>Big congratulation to my niece Jen who last week won a Silver and two Bronze medals at the New Zealand National Track Championships at the Invercargill Velodrome. She was riding for the Southland team in the Under 15 Girls category. Well done, Jen!
Her mum and my sister, Marie, also rode a demonstration 2k pursuit with very little notice. Bursting out of the start gate at the national championships is probably not the best time to ride aero bars for the first time! Well done, Masha.
Meanwhile, back in the land of wind and inconsiderate traffic, the West London Combine gunned into 2009 action with a well supported 10 mile time trial on the Maidenhead Thicket course. There were 82 finishers and I ended up 30th with a time of 26 minutes and 37 seconds. I’d been planning to go faster (short 26 / long 25) but reality and a headwind to the turn intervened. The numbers were in the right area so I just need to get fitter.
Race stats: 10 miles in 26:37 (22.54mph). 30th out of 82 finishers. Slowest mile (1): 3:01 (19.89mph). Fastest mile (10): 2:01 (29.75mph). First 5 miles: 14:38, last 5 miles: 11:59. Max heart rate: 172bpm, average HR: 160bpm. Winner Peter Weir (Maidenhead & Dist CC) 22:47.
Looking at last year’s result, riders went back, on average, 20-25 seconds and I improved by 85 seconds, so progress of a sort.
Lance Woodman 