Matthew Bottrill (Drag2zero.com) and Alex Dowsett (SKY) battle it out in Verulam invertation 25
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With team Sky winning the Tour de France, National time trial champion Alex Dowsett was battling out with the finest time trialists in the United Kingdom in the Verulam Cycling club invitation 25 mile time trial, the club celebrating the 50th consecutive promotion.
Weeks of rain gave away to bright sunshine, and temperatures rose to sweltering heat. With some big prize money on offer it was sure to bring out the best in the selected riders and the heat was on!! The early standard had been set by the flying Dutchman, Wouter Sybrandy (IG-Sigma Sport) in a time of 51.47. This was then bettered by Andrew Wilkinson with 51.17 proving that the conditions were hard out there.
With two riders already stating there claim on the podium it would be up to both Bottrill and Dowsett to make their claim! First to go was Bottrill, who was soon into his stride and hitting speeds of 33-34mph. The first check came at 12.5miles which Bottrill Passed in 23.41, and lead the way by over one minute.
Keeping his body has stable as possible and putting all his aerodynamic positioning to best use, Bottrill took the lead in a time of 49.33. But Bottrill did not have to wait long to see what his biggest rival would do!
Dowsett came home in a determined mood to prove a point having being left out of the British Olympic team and smashed the opposition to set a new course record in a time of 47.31!
Asked about his ride Bottrill replied “I’m pretty happy with today’s ride. I was a good way down on Alex, but I’ve just had two weeks of backing off training in order to recover from all the National champions and to start my build up toward’s the the BTTC (the race for the British Champion’s jersey).
“It’s a great time to be a British cyclist at the minute and I’m going to be doing everything I can to get into great shape for the championship! Hopefully Wiggo will be there, which will bring the best out in everybody!”
Result
Verulam CC 25 (Invitation)
1 Alex Dowsett Sky ProCycling 00:47:31
2 Matthew Bottrill www.drag2zero.com 00:49:33
3 Andrew Wilkinson Port Sunlight Wheelers 00:51:17
4 Sybrandy Wouter Team IG-Sigma sport 00:51:51
5 Sam Barker Planet X RT 00:52:14
6 Ross Clarke Team Milton Keynes 00:52:49
7 Jonathan Shubert High Wycombe CC 00:53:02
8 Dave Dent Wightlink/Offshore RT 00:53:51
9 Dave Kendall Finsbury Park CC 00:54:42
10 Tim Davies Icknield RC – Compomotive Wheels 00:54:55
11 Clare Ella Born to Bike 01:03:23
Verulam CC 25 (Open)
1 Lee Turner La Fuga- Sigma Sport 00:54:24
2 Peter Lawrence Club Team MDT 00:54:33
3 Andrew Halliday Westerly CC 00:54:51
4 Peter Dixon Willesden Cycling Club 00:54:53
5 Howard Waller Oxford City Road Club 00:55:13
6 David Johnson VC10 00:55:16
7 Nigel Alan Hale CCA Ashwell 00:55:17
8 Malcolm Woolsey Westerly CC 00:55:32
9 Tom Boulton Finsbury Park CC 00:56:15
10 Steve Sexton North Road CC 00:56:23
11 Erron Field Chelmer CC 00:56:30
12 Steve Clarke Team Milton Keynes-Corley Cycles-BodyLimits-Abbeygate 00:56:31
13 Martin Dosett Welwyn Wheelers 00:56:57
14 Colin Parkinson SWRC – Evans Cycles – Pinnacle 00:57:04
15 Shane Townsend Westerly CC 00:57:17
16 Gavin Bench Verulam CC 00:57:26
17 Geoff Perry Team Milton Keynes-Corley Cycles-BodyLimits-Abbeygate 00:57:27
18 Colin Hodges Welwyn Wheelers 00:57:51
19 Neil Ellison BeyondMTB/WDMBRC/RRP/Specialized 00:57:55
20 Stuart Clarke Chelmer CC 00:57:57
21 Andy Blower Cambridge CC 00:58:08
22 Steve Maxted Verulam CC 00:58:14
23 Gavin Lewis North Road CC 00:58:19
24 Jon Friend Bedfordshire Road Club 00:58:27
25 Daniel Babbs Chelmer CC 00:58:29
26 Richard Hutt Lampard Road Club 00:58:30
27 Alex Cooper West Kent Road Club 00:58:35
28 Philip O’Dell Bedfordshire Road Club 00:58:38
29 Julian King Welwyn Wheelers 00:58:38
30 Robert Saunders North Bucks Road Club 00:58:56
31 Nicholas Coe Verulam CC 00:59:03
32 David Newman Westerly CC 00:59:10
33 McNally Ian Westerly CC 00:59:11
34 David Charles Creese Chronos Racing Team 00:59:12
35 Mike Jubb Verulam CC 00:59:22
36 Simon Greenland Maidenhead and District CC 00:59:25
37 Ian Brazier Verulam CC 00:59:31
38 Alan Crane Chronos Racing Team 00:59:52
39 Ian Mead A5 Rangers CC 01:00:04
40 Paul Williams Verulam CC 01:00:11
41 Richard Moule Bossard Wheelers CC 01:00:15
42 Philip Young Hertfordshire Wheelers 01:00:23
43 Ian James Ellis A5 Rangers CC 01:00:36
44 Christopher Symonds North Road CC 01:00:43
45 Richard Marriott Verulam CC 01:00:50
46 Darren Botterill Kettering CC 01:00:57
47 Tim Burrows Westerly CC 01:01:10
48 Jaroslav Zak Oxford University CC 01:01:16
49 Stuart Clark Tri-Force 01:01:36
50 Tim Carpenter Hastings & St Leonards CC 01:01:57
51 Richard Colt Verulam CC 01:02:41
52 Bob Bone Verulam CC 01:03:07
53 Jill Wilkinson Port Sunlight Wheelers 01:03:08
54 David Rogers Hemel Hempstead CC 01:03:41
55 Tina Reid Twickenham CC 01:03:42
56 Douglas Bates Tri-Force 01:04:27
57 Kevin Parker Team Cambridge 01:04:28
58 John Royle Fenland Clarion 01:04:28
59 Samuel Skuce Verulam CC 01:04:44
60 Colin Holmes Icknield RC Compomotive Wheels 01:05:28
61 Marco Paganuzzi Tri-Force 01:05:43
62 Dominic Whitehead 29th Wheelers CC 01:06:04
63 Joanna Spragg Aylesbury CC 01:06:43
64 Merv Player Hertfordshire Wheelers 01:06:48
65 Christine Pout Verulam CC 01:07:56
66 John Howells Corinium CC 01:10:00
67 Peter Horsnell Chelmer CC 01:11:01
68 Hazel Davies Verulam CC 01:11:15
69 John Pfeifer Icknield RC Compomotive Wheels 01:12:56
70 Eddie Fone Norwich ABC 01:21:05
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