Quite a good turn-out for the first of the training rides, but not as many as last year. Perhaps it wasn’t publicised enough or a number, including myself, had fallen foul of the chest and cough infection that’s being spread about just now.

Richard and Sheila managed the 56 riders into six groups which set off at half minute intervals. Sadly, there weren’t many people helping and Les Barratt, Gill Bradley and Sheila had to manage the junctions as best they could. Gary Fulstow and Alan Gay helped a bit as well but it’s really not good enough, surely some of you riders have relatives or friends who are interested in watching the sessions.

Obviously I don’t know the groupings but these are the riders who turned up:

Neil Dean, Paul Kilvington, Carl Dickinson, R Vickers, N Atkinson, Dave Betts, Phil Tillison, E Nicholson, Colin Baldwin, Jason Young, Adam Hardy, Steve Smalley, Gary Knowles, Mark Symons, Jim Trevor, Steve Green, Dave Millson, Tom Atkinson, Matthew Enticknap, David Capes, Frank Tobin, Charlie Caruthers, Billy Robinson, Phil McCormack, Paul Shepherd, Mike Bradley, Dave Walker, Andy Smith, Steve Hall, Matthew Johnson, Stewart Fraser, Mark Walker, Paul Cook, Peter Fielding-Smith, M Smart, Paul Noble, John Savage, Stuart Fletcher, Andy Brown, Sam Brown, Adam Jordan, David Brearley, Paul Cairns, Victoria Hood, Olivia Tomlinson, Rob Stones, Andy Faichney, Steve Coates, Nigel Sisson, Paul Hickman, Alex Dalton, David Kennedy?, Richard Cutsforth, Mark Philipson, Dean Fulstow and A Vaughan.

I can see from Richard’s timings that you all worked together quite well. For those not in the know the first lap is called a ‘chat lap’