Science paying off for Ann

ANN BOWDITCH'S extra scientific approach has paid off with yet another personal best performance. On her last time-trial on local roads in 2006, she smashed her own Guernsey Velo Club 25-time trial record on the L'Eree course.

Guernsey's top cyclist recorded a time of 1 hour and 35 seconds, a massive 28sec. improvement as she gets ever closer to the sub-hour mark.

Conditions were far from perfect after heavy overnight rain left the roads very wet and a strengthening southerly wind made the return leg from Pembroke to Pleinmont heavy going.

All this made Bowditch's ride all the more impressive.

With her focus always aimed at a higher level of competition off Island, Bowditch often uses local races as training and rides many of them in a fatigued state.

'Even though I didn't target this event, I felt good today, always in control.

'That's not a feeling I get too often in local races,' said Bowditch, who is power measuring equipment to record data from training and racing.

'Structuring training based on these figures has meant a more scientific approach, rather than the ?try it and see? combination used by so many.

'The overall effect has been a power increase from 2005, which has been reflected in the results.

'Even though I have the power figures available, I don't view that data while riding but I do analyse it after an event which is useful. I've used all sorts of strategies over the years, when it comes to time-trialling and now I have a system which works well for me. It's quite simple in fact.'

This latest record ride completes the set for the all-rounder, who has set personal best times this season at five, 10, 15, 25 and 50 miles.

Another record to fall was to the mountain bike two-up pairing of Rob Smart and Nick Mann who recorded a time of 1-04.16, 11sec. faster than the young pairing of Nathan Baudains and James Cameron on conventional time-trial bikes.

Aaron Bailey again proved his dominance in time-trialing with overall victory in 57.29, while Mike Dean took second spot.

Veterans Alan Rowe and Dave Gallienne filled third and fourth spots in just over the hour and behind Bowditch only 29sec. separated the other three women in the field, namely Tracey Dowinton, who led the trio, Lyn Mahy and Gail Merrien.

The youngest rider of the day, Callum Hill-Smith, acquitted himself well on his first '25' and recorded a time of 1-10.19.

Next weekend sees the final handicap road race of the season on the Vazon circuit and there are still a number of riders in contention.