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.
