Result: Hounslow & District Wheelers 100m TT

Mark Smith (3.34.29) fastest in the Hounslow & District Wheelers 100 mile time trial near Farnham on May 26; Vicky Gill fastest woman

Result: Hounslow & District Wheelers 100m TT

The Ron Brown Memorial 100, 26th May | Report & pics by Chris Lovibond

This year’s Hounslow 100 saw a close contest between Robert Gildea (Didcot Phoenix), Stuart Travis (Team Botrill) and Mark Smith (Crawley Wheelers).

It wasn’t at all clear to the spectators at the roadside (including Smith’s dad, Gary ) which one would come out on top, but in the closing stages Travis began to suffer with cramp, and the result was victory to the Crawley Wheelers man recording a time of 3.34.29, with Gildea two minutes down (3.36.36) and Travis another minute in arrears (3.37.42). Nick Clarke (Arctic Tacx RT) was fourth with 3.39.50. These are all creditable times, particularly considering that although the temperature was favourable there was a gusty south west wind, which many riders think is unfavourable on this Farnham – Alton course.

Among the ladies there was a clear winner in Vicky Gill (Drag 2 Zero) who recorded 4.00.38 and doubtless would have broken the four hour barrier without that wind. Second lady was Pip Jenkins (Southborough & District Wheelers) finishing in 4.11.03, who caught the eye with her stylish aero position which certainly made her look a potential winner. It’s worth mentioning that Vicky is a former triathlon professional who has decided to make her presence felt in women’s time trialling this year – we are clearly going to hear more of her.

The team prize, so often won by the promoting club in this event, went to Vive le Velo, the counters being Steve Burrows (4.13.58), Ed Nielson (4.16.17) and J. Pretorius (4.36.00), which justified the long trip they had made from Humberside.

The winner, Mark Smith, comes from a cycling family – his Dad, Gary, had a distinguished racing career and was the force behind the expansion of the F.W. Evans chain in the eighties and nineties. Mark already has a long and impressive palmares, but this year has made a decision to concentrate on time trialling. This has caused him to abandon his usual winter cyclo cross programme and instead aim for endurance riding followed by a recent trip to Majorca to complete his training. The outcome so far has been very successful with the CTT site crediting him with five outright victories in the month of May!

Second placed Richard Gildea is still relatively new to bike racing, having burst onto the scene by taking third place in the National 12 Hour Championship with 301.19 miles last year. He is mixing his TT programme with some road racing and has his eye on the hill climb season. In time trials this year he has come third in the Charlotteville 50 and won the Oxonian Hilly. These results must be seen as outstanding bearing in mind that he acquired a baby daughter this January.

There was also a solitary tandem, so the riders could really only compete for records, and they came very close to achieving the Vets record by finishing in 3.38.40, just failing to match the 1986 record of G.E.Hodgson and Roy Manser which stands at 3.37.40. However this ride was little more than a tryout for this new pairing of Tim Bayley and Adam Broyard (Arctic Tacx RT), both with long and successful racing careers, who have now set themselves a new challenge with this tandem venture. They hope to attempt some place to place records and it appears they have every chance of success. It is interesting to note that the machine used in this event was built by none other than Roy Manser himself.

Finally mention must be made of the organisation which represented a large amount of effort by the efficient Bruce McMichael and much work by other Hounslow members. It was very pleasing to the club that several riders commented on the excellent organisation of the event.

1 Mark Smith Crawley Wheelers 03:34:29 Male Vet
2 Richard Gildea Didcot Phoenix CC 03:36:36 Male Senior
3 Stuart Travis Team Bottrill 03:37:42 Male Senior
4 Nick Clarke Arctic Tacx RT 03:39:50 Male Senior
5 Ben Stowe Hemel Hempstead CC 03:41:20 Male Senior
6 Henrik Persson Kingston Wheelers CC 03:51:07 Male Senior
7 Andrew Rivett Velo Club St Raphael 03:52:53 Male Vet
8 Stephen Williamson …a3crg 03:53:18 Male Vet
9 Dominic Hill Bec CC 03:53:57 Male Vet
10 Dale Lush Kingston Phoenix RC 03:59:08 Male Vet
11 John Bradbury CC Sudbury 03:59:08 Male Vet
12 Dan Small Teesdale CRC 04:00:31 Male Senior
13 Vicky Gill DRAG2ZERO 04:00:38 Female Senior
14 Mark Bashford East Grinstead CC (Merlin Cycle Coaching) 04:01:35 Male Senior
15 Josh Crow-Stewart Arctic Tacx RT 04:02:54 Male Senior
16 Neil Palmer Spalding CC 04:03:08 Male Vet
17 Edward Renwick Oxford City RC 04:05:21 Male Vet
18 Adrian Blacker C and N Cycles RT 04:05:59 Male Vet
19 Antony Green New Forest CC 04:06:49 Male Vet
20 Leon Marshall Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA 04:08:51 Male Senior
21 Lawrence Wintergold Hounslow & District Whs 04:09:10 Male Vet
22 Duncan Emery Twickenham CC 04:09:55 Male Vet
23 Pip Jenkins Southborough & Dist. Whs 04:11:03 Female Senior
24 Steve Burrows Vive Le Velo 04:13:58 Male Vet
25 Ed Neilson Vive Le Velo 04:16:17 Male Vet
26 Roger Sheridan NOPINZ 04:16:52 Male Vet
27 Matthew Winn-Smith Pure Motion Cycling Club 04:17:35 Male Senior
28 Mark Sanders Mid Devon CC 04:17:58 Male Vet
29 Chris Tye Plomesgate CC 04:18:04 Male Vet
30 Martin Jeffery North Hampshire RC 04:18:34 Male Vet
31 Rob Milnes Thanet RC 04:19:32 Male Senior
32 Tony Truepenny-Phillipson Bec CC 04:19:33 Male Senior
33 Andy Tucker Banjo Cycles.com/Raceware/Specialized 04:21:19 Male Vet
34 Neil Allonby Icknield RC 04:22:40 Male Vet
35 William Grainger Andover Wheelers 04:23:48 Male Vet
36 Anthony Atkin Didcot Phoenix CC 04:24:41 Male Senior
37 Paul Winchcombe Chippenham & District Wheelers 04:26:35 Male Vet
38 Jon Saunders Charlotteville Cycling Club 04:29:50 Male Senior
39 Gavin Hughes Kingston Phoenix RC 04:32:06 Male Vet
40 Martin Shoesmith Crawley Wheelers 04:35:08 Male Vet
41 Jp Pretorius Vive Le Velo 04:36:00 Male Senior
42 Tim Davies Banjo Cycles.com/Raceware/Specialized 04:36:15 Male Vet
43 Peter Richards Icknield RC 04:36:31 Male Vet
44 Philip Jones Peterborough CC 04:38:14 Male Vet
45 Richard Wyeth Tornado Road Cycling Club 04:39:31 Male Vet
46 Robbie Richardson Chippenham & District Wheelers 04:42:47 Male Vet
47 Jamie Richardson Paige Chippenham & District Wheelers 04:44:27 Male Senior
48 Tony Reeves GS Stella 04:46:20 Male Vet
49 Gary Martin Westerley Cycling Club 04:54:27 Male Vet
50 John Isard Hampshire Road Club 05:00:13 Male Vet
51 Ralph Dadswell Antelope Racing Team 05:07:50 Male Vet
52 James Hedley-Smith Verulam CC 05:13:15 Male Senior
53 Ian Hayden Tornado Road Cycling Club 05:14:03 Male Vet
54 Philippa Johnson Somer Valley Cycling Club 05:20:50 Female Vet
55 Harry Cowley Chester RC 05:39:16 Male Vet
56 Jill Bartlett Hounslow & District Whs 05:39:44 Female Vet