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, 9th 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.