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Watch for a Gregario at the next race. Better still, be a Gregario at the next race!

SPORTS REPORT

13th MARCH

2010


Frank Tinmark brings you the top sports news from around the world including Bahrain Grand Prix, Tim Henman, and The Spring Chicken Road Race.

RACE REPORTS 2011

29th April 2011.

Finchley RC Vets Race

Scottish highlander Johnny Haygarth comes to form with a credible 10th place in this Vets race. John thought that h was 5th or 6th in his age category.


27th February 2011.

The North Road Hardriders ‘25’

I confess: I only joined the Gregarios to do a time trial. I told Danny, he was fine with that. Then Danny tells me he’s persuaded some more club members to do the Hardriders 25 and, in the blink of an eye, the Gregarios have a Time Trial Team for this prestigious event. A team consisting of three total TT newbies: Matt Grey, James McCrae and myself, Dave Shannon. I’d done a club run, but this was my first ride and race in Gregarios colours, so it was special day for me.


Actually, this year’s Hardriders 25 could have the ‘25’ in inverted commas, as the course had been shortened owing to roadworks at the top of Carbone Hill. It should be the Hardriders 19.1 – or Quitehardriders 19.1. Three steep rises in the early part of the course were gone, but it was still plenty hard enough for me.


James and I arrived at the start in time to see Matt off. Just. The race was extremely well marshaled and the course takes in many of the best roads in the area. On my steel road bike with compact gearing, I was passed regularly by guys on carbon TT bikes, but it didn’t bother me. (I did manage to overtake two cyclists, but they weren’t in the race).


None of us picked up the Lantern Rouge (£5 prize), but Matt and I came close. Time trials use a Duckworth-Lewis-type method – called a Standard Vets time – to even the playing field for riders of 40 years or more. It involves maths, apparently. So, maybe we won… If you look closely at the photo of the board, those figures are on there, too.


To round it all off, there was a free cup of tea at the end and a wide selection of cakes available to purchase. Nice. I’ll look forward to the club rides and meeting more Gregarios soon.


Gregarios Superclub Ciclista 

James 1:01:08                                   

David 1:04:26                                          

Matt 1:05:27















Words: David Shannon          

 

Top Three Finishers

Wouter Sybrandy  0.42.22

Matt Bottrill 0.42.59

Ashley Cox 0.45.11

 

From the top:

David Shannon

Matt Gray

James McRae