Le Maitre clocks another PB

GRAHAM LE MAITRE produced a personal best ride to win the Guernsey Velo Club's 10-mile time trial held on the Cobo course. With many riders competing off island, the turnout was still good, with 19 being rewarded with good conditions.

The wind was north-easterly which is generally regarded as the best for a Guernsey 10, with the riders being helped out on the slightly longer leg.

Lynn Coombs set a new record in the women's over-40s' category, taking it with a season's fastest time of 25min. 44sec.

The previous record holder, Caroline Wickham, finished just shy of her personal best in a field of six women.

Jo Hamon also produced a lifetime best, a sure sign that women's cycling is going from strength to strength.

Paul Rabey entered his first Guernsey Velo Club event on his mountain bike and with the MTB winter series starting soon, he can look forward to a good winter of racing.

Nathan Pinchemain was the fastest of the under-14 riders, edging out Tom Wood for victory in the youngsters' category.

In a change to the calendar, there will be a 25-mile time trial on Sunday starting at 7.30 from Cobo and the following Sunday there is a road race on the Reservoir circuit, also starting at 7.30.

Meanwhile, six cyclists travelled to the Duo Normand in Marigny in Normandy.

The event takes the format of a time-trial in which two riders race as a team against the clock over a 34.5-mile circuit. This year saw 499 teams entered and split over various categories.

First off was Chris Le Page and duathlete Carl Thomson competing in the non-licensed class.

Both planned their race schedule carefully and finished in a strong time of 1hr 20min. 55sec.

Mike Dean and Mark Helyar also competed in the non-licensed category and improved on their previous best time on this course by two minutes in finishing in 1-24.28.

Both pairs were pleased with their fifth and 14th placings respectively in the largest and possibly most competitive category, which consisted of 133 teams.

Bob Duquemin and Patrick Down went in the veterans' class and put in a very strong performance, especially over the first two- thirds, and clocked 1-24.35 to be sixth out of 33 pairs.