A THAME member of the High Wycombe Cycling Club, just happy to have been selected for the British Time Trial Championship last Saturday (03/09), couldn’t believe his luck when he came away with a Silver medal in his class.
John Francis, 62, of Langdale Road, Thame, has been cycling with HWCC for over six years and has gradually increased his experience and fitness to become one of the club’s most successful stalwarts. John recounted his experiences and observations from that memorable day offering a taste of the life of a Time Trialler:
After yet another of his regular 4.30am starts and eager to drive round the course prior to the race, John set out early for his trip to Huntingdon to ride in the British Time Trial Championships. At first glance it seemed more like orienteering than time trialling he said, but he realised that the important part of the course to memorise was at Winwick, turn left by the red phone box on the first lap, straight on to the finish on the second.
“Approaching Winwick in the car,” he recalled, “I saw with horror that a local farmer had decided to do a bit of hedge trimming, throwing debris right across the road. After driving the course, the second objective was to find the HQ, a full 40 minutes on the bike to the start.
“There is nothing to set you wondering if you have prepared properly for a ride than to open your car door and hear a conversation that begins, ‘Yes, and then I stayed on to do a bit of training at altitude.’
“I Signed on and and then set off to the start, which needed directions from an early morning dog walker. Despite a bit of panicking, I arrived with ten minutes to spare. The weather was perfect despite a forecast of heavy showers. A short incline from the start had to be taken steadily and then it was off down narrow roads with poor surfaces until joining the circuit which, for the Masters, had to be negotiated twice. Once on the course proper there was a mixture of long flat straights, fast downhill sections, sharp bends and a few short climbs.
“The wind picked up on the second lap but was not a real problem. Heading for the finish there was first one climb, through Great Gidding, and then a final climb to the finish. I felt the ride had gone well enough but for a customary dip in heart rate about two thirds of the way round; must try to do something about that.”
Back at the HQ with four or five results in, John was in poll position on the results board with 51:38 for the 21 mile course. Next time in was David Jones 51:27. The time for Graham Huck was absent as other times went up around him. John thought that he must be a DNF (Did Not Finish) and went off for a cup of tea. On his return a time of 47.07 had been posted. John thought that a bronze was as much as he could have hoped for.
The presentation was made by Sheila Hardy, Chairman of Cycling Time Trials. In Masters G category, third prize went to Robert Woodford, Rockingham Forest Wheelers. John apparently thought that he must have slipped to fourth. But to his surprise was awarded the silver with David Jones taking the first spot. It transpired that the 47:07 awarded to Graham Huck should have read 57:07.
Also riding for Wycombe was Steve Golla who recorded a second place 46:18, an agonising nine seconds short of the first placed rider, Peter Weir from Maidenhead and District CC.
“It turned out that everyone had 11 seconds of agony as well as me,” added John, “So close for both of them, but great rides all the same!” HWCC’s Malcolm Freeman recorded a time of 56:34 in Masters Category G for 5th spot.