill race

Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs Press Release 22nd January 2019

STRONG RIDES FROM ELY CYCLOCROSS RACERS

With the Cyclocross season coming to an end, this weekend saw the penultimate round of the Eastern Cylocross League held at the World Horse Welfare centre near Snetterton in an event organised by Iceni Velo.

In the youth races which took place in the morning the ground was frozen and hard, providing reasonable levels of grip. Tom Lewis, racing in the Under 12s race, made the most of the conditions and finished in a strong 10th place, while Kieran Vanhoutte finished in 14th position despite having been involved in a crash on the first lap. In the Under 14s race, Isaac Barton finished in 17th place having picked up places throughout the race.

By the time the older riders came to race the ground had started to thaw, resulting in a very slippery layer of mud over the frozen ground beneath. Ferenc Vanhoutte was the sole Ely rider in the Veterans race and finished in 49th place. In the Grand Vets race Phil Peacock failed to finished, but Martin Holland had one of his best results of the season, finishing in 25th place despite a fall which lost him 4 places.

Tom Lewis tackles a technical descent in the U12s race. Credit Martin Lewis.

Kieran Vanhoutte lunges for the line at the end of the U12s race. Credit Martin Lewis.

Tom Lewis riding down the finishing straight in the U12s race. Credit Martin Lewis.

Kieran Vanhoutte awaits the start of the U12s race. Credit Martin Lewis.

Ferenc Vanhoutte racing in the Veterans race. Credit Fergus Muir.

Isaac Barton racing in the U14s race. Credit Fergus Muir.