The best Wednesday night TT weather so far greeted the 15 riders who took part in the club’s first trophy event of the season, the Friswell Cup. This has always been a longer distance TT of around 25 miles and this year it was decided we should use the 23-mile Hardriders course.
2023 Friswell Cup winner Peter Drnovsek (photo Paul Dean)
It’s a tough challenge, even on a glorious night, with the ascent of Sunrising hill the sting in the tail. Fastest time of the night went to our now regular visitor, Silas Vanden Branden (University of Birmingham CC), with an impressive time of 51.41. Equally impressive was second placed Naomi de Pennington (Drag2Zero) on 55.56, smashing her existing women’s course record by over a minute. Naomi is now a second claim member, so unfortunately that means she misses out on being the first woman winner of this 1938 trophy.
The Friswell Cup therefore went to third place Peter Drnovsek on 56.11, beating fellow club member Ed Anderson by just 15 seconds. A great effort by both riders, following their participation in our weekend road race.
Junior Poppy Kisley also demolished the U18 female record, lowering it by around 3 minutes to 67.23. Eighteen-year-old Peggy Simpkins also put in an impressive ride, stopping the clock at 62.58.
Poppy Kisley breaks another U18 record (photo Paul Dean)
It was also great to see both our presidents taking part, plus the regular appearance of past president, Paul Dean, on course taking photos for our website gallery.
The previous Wednesday, 17th May, there were again road works at Wroxton on the K4/20. Our reserve course, the shorter 10-mile circuit around the Tysoe area, was therefore brought into action.
Twenty riders were entered and it was good to see some old faces back – Lee Heron, fresh from his honeymoon, returning visitor John Stather (Kenilworth Wheelers) and Rich Collier making a brief visit from his new home in Cornwall.
Another dominating performance by Naomi de Pennington (photo Paul Dean)
Unless anyone knows otherwise, we think this was probably the first club TT to be won overall by a woman – the ever-improving Naomi de Pennington (Drag2Zero). Setting a time of 23.33, she set a new course record by over a minute. Ed Anderson was second, just 16 seconds in arrears on 23.49, with Lee Heron third on 23.54. First club lady home was Heidi Yates 26.04, while Rachel Reeves competed in her very first TT with a time of 32.04.
Friswell Cup photos are already up on the Gallery page and full results of all TTs are on the Time Trial page