Evening TT League Event 1 Report & Tour de Yorkshire Sportive

Taken on 29 April 2015, Farnham Course
Duncan Mullier

With a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown, Richard Bellerby was launched across the chalk line at Farnham crossroads and the 2015 Beech House Dental Practice Evening TT League began.  The early pace was set by Patron’s Glen Turnbull who completed the 9 mile Farnham-Golf Club Hill-Staveley-Minskip-Farnham course in a time of 21:41.  However, this was not enough to stop 2014 league champion Duncan Mullier, Harrogate Nova, from winning the season opener with 20:33 – just eleven seconds shy of the course record, on a night where riders had to contend with cold and windy conditions.  Julian Varley, Prologue Racing Team, finished second on the night in 21:01, with Nova’s Al Mitchell third with 21:32, pushing Turnbull down to fourth.  Junior Dylan Flesher, Prologue Racing Team, claimed fifth spot with 22:04 – just a second slower than the current junior course record.

taken on the Farnham course 29Apr15 (Carolyn Nelson)
Jess Bacon

In the ladies event, it was a return to the top spot of the podium for 2013 league champion Jess Bacon following a break for maternity leave.  Now racing for York Cycleworks, Jess recorded a time of 23:26, ahead of Nova’s Corrine Mitchell in second place with 25:05.  Nova team-mate and defending ladies champion Alison Sarmiento had to settle for third on the night with 25:33.

Taken on 29 April 2015, Farnham course
Simon Ketteringham

Simon Ketteringham still had some fire-power left in his legs after taking part in the Mallorca 312 sportive event the previous week to record a new personal best for the course improving his time by nearly a minute and a half to 23:15.

Tour de Yorkshire Sportive

Harrogate Nova members joined 5,500 other cyclists taking part in the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire Sportive on 3 May 2015.  The event took place on the same day and the same roads as the third and final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire pro ride.  Challenging weather conditions greeted participants at the start line in Leeds, and the weather did not let up for the 142km route around West Yorkshire.  Official finishing times are: Robin Beagley 5:44:54, Andy Baker 5:16:23, Tom Denwood 5:14:39, Sam Frankland 6:19:37, Andrew Gardner 8:12:21, Jamie Laramee 5:38:05, Neil McLaughlin 6:53:33, Richard Pennock 6:14:43, Rob Senior 5:42:29 and Mike Worden 5:16:00.  Niall Frost’s day out was cut short by an “imploding rear mech”, Huw Spacey went home for an early bath after a broken bottom bracket and Ben Hotham was hit by a car near Mytholmroyd and taken to hospital.  Thankfully Ben was discharged home with only cuts, bruises and a pulled shoulder – we wish him a speedy recovery.

Open TT Round Up

At the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 25 mile TT on the V236/1 course (Topcliffe-South Kilvington-Topcliffe), Duncan Mullier produced an excellent time of 53:04 to claim third spot on the podium behind Team Swift duo Andy Jackson (51:02) and Joel Wainman (52:30).  Mike Hudson recorded 1:00:56 and Ian Peacock 1:04:05 on a testing day on the dual carriageway course.