Perfectionist Bowditch critical despite victory

ANN BOWDITCH continued her superb run of record-breaking rides with a new course standard and overall fastest woman in the Andover Wheelers weekend held in Hampshire. The annual event comprises a 10-mile time trial on Saturday afternoon followed by a 25-mile one on the Sunday morning.

Bowditch and fellow Guernsey Velo Club member Pat Down joined 268 other riders in what is the biggest event in the south.

Bowditch completed the 10-mile event in her second-fastest time ever, 23min. 39sec., one good enough to give her third place in the women's event. However, always first to criticise herself, she was dissatisfied with her performance.

'There are no excuses, I didn't perform to my best. I just didn't get to grips with the course which is usually one of my strengths,' said the disappointed Sarnian.

Fastest woman was Debbie Shaw, clocking 23-16, giving the UK rider a margin of 23 seconds to carry over to the next race.

Conditions were far from ideal, with a headwind on the uphill return, but that did not stop Down also recording his second-fastest 10 ever, a very creditable 22-46.

On day two, with a narrow deficit to make up, Bowditch was keen to give her all in the chase for overall victory.

Starting the 25-mile race, the Sarnian kept her cool. The first part of the ride traced the previous day's 10 course, which incredibly, the record-breaker covered in just 23-00.

At the 13-mile mark, it was clear that Bowditch was on a flyer, as she stormed through in just over 34 minutes.

All eyes were on the watch as Shaw, who started four minutes later, came into view, but was surprisingly 1-25 down, surely too much for anyone to claw back, unless the Guernsey rider had shot her bolt too early.

However, Bowditch was feeling good at that point and hammered for home.

The middle five miles were slow, with two leg-sapping climbs taking a total of 13-58, but now clearly on a mission, the last 10 miles were covered in just 22-21, an average speed of nearly 27mph to record the fastest time by a woman on the course.

'Something clicked in with 10 miles to go: it was like I found another gear. It just flew by - not a feeling I get too often in a race of this distance,' said Bowditch.

Meanwhile, Down completed the 25-mile course in 62-23.

Bowditch had more than clawed back the deficit of 23 seconds by completing the course with a winning margin of over three minutes from Shaw, which gave her overall victory for the weekend by a massive 2-51.