This weekend the British Cycling Open Masters National Road Race Championships take place in the Westcountry, for the second year running. There are a total of 10 EWCC riders entered for the various races on what will be a tough 60 mile course for each competitor. Race HQ is at Hatherleigh Community Centre, and the route is two laps of a 30 mile loop, heading west on the A3072 from Hatherleigh via Highampton towards Holsworthy, then turning left at Brandis Corner onto the A3079 to pass thorugh Halwill before picking up the A386 to Hatherleigh just west of Okehampton. The course can be seen here https://www.strava.com/routes/3139195931921815770.

Whilst the route doesn’t include the gruesome 1 in 6 that featured twice last year it is nevertheless a tough course, with plenty of long if less steep hills. Riders will be hoping to have gotten the balance between rest and fitness right; recovery from hard training takes longer when you are older and it will be a long hard race.

Saturday morning at 10am sees the 40+ race roll out, with Jon Hare the only EWCC rider on the startsheet. Jon was down to ride last year, but a bad crash resulting in a broken collarbone and elbow at an early summer Westpoint crit put paid to that.

Saturday afternoon at 2pm will be the 50+ event, with five of our riders entered. Last year Gideon Aroussi was on the podium in the 55-59 category, taking a British Cycling bronze medal. Asked if he might possibly be able to better that this year, Gideon agreed that would be a tough ask, but that he was feeling in good form so who knows what might be possible? Winner of the 50+ section in the 2023/4 SWCX Tim Carpenter is another strong and experienced EWCC rider to watch. Craig Lawson has moved into the 50+ range this year, and has been training hard for the race. Ben Zissimos and Graham Turner complete the roster of EWCC riders in the 50+

Sunday at 10am and there is the curious classification that is the 30+ veterans/masters – seems rather young to be masters/vets,  but what the heck it gives our very strong and fast 32 year old Tristan Kelsall-Spurr a chance to shine. Tristan took third in the early season Primavera Road Race back in March (see https://www.middevon.cc/primavera-2024.html)  but getting away early for a second time with his training mates from Okehampton CC Lloyd Copp and Jonathan Hobbs will be much tougher to achieve this time round given it is not a pursuit race and there will be some wise old/young heads alongside them on the start line. We also have Andrew Whittemore in this race, another very strong and fast racer on his day.

Finally, the ‘supervets’ in the 60+ section get their opportunity on the Sunday afternoon, and here we have Paul Cameron, 9^th in his age category last year, plus Pete Bishop lining up for that one. Pete will be hoping for better luck than last year, when he punctured on the badly potholed lanes near Roadford Reservoir.

We wish all out riders the very best of luck.

The final East Devon Evening Ten of 2024 took place on an overcast evening out on the Honiton Club Course this evening, with the cool damp air preventing the times that might have been expected of a night when the wind didn’t appear to be much in evidence -however, riders afterwards reported that  there were some unexpected and unwelcome contrary breezes on certain parts of the course.

Running out winner again was the flying roadman George Kimber (Spirit), whose 21:35 was 50 seconds slower than his best time for the course this year, an indication of conditions. Exeter Wheeler Tristan Kelsall-Spurr and Aidan King of FTP joined forces and did a two-up, and hoped that they might thus be able to challenge the time that would be set by Kimber, but alas no, they fell short by 24 seconds at 21.59. Joe Rosser of Cycle Sanctuary completed the virtual podium at 24.20.

Afterwards we assembled at the Otter Inn where further prizes were awarded for various category winners in the series, and especially thanks to Exeter Brewery for their donation of packs of their lovely beers as prizes to the series senior road bike winner Aidan King of FTP and series senior TT bike winner James Greenaway (who indeed was tp of the league overall as well). James says of his top spot: 

“I was quite literally never expecting this one, to take a win over the course of the evening 10 series is still a strange concept for me that it hasn’t sunken in yet. These races are an amazing chance for me to get to see friends, club mates and riders who inspire me to compete and also, whether it being the seasoned pro or the person taking their first attempt at racing on bicycle everyone should and is welcome.

The last few years have been physically and mentally tough as in 2021 I had a major accident cycling without a helmet in which I was put into a coma and questions asked if I would see another sunrise, by December of the same year I was back on two wheels racing near Ermington, being told after breaking my arm in February 2023 that I wouldn’t be cycling till the new year and that same year I took part in (admittedly poorly) at CTT National Circuit Championships and the same year I got the call to say at 32 years old I needed to have a pacemaker and out of my sheer determination to compete again the second I was given the all clear I went to Ermington and took a podium finish at City Cycle Couriers race.

