The first of our 2012 Club Championships, the 30 mile TimeTrial was incorporated in the Bynea CC event on Sunday 22nd April. A temperature of 2 degrees and early sunshine greeted the 45 riders at the Llanwrda headquarters. With a number of riders involved in road racing only four Acme riders challenged for the Championship. Paul Griffiths, who crashed in this event last year, was an expected entrant while Dave Roberts entered simply to encourage others to participate. They were joined by Tony Rees and Jason Dodd, both feeling understandably nervous in their first ever open race.
Just after the last of our riders, Dave, started, rain began to fall and with a headwind on the south-west leg from Llandovery and rough, hilly terrain on the north-east side of the 2 1/2 lap circuit, conditions became rather unpleasant. Dave pulled out after 15 miles but the others continued to fight the elements to the end.
Tony was pleased with his time of 1h 31m 41s on this tough course and now has a marker for future TT's. Paul was satisfied with his 1-26-06 in the conditions while Jason Dodd, pictured at the start, turned out a really good ride to finish in 1-24-46 and become our 2012 30 mile Time Trial Champion in his first ever open event !
Thanks to Chris Thomas for the photographs [more in the Gallery]. He stood at the roadside to shout encouragement in the rain and was approached by a local farmer who thought there was something wrong with him !
Missing from the event was last year's champion, Steve Bennett who chose to compete in the 52 mile Legstretchers road race on the same day. On this occasion he missed out on the chance to add to the points from his previous race but still finished a creditable 17th of 40 finishers.
The previous day saw Dean Cummings and Hywel Morgan once again competing in the National Emergency Services Road Championship, this year at Clitheroe, Lancashire. With 5 laps of a tough circuit with lots of climbing and a mixture of riders from elite to 4th category, it proved a tough race. The winning break went early on the second lap with a group of 24 riders eventually finishing a lap up on the main field which included Dean, Hywel and their South Wales Police colleague, Barrie Mc Gregor.
Several members competed in the third of the Maindy Criteriums during the week but were disappointingly unable to gain any points because their event was abandoned before the end following a serious crash.
