The 2021 time trial season continued on Saturday with members of the Ely & District Cycling Club - B&T Motor Repairs competing in two different events. However, Ely riders also competed in other disciplines over a weekend also featuring both mountain bike racing and closed circuit criterium racing.
Action started on Saturday with mountain bike racing in the first round of the Mud Sweat and Gears series held at Haughley Park, near Bury St Edmunds. Mathew Eley finished in 15th place in the Division 1 Male category, having completed 9 laps in 1hr41m. John McAndrew was 38th in Division 2 Male category, George Hallam was 14th in Division 4 Male category, and junior rider Harvey Woodroffe took 12th place in Under 13 boys race in his first of two events during the weekend.
Meanwhile, on the B10/37R time trial circuit near Tottenhill, three Ely riders took part in the 10 mile race organised by Kings Lynn CC. Rob Golding completed the course in a time of 21:44, which would have put him in joint 9th place, but unfortunately Golding got a 5 minute time penalty leaving him with a time of 26:44. Having got lost on his warm-up ride, Golding ended up riding over 15 miles before the 10 mile race even started, which meant he incurred a time penalty for missing his start time. John Manlow completed the 10 mile course in 22:38, a course personal best for him, and Rob Goult finished in a time of 26:27, a distance personal best for him.
Three Ely riders were also competing in the 25 mile time trial race organised by Shaftesbury CC on the F2/25A course near Cambourne. As usual, Darran Bennett was the fastest Ely rider, finishing the race with a time of 53:11 to leave him 5th overall. Derek Ricketts set a new distance personal best with a time of 55:36 putting him in 19th place overall, while Will Shepherd also completed the course in under an hour with a time of 58:44 in 42nd place.
Only one Ely rider was competing on Sunday. Having evidently decided that a mountain bike race on Saturday was not enough racing action for one weekend, Harvey Woodroffe also took part in a closed circuit road race at the Milton Keynes Bowl and finished in 5th place in the Category C race, only 5 seconds behind the winner.
All photographs credit Davey Jones.