Thunder, Lightning, Calm & 9/10

Three hours before the start time, the heavens opened, the thunder cracked and lightning threatened to reset Garmins mid-Strava segment. However, at 7.30pm neared, the air still to a misty calm and 10 riders showed up at Horne Golf Club and pinned on their numbers. Of those 10, nine were Redhill. Good show RCC....

On the night, it was the 1 in 10 who took the scratch glory.  Keith Lea of Paceline (who was preparing his dinner while on the turbo trainer only minutes before the start) who read the CTT website and so got fed duff information about the start time turned up with minutes to spare and still managed a scorching 19:12.

 

Closely behind, Matt Peel put in a solid 19:29 and then RCC record holder for just about everything arrived. He had cycled down from London in the downpour on a heavily laden road bike arriving just in time. Chris is in training for the epic Transcontinental Race later this summer and has gained 5kg deliberately to give himself something to burn on this single stage 3,400km race. However, despite all three of these caveats he still managed a 21:49.

 

Only three seconds behind and riding his first ever TT, Henry Hunter rode an absolute blinder. 21:52! And that was the night after the resurgent RCC weekly chaingang. Imagine what he can do with a bit more experience and some tri-bars!

 

Next up, TT sec Will who continues like a stealth weapon to secretly improve week by week. Chipping away at the edifice of athletic performance and looking smoother and smoother each time. Will managed to put 1.5 seconds this week into the up-coming RCC star Matthew Ferguson. A young man with a bright future and one we hope will be riding for the club in the two interclub TTs on the horizon. 

 

Again, on his first ever Time Trial, the Chairman's son, Sevi Webb, who had never ridden the course before averaged close to 23mph for a 23:38. 

Bringing up the final three, webmaster Andrew Murray and the night's only representative of RCC Women, Michelle Lariviere, with an extremely respectable 27:14 and a good aero position on a road bike.  And on a tricycle, RCC stalwart Richard Bailey with a 27:20 that saw his take the handicap honours for the evening. 

Second on handicap was Michelle and third, Matthew with an improvement of 21 seconds that saw him edge so close to a sub-22 time.

 

At the end of the event, it was extraordinary to see so many rider literally steaming at the road side. As in wafts of athletically generated steam billowing off heads, skinsuits etc. One of those nights: warm, still, misty and just about perfect!
 

Total

Time
Keith Lea (Paceline) 19:12.2
Matt Peel (RCC) 19:29.4
Chris Herbert (RCC) 21:49.7
Henry Hunter (RCC) 21:52.0
Will Henton (RCC) 22:01.7
Matthew Ferguson (RCC) 22:02.1
Sevi Webb (RCC) 23:38.4
Andrew Murray (RCC) 25:25.6
Michelle Lariviere (RCC) 27:14.1
Richard Bailey (RCC)

27:20.9

 

Event / Article Type
RCC 2016 Time Trial series #6
Henry lays down a strong marker with superb debut