Unbeaten this season in time trials Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Sport-Specialized RT) added to his score on Saturday when he won the second round of the RTTC-Rudy Project Time Trial Series in Hampshire.
However, it could have been a different story if multi-champion Michael Hutchinson (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT) had not punctured soon after starting the second of two laps of the 17-mile circuit.
At that point Hutchinson was already around 1-20 clear of Sybrandy when his front tub blew out. “I was going at a fair old rate and I almost saw my past life flash before my eyes,” Hutchinson later joked as he packed his bike away.
Notching up his fourth time trial wins of the current season Sybrandy had the pleasure of beating first round winner Matt Bottrill (I-Ride.co.uk) by 19 seconds. Both did 27mph rides, Sybrandy with 1-17-54 and Bottrill 1-18-13 while third placed Jeff Jones (Chippenham & District Wheelers) was 2-35 behind Sybrandy and Scotland’s Colin Robertson was a further 17 seconds back in fourth spot.
THE BEST DAY
Promoted by the North Hampshire RC, the event was blessed with the best day we have had this year, sunny and warm enough to sit in the local public house’s garden and sample the local brew in Preston Candover, a picturesque Hampshire village complete with thatched cottages.
A good turn out of competitors in the Disabled category saw Simon Richardson (maggys.com) fastest on actual time (41-08) and adjusted time (38-42) for the 17 miles they faced with Russ White (Forza Cycles) and Rachael Morris (a3crg) taking second and third respectively.
“The road surfaces made it hard going, but I would have liked it to have been longer,” Richardson said. “I’ve got a new team this year and we have got new bikes coming, it is very exciting. I’ll be riding the next round in a couple of weeks an then I’ll miss the Doncaster one as I’m on international duty. We’ve a three-stage, two-day event in Spain and then I’m off to another event in France and we have a racing trip to 
Jersey coming up as well,” Richardson added.
WHITEWICK WINS
The veterans were next to hit the roads and as is usual with them some very keen competition was seen. It was, however, a newcomer to the TT Series who topped the eventual listings, Stephen Whitewick (Utag Yamaha).
Whitewick, 49, and fellow veterans had to cover 24.7 miles and that took Whitewick 56-13. Series regular Ian Cooke (Team Swift) filled second spot with 56-32 while Dave Dent (Wightlink-Offshore RT) had to settle for third with 57-12.
Winner of the recent Bournemouth Arrow `10` and a3crg’s `25` Whitewick reckoned he was lucky to win this time out.
“For the last two miles I rode on a flat back tyre, luckily it just had enough air in it to keep me of the rim,” Whitewick said.
Whitewick puts his improvement over the last year down to training with his fellow Utag Yamah teammates, including Julia Shaw. “We seem to drag the best out of each other especially Julian (Jenkinson), we all feed off each other.”
ENJOYMENT FOR COOKE
Cooke enjoyed his ride and the course. “It was just right for using my fixed wheel bike. You were never going to be going under 20 miles an hour or over 40, just right for a `110` fixed,” Cooke said.
Winner of round one in Somerset, Dent was happy enough with his performance. “At least I didn’t have so far to travel from the Isle of Wight,” he said.
In the Target Time competition it was John Woodburn (VC Meudon) who once again triumphed, his +13.11 putting him ahead of Whitewick on +10.32.
Missing from the result, Richard Prebble and Steve Smales were both puncture victims.
STOREY HOLDS OFF CULT DUO
Round one winner Sarah Storey (Horizon Fitness RT) continues to dominate the women’s TT Series taking this leg with 58-52 for the 24.7 miles.
Cult Racing’s pink-clad duo Michele King and Jane Kilmartin filled the other podium places with 1-01-27 and 1-03-54 respectively.
Adding to the new team’s success Kilmartin won both the Woman Veteran Scratch and Target Time prizes. If that was not enough Cult Racing took the day’s team prize backed by Nadine Mayhew.
“It looks like it is going to be a good year for women’s racing, there are a lot more women’s teams competing. I tried hard today but after 21 miles I was just holding it together,” King said. The team will be looking for further success in this year’s national championships.
Beaten by 3-06 by Storey in round one King kept her deficit down to 2-35 this time and Storey praised her effort. “Michele’s was a good ride today,” she said.
Back from a racing trip to Belgium on Easter Monday where she had “never been so fast on terrible roads” Storey admitted to being “a bit tired.”
Storey faces a busy year with a stage race in France coming up plus an End-to-End charity ride later on.
DOUBLE FOR ST RAPHAEL
The junior’s 17.2 miles event saw a VC St Raphael one-two thanks to Jack Green and Andrew Brind-Surch. Green winning with 39-17, 53 seconds faster than his colleague. Harry Whitford (I-ride.co.uk) claimed third with 41-34. “I went a lot better than in the last round after shaking off a stomach bug I had,” Green said.
With the Seniors covering two laps and passing the event headquarters in the Preston Candover Village Hall it was easy to see the action as they stormed past, allowing an easy time check to be taken.
Sybrandy certainly looked the part as he hammered through to be followed by Bottrill, two seconds down on the Sigma Sport rider. Then Hutchinson powered through his style hiding his effort, which had already put him, over 1-00 in the lead. A lead that vanished a few miles on as that tub blew out.
“They were the wrong tubs for the circuit, alright for the `25` I rode the other week, not suitable for today,” Hutchinson admitted, wise after the event.
HUTCHINSON AFTER SELECTION
“I don’t think I’ve ridden a TT Series event for about three years, it made a change, or would have,” he smiled revealing that he was looking for selection with Northern Ireland for the Commonwealth Games in India, in October.
“Part of the qualification is to get places in the TT Series and national time trial championships,” Hutchinson added.
WOUTER’S DAY
At the end of it all it was Wouter Sybrandy’s day. We don’t see him too often in time trials, as he is more concerned with road racing and the Premier Calendar.
Currently after two events he is in 10th place in the Premier Calendar points table. “I had a hard ride in last weekend’s three-day in Scotland, The Tour DoonHame,” Sybrandy said.
Despite a fall on the last day, and he had the scars on his hands to prove it, he finished 10th overall.
“I was taking off my rain jacket when the wind caught it and blew my off, but I got back up and finished seventh on that last stage,” Sybrandy recalled.
His current road programme includes stage races abroad with Sigma Sport, the Premier Calendar and the Dutch national road championship. “Time trial wise I’m hoping to ride the national `25`,” he said.
The TT Series continues in two weeks time with the North DC event at Bassenthwaite, let us hope the sun is still shining.