Wightlink Cycle Race Team riders Jerry Cooper and Henry Farrell travelled to the New Forest on Sunday (16th March) for the first round of the prestigious RTTC Classic National Circuit Championship.
Held on 2 laps of the Nomansland circuit, and finishing on the steep ascent of the infamous ‘Pipers Pain’ climb, the 28-mile time trial was held on a sunny but cold morning with a stiff north-easterly wind making for tough conditions on the exposed course.
Farrell, competing in his first race of the season since recovering from injuries sustained in a crash last year, put in a brilliant performance up against some of the best in the South region and crossed the finish line in a time of 1 hour 16 minutes 47 sec to take 17th overall.
Henry said:
“Coming back from injury, I wasn’t sure how well I would perform today but I’m happy with that result. I’m now looking forward to competing next weekend in the local Wightlink 35km TT and aiming for a top 10 finish”.
Cooper dug in to finish in a time of 1:30.10, placing 2nd in the 60-65 age group.
Jerry added:
“That was a tough course. I was pleased with my performance, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement”.
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Also racing at the weekend, on Saturday, was team junior rider Alfie Hayden. Competing in his first road event of the season at the Mountbatten track in Portsmouth, Alfie performed well in the fast-paced 45-minute race finishing in the main bunch just outside the points.
I love seeing cyclists on the mainland, better
than them cycling on the Military Road side by
side holding each others hands.