An Arctic blast greets the start of the TT league

Round 1 of the Beech House Dental Practice TT league took place in unseasonably Arctic conditions. Sleet, hail, snow and the addition of a bitterly northerly wind reduced temperatures to near freezing. Although weather seldom puts the competitors off only fifteen hardy souls took to the start line. Nova’s reigning champion, Duncan Mullier, chased down Prologue’s Junior champion, Dylan Flesher, to finish in a winning time of 20:27, just 5 seconds shy of the course record and 44 seconds ahead of Dylan in second. Nova’s Rob Senior completed the podium a further 56 seconds behind. 63 seconds behind third the battle for fourth was only seperated by a single second with Roger Bromiley 4th and Charles Cuss 5th. The women’s event was won by Julie Patmore in 27:58 ahead of Fran Varley 3:43 behind. Ben Seddon smashed his personal best to win the Most Improved Rider event with a time of 26:58, a massive improvement of 170 seconds! The next round is the ten mile out and back between Arkendale to Walshford in hopefully more seasonal conditions.

Julie Patmore, not taken on the night! (Picture by Caroline Mullier)

The previous weekend Nova’s Ele Haresign won two 25 mile open TTs in cold and windy conditions. In the YCF25 at Topcliffe Ele was agonisingly outside the hour with 1:00:20, 21 seconds ahead of Team Botrill’s Kerry Gowland. The following day in the Otley 25 at Boroughbridge she won with 1:04:37, 1:33 ahead of Ann Walsham of Maxx RT. Duncan Mullier’s 53:07 was good enough for 6th out of over 100 riders in the YCF25, ahead of a trio of Nova riders, Rob Senior 57:18 in 26th, Roger Bromiley, 57:26 in 27th and Richard Hamilton 57:42 in 30th. Tony Kent won the 60-69 age group with the same time as Ele in 1:00:20.

Ele Haresign (picture by Duncan Mullier)
Ele Haresign (picture by Duncan Mullier)