Records fall – as does curtain on road season

The 25-mile time-trials have taken on a new look this year – with the old starting leg down L’Eree hill deemed no longer safe, the Velo Club now use a strictly coastal course based at Cobo and turning via Portelet, Le Houmet and Portelet again before a Vazon finish.

That means that the record books have been reset, with all marks dating from either the early May event or Sunday’s season finale.

The latest test came with modest winds from the south-west – an unfavourable direction – and riders set off in unravelling darkness due to the 6.45am start, implemented to work around the Butterfield Half Marathon traffic.

At the front, Marc Cox posted 51min. 27.0sec. to finish just 11sec. down on Seb Tremlett’s club record for the new course.

He did take the scalp of Tremlett on the morning, though, with the established Commonwealth Games rider’s effort stacking up at 51-38.2.

In third place came the first record-breaker, with Tony Bleasdale dropping a 54-42.4 to become the fastest veteran-40 for the new course.

On the other end of the age range, fourth-placed Jack Reed set an under-18 record of 56-53.0 despite a traffic hold-up on course.

Karina Bowie also emerged with a record – the outright women’s course best – with her 1-02-18.7 marking a near-30sec. improvement on her May time.

However, Jamy Petit had a strong ride to hold her experienced rival within a minute, and Andrea Nightingale’s 1-04-29.3 was good for a new V55 record.

Petit has improved markedly through the season and Nightingale is ageing like fine wine, having recently won world age-group gold in the long-distance aqua-bike.

Helena Duguid also came away with an U18 women’s record – 1-08-18.8.

Velo Club president Mark Smith called it a ‘good end to the season’ and praised the performances of numerous competitors.

‘The record performances all really stand out,’ he added.

‘That’s notwithstanding Seb and “Coxy” – they have got a good battle going at the moment.

‘Those were some fantastic times.’