We reported back in August how Rich Collier had driven all the way to Attleborough in Norfolk to compete in a 50-mile TT – at the weekend he was off on his travels again.
He’d originally planned what should have been a two-race weekend at different ends of the country. However, the VTTA (Veterans Time Trial Association) East Anglia 25-mile TT event, planned for Saturday, was unfortunately cancelled on Friday night. This followed predictions of 40 – 50 mph side winds and torrential rain in the afternoon and was therefore considered to be too risky to put on a safe event along the A11 near Cambridge.
So now with just the one even to compete in, Rich made an early morning Sunday start down south to the Surrey/Hampshire border and the A31 near Farnham for the Epsom CC 25-mile Time Trial. With a ‘fresh’ side wind it was definitely an Autumnal morning. The course had a rolling profile between the Farnham bypass roundabout and the Holybourne roundabout. There were only a few sections where the wind really came across the road and affected the bike, however in both directions of the course it never felt the wind was helping.
This event resulted in Rich being able to complete the ‘full house’ of Open Time Trials this year – despite the shortened season – managing to finish 10, 25, 50 and 100 mile events in one season. Sunday’s result was 1hr 4 min 46 secs for the 25 miles and was Rich’s 3rd personal best of the season having previously achieved PB’s in the 10 and 50 mile events in August.