Wightlink-Wight Mountain Cycle Racing Team members Ewan Cook, Kirsty Cook and Kev Chant travelled to Cambourne, near Cambridge, to compete in the RTTC National 10 Mile TT Championships.
This event consisted of some of the top riders in the country and was one of the strongest fields this season, but the team were keen to give it their best shot on the back of their recent performances in the National 10 TT Circuit Championships at Goodwood.
The ‘out and back’ course was set on a dual carriageway, and there was a cross headwind on the way out which, would impact on the times. Kev, who was aiming for at least a top 20 place, put in another strong ride to finish joint 14th in a time of 18.58, less than 30 seconds off a podium.
Kev says:
“I was trying to get as close to the top 10 as possible so 5 seconds off this wasn’t a bad result in the end. There was a bit of traffic on the 2nd corner which probably cost me a few seconds, but in fairness I don’t think I could have got much more out of the legs”
Ewan, who was racing in his first ever TT on a dual carriageway, pulled out all the stops to finish in 14th place in a time of 22.02, which was a PB for him.
Ewan says:
“I was really happy with my race and I gained a lot of experience which has given me the confidence to definitely compete again at this level next season”
Kirsty, who was competing in the Road Bike category, says:
“This was my first mainland road and dual carriageway TT. At the start, I felt nervous and petrified but once I got off the slipway, my nerves vanished. The first 5 miles were into a headwind which made it trickier due to the flatness of the course as there was no let up.
“I’m really pleased to have got a PB to end the season – huge thanks to team sponsors Wightlink and the lads at Wight Mountain for their support, encouragement and most importantly keeping my bike running smoothly.”
Oli Nolan has also been busy racing at Mountbatten, Portsmouth, working towards getting his 2nd Cat licence, and he recently started his Cyclocross season at the 1st round of the Wessex CX Series at Clanfield, where he picked up a creditable 9th place.
Oli says:
“I got caught behind a crash at the start, and I then had to fight back to move up the field. I’m quite happy with that performance as it equals my best result from last Season”