A respectable turn out of 24 riders signed up for tonight’s East Devon  Evening Ten, the 4^th in the series – last Wednesday’s event was an Open 10 and didn’t count – no doubt the nicer weather of the last few weeks after our cold wet spring means riders are now getting lean mean and ready to kick pedal. And there was no rain in sight. Hurrah.

Thanks go to Adrian and the rest of the Sid Valley CC team for kindly organising the event.

Conditions were thus better than the last event, but still the quotient of pesky Westerlyness in the NW wind made it tough on many sections of the two outward legs.

It was a close run thing between first and second fastest, with Sam Rowell of Cranbrook CC nicking victory by the slenderest of margins, one second, over Tristan Kelsall-Spurr of Exeter Wheelers, 22.39 v 22.40. Aidan King of FTP was third at 23.08, whilst Jimmy Richards’ fourth place  will keep him at the top of the league table.

Natalie Grainger of Podium Addict was fastest female at 26.01, and Cranbrook CCs Alice Lake showed off her splendid new bright yellow TT bike (nice…) for second spot on 26.41. Talita Ancona was third fastest female with a time of 27.52.

Despite the conditions there were some ‘course PBs’. Richard Crosby from Alphington smashed his course PB by c. 40 seconds with a 29.03, whilst Stuart Pollard on his shiny metal bike and 24.55 was a course PB for him. Another EWCC rider, the evening’s runner-up Tristan Kelsall-Spurr bested his course PB by about a minute, mainly because his only other time on the course was the New Year’s Ten which was slow and cold, back in January. Asked afterwards what his approach was to tonight’s race his reply was textbook Fabian Cancellara – “I pushed very hard on the pedals”.

If there was a team prize I’d say that went to Exeter Wheelers in the shapes of Kelsall-Spurr, Greenaway and Pollard. Well done young’uns !

BTW Don’t have times for Tim Fowler (EWCC) and Mark Hughes (1st Chard Wheelers) – happy to install them in the results tale if anyone has them? and apologies if I have Zoe Brittens'(?) name wrong.

League table after four events will be posted here tomorrow evening.

Vets. Age Categories: A = 40>44, B = 45>49, C = 50>54, D = 55>59, E = 60>64

After three events here below is the current league table.
Ten points for last place on the night, one extra point for each place above last place.
It will be riders best 8 events that will count for the end of season title.

Thanks go to Simon Rendell and the rest of the Cranbrook CC crew for running tonight’s East Devon Evening Ten on the Honiton Club Course.

Weather conditions in Devon  had been decidedly unsettled during the course of the day, with torrential downpours hitting many places, and indeed causing the cancellation of the Open Ten Mile TT on the S4 course this evening; the A38 was awash with rainwater. Luckily the east of the county managed to miss out on biblical downpours, but without doubt the threat of rain kept riders away, resulting in a small field of just ten riders. The strong westerly wind will also have been an off-putting factor – times were on the slow side.

It was a home win for the organising club, with C category veteran Lubos Obornik storming round in 22 minutes 40 seconds. Jimmy Richards of Pure Endurance kept up his run of high placings in the series with runner up spot on 23.51 whilst James Greenaway (EWCC) again went well, with a 24.51 for third.

Next Wednesday there will be no Club Ten as it is the evening of the Exeter Wheelers Open Ten on the Honiton ‘fast’ course. As ever, offers to help as marshalls will be gratefully received.

Vets. Age Categories: A = 40>44, B = 45>49, C = 50>54, D = 55>59, E = 60>64

Thanks must also go to timekeeper Rob Barrow for his services this evening. Rob has also provided us with some ‘first turn’ (3.5 miles) times –