The opening event of the 2023 time trial season saw Paramount CRT’s Mason Durant take a win by 57 seconds in Round 1 of the Friction and Hydraulic Services Shropshire Championship Points Series as Wrekinsport CC ran their testing Hilly 18 miler from Worfield. A chilly but almost still afternoon saw riders make the best of the lull in the winter gales to take on the challenge of Bridgnorth’s fearsome Hermitage climb, with Durant in full flow on the three-quarter mile, 15% gradient making up time over the opposition. Durant stopped the watch on 41 minutes 28 seconds to see off a twin challenge from reigning Friction Series champion Tim Beardmore and a surprise performance from Ludlow CC’s Robbie Disney, tying for the runner-up spot in 42:25.
Durant was satisfied with his performance, but the shock of the new season took him 10 miles to come around to, with only the effort mauling of his way up The Hermitage finally hitting home. He Stated: “A great first event of the season, despite the chilly weather. It took until The Hermitage for me to warm up and get my head in the game, and the last part of the course was much better. A great HQ, with a brew to warm up - thanks to all the volunteers”.
Beardmore set out a good initial defence of his title not only taking Overall runner-up spot but top spot in the Friction Veterans Series too with +6:23, an excellent margin of +2:29 ahead of Mid Shropshire Wheelers’ Paul Duncan. However Beardmore revealed that he is behind with his training regime after an accident kept him off a bike for a while: “Great to be racing again on one of my favourite courses. My form is not quite where I was hoping for the start of the season due to a crash at the start of the year and some time off the bike. I really enjoyed the race, even if it was a bit cold - thanks to everyone at Wrekinsport CC for organising”.
Disney’s surprise tie with Beardmore was thanks to a first race with tri-bars fitted, for which he immediately saw dividends. There is no greater aero benefit than tri-bars, typically saving 45 seconds over a 10 mile course, and Disney made the most of ducking low and presenting the minimum resistance to scythe through the air to put up a great challenge. He commented: “It went well, I got some good rest in leading up to the race and felt strong. I changed my handlebars over from last season so I could put tri-bars on. This was my first race with them so my position wasn't great, I might have been in a shot of first place if I had that sorted, but I can't complain coming joint second with Tim as he's a strong time triallist”.
In the Women’s race it was a three-way battle amongst Wrekinsport club mates, with a win by a large margin of 7:56 for Beth Till. By the looks of things Till is already reaping benefits from her winter training programme which is focussed on improving her speed, stopping the watch on 53:29 to beat her own Women’s Course Record by 10 seconds. This was a strong performance from ill, who looked in full control nearing the top of The Hermitage where the gradient kicks, and already shows that she has an edge hinted at in her post-race comments: “Great to be back racing again, I’m hoping to improve on my speed this year after focussing on Ironman training last year – a great event by Wrekinsport as always”!
Taking Wrekinsport’s Chris Edwards Trophy for the first time 16 year old Ben Southgate surprised his team mates with a comfortable victory of exactly three minutes to take that prize for the first time. Southgate crossed the finish line in 45:22 to take fifth spot Overall and shows that his winter hasn’t been wasted: “Really happy with my results, hoping the winter training is paying off”. Meanwhile Wrekinsport opened a good defence of the Top Club Award, taking 145 points, a margin of 70 over Mid Shropshire Wheelers.