I’m unbelievably fortunate for all the support I’ve had leading up to this season’s win from members of the EWCC team as well as The Bike Shed (Greg, Simon, Bill to name but a few), Tribe Cycle Solutions (Tony Arnell), Cranbrook CC and City Cycle Couriers (Rob Scott, Ian Scott, and Andy Parno). But most importantly my parents (Jan Greenaway and Andrew Greenaway) who have supported me nonstop and unquestionably with competing at races, and as many of you will know my Mum is constant support at races who goes out of her way to help whether she can both for me and other riders. 

Just to explain my pacemaker for those that are curious, I have a lifelong undiagnosed heart condition in which I have a slow heartrate. But occasionally my heart can and will just stop for short gaps (a couple seconds) without any kind of reason. And this is where my pacemaker comes in to restart my heart into a normal rhyme again. I have spoken with British Cycling and Cycling Time Trials who have both given me the all clear to keep competing.”

An end-of-series thanks go to all those of you who have ridden, we hope you have enjoyed the races and hope to see you next year.

Thanks on behalf of all those who have ridden go to all the helpers, timekeepers, marshalls etc, from all four of the organising clubs (Exeter Wheelers, CS Dynamo, Cranbrook CC and Sid Valley CC) who have ensured that the series took place, in particular thanks to Mike Rose for being the main man when it comes to the series taking place again this year.

Any of you who have ridden one of the tens for a club other than those mentioned in the paragraph above, please hassle your club committee to step forward and join the ranks of the organising clubs next year. 

Meanwhile, for those of us who like the phenomena that are club evening tens, there are others in the area that continue in to August and even beyond – the final Okehampton Wheelers evening ten on the arduous old A30 course starting at Bridestowe takes place Tuesday 30^th of August (see Okehampton CC Facebook for details), and North Devon Velo CC’s evening tens on a kinder course at Bishop’s Tawton continue throughout next month and possibly into early September – registration via https://www.webscorer.com/124003?pg=register (registration closes two days before each race). Across the border in west Somerset Wellington Wheelers have further evening tens on the 1^st, 15^th and 29^th of August, registration via https://www.webscorer.com/wellingtonwheelers?pg=register.

Results from tonight 25^th July East Devon Evening Ten:

Veteran’s categories: A = 40-44, B= 45-49, D = 55-59, E = 60-64, G = 70-74

Round Two of the Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Criterium Series took place last weekend down at Torbay Velopark, the race also incorporating the South West Crit. Racing Championships. One of our many valiant EWCC veterans put a number on his back and his head on the line; Ben Zissimos is a newcomer to bike racing so even more the valiant vet – he writes of his experience riding in the Masters race:

“I had another go at racing at Torbay Velopark last weekend, and I just wanted to thank everyone at EWCC who encouraged me to enter, and gave me advice on how to approach it. 

One question I asked people about the previous race, Round 1, was why I had such trouble defending the wheel in front of me.  People suggested the other riders could see I was losing ground in the hairpins, so they were edging in front of me before each bend.  I also burned a lot of energy closing the gap after each bend, and that’s why I ultimately got dropped from the bunch.  So I knew going into this one that having a better race hinged on taking a tighter line in the hairpins, and getting the power down earlier on the exit.  The prospect of doing this was not helped by the heavy rain that day.  My nerves were properly jangled when I saw a rider from the race before mine limping back with blood pouring from his leg, saying that his front wheel had gone out from under him at the apex of the first hairpin!

Two pieces of advice saved me.  One was that I should drop my tyre pressures.  The second came from one of the earlier racers, who said the track had dried out on the racing line, and if I stuck to that I would be okay.  I found by doing so, and getting the power down just after the rider in front of me did, I was able to preserve my own power and stay in the bunch more comfortably this time.  Indeed, I stayed in the mix right to the end of the race for the first time.  It was only in the final bunch sprint that I lost ground.  I came 9^th out of 10 riders, and picked up my first two racing points!  It may not sound like much, but realistically it was better than I dared hope for and I’m so glad I did it.  Masters National Champs next, on 10^th August.  My journey into the world of bike racing continues.”

Spot the EWCC jersey.  Full results can be found here: 

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/303309/Shutt-Velo-Rapide-Hitters-Crits-Rd2-E123-34-Masters-40-Women-Incorporating-the-South-West-Crit-Champs