Aaron and Ian find good form

VC Cumbria 'CIRCUIT OF BASSENTHWAITE LAKE' - 17/04/2005 - Course L311

Aaron Tuplin and Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley RT) scored magnificent 3rd and 5th places respectively in the second round of the Rudy Project National Time Trial series held on Sunday 17th April in the Lake District. Gareth Williams (Cherry Valley RT) also rode the senior event to finish a creditable 19th overall despite suffering injured neck and shoulder.

Round 2 of the Rudy Project series saw the senior riders tackling 2 laps of a course around Bassenthwaite Lake near Keswick in the Lake District and the Juniors taking on one lap. The course consisted of a flat 8 mile section on the A66 to Keswick followed by a further 8 mile section on hilly and twisty roads with a poor road surface. With weather conditions playing a part in the race, strong head winds blew into the riders faces as they faced the long A66 section back to Keswick before helping them over the more sheltered sections on the hilly side of the circuit towards Carlisle.

Setting off first in the Junior section of the race, Aaron felt weak over the hilly 8 mile section but found his rhythm on the flatter section to the finish to complete the one lap of the Junior race in a time 37.07. With Aaron still finding his racing legs in the opening weeks of the season, he was pleased with the result and only 1 minute 40 seconds behind Junior event winner David Kinsbury (www.agiskoviner.com). Having secured 3rd place overall in the Junior competition, Aaron was really pleased with his result. ‘I have had some bad luck recently in both National and regional rounds of the Rudy Project series so its nice to get a decent result in this event, but now I will start concentrating on my hill climbing as this let me down today.’

The senior competition was going to be a tight affair for the top spot, but first of the Cherry Valley riders to complete the 2 laps of the circuit was Gareth Williams. Nursing an injured neck and shoulder blade, Gareth recorded a time of 1.15.27 which secured 19th place in this national competition. ‘I was pleased with the way I rode over the hilly part of the course which made up half of the circuit’, Gareth said after the race, ‘but when I turned into the strong head wind on the A66 flatter section, I could not get into a low position using my tri-bars as this hurt my neck to much so I reckon I lost a couple of minutes because of that’.

Starting amongst the seeded riders at the back of the race, Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley RT), battled into ever increasing strong winds to go head to head with the riders around him to gain as many points as possible for the overall competition. After the first lap, Ians closest rivals, including Gethin Butler (Preston Wheelers), Gavin Pardoe (Stourbridge CC) and Michael Broadwith (www.agiskoviner.com ) were all very close together and the time differences between the riders were only seconds. With Ian covering the second lap faster than his first lap, Ian eventually recorded a time of 1.9.46, good enough for a great 5ht place and which was only 12 seconds slower than Gavin Pardoe who was 4th but ahead of Michael Broadwith who was 6th in a time of 1.10.17. The event was won by the 2004 series winner Michael Hutchinson (API-Metrow-Heritage of Brentwood).

SENIOR RESULT

JUNIOR RESULT

After 2 rounds of the Rudy Project National Time Trial Series, Ian Dalton is lying 3rd with 142 points, Gareth Williams is currently 6th overall with 114 points and Aaron Tuplin currently 3rd overall in the Junior competition.

SENIOR TABLE AFTER 2 ROUNDS

JUNIOR TABLE AFTER 2 ROUNDS

The following images have been supplied courtesy of Sue Dalton