Ian gets off to a good start

Rudy Project National TT Round 1 - 24/03/2007 - Newmarket, Cambridgeshire

Spring may be here but it didn’t feel like it for the riders in the first round of the 2007 Rudy Project Time Trial Series. Round 1 was promoted by the East London District with the event based at Bottisham, between Cambridge and Newmarket. With the temperature around 6 to 7 degrees C, stiff northerly winds and light rain it wasn’t going to be an enjoyable afternoons racing.

Luckily for Cherry Valley rider Ian Dalton he only had to complete one 13.3 mile lap competing in the veterans (40+) event. The triangular shaped course started just off the A1303 at Bottisham and headed south to Six Mile Bottom, turned left on the undulating A1304 towards Newmarket where left again onto the A1303 back to Bottisham. With the shape of the course and the wind direction the riders were fortunate not to have any section of the course as a direct head wind.

Ian was surprised to be starting last in the Veterans event as this series seeds the riders from slowest to fastest in the early rounds then on thier overall position in the series later, but usually the defending series winner will start last but Dave Dent - Wightlink/Offshore RT was two riders in front of Ian.

As Ian rolled up to the start the weather hadn’t improved fortunately the first leg down to Six Mile Bottom was the easiest with some help from the wind, but Ian was finding it hard to get settled in to a good rytham this was to continue for the remainder of his race. A time check with just 2 miles to the finish showed Ian was loosing time to Dave Dent and by the finish this had grown to 26 seconds.

Ian completed the course in a time of 31 mins 18 sec to Dave Dent’s 30 min 54 sec but was well clear of third place rider David Bell – Derwentside CC 32 mins 01 sec