What's occurred

Spring is in the air, the nights are getting lighter, and the season's getting underway. Two TTs this weekend.

Merthyr CC 10

Saturday March 6th

Well done to Ron Boast for getting inside evens on a tough day in the Neath Valley . Also big thanks to Sir Norman James for timekeeping; I hear he's had to step in to time tomorrow as well, so another weekend with no actual cycling :-(Much anticipation of the return of Darryl Webster, but he's still early on the comeback road and was well off the pace today.

Nice close race at the business end as well, Ceri Pritchard taking it with 21.18 just 4secs up on Justin Cannon. The winning times giving an idea of how tough it was out there! A little further back it was close for 3rd but Tom Collier had no need for his huge list of excuses as he put in 21.43 to beat me by an agonising 5 secs. So a missed opportunity for me I think, 30s down is as close as I've ever been to winning an in-season open TT and I was definitely not at my best today.

Rob Powell

Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up TTT

Well organised 2-up today with a field of around 60 teams in the end. Beautiful blue-sky day, but it was pretty chilly out there. Howell and Powell were the A-team, Matthews and Madeley the B-team, and finally the (non-rhyming and non-alliterative) Jones and Wardhaugh were the C-team.

OVW A-team (library pictures - not quite this warm in the Neath Valley today)

The C-team were initially gutted at their time (a long 6):- especially as for both riders it was the baptism of new TT machines. However, we were consoled by the experienced riders at HQ who wisely counselled seeing what the other times were befor selling our bikes, as it was a bit of an undulating course, and the East wind was a significant factor. The B-team came in with a short 4 (from memory - hope I've got that right), and the eventual winners recorded a short 59.

Didn't see Chris Matthews to say well done - apparently he arrived directly from work, and went straight back to finish his shift!

Short report to start with from Rob P, full results in due course.

Sunday March 7th

OK, there were only 3 times to remember and I've forgotten all of them... but I know Graham and I were 6th, just inside 1hr1min such was the strength of the wind. Both of us were a bit off our best I think but not too bad. Graham was super-fast on the tailwind sections but I was a bit too tired to keep us rolling quick enough into the headwinds to challenge for the win. Chris&Steven were next best OVWs, then Rob&Allan who went off early when the wind and cold was really bitter.

A second missed opportunity for a win, but it'll come soon I'm sure.

Rob Powell

Club Run 7th March

Bwlch just 2 weeks ago!

5 of us set off from Brackla at 9.00 this morning.In turn Tim, Simon and Andrew each announced perfectly valid reasond why they could not ride over the Bwllch leaving the less imaginative Steve C and myself with no alternative but to press on enjoying spectacular scenery and a bracing descent.A good time was had by all.

Tom Beech

What's occurrin'

Llandow Crit

There is a Cat 2/3/4 crit on at Llandow on Sunday 14th March at 10am - entries on the line, or presumably through Forza Cycles in Llantwit Major. I imagine it will be popular, as everyone will want to get some early season points.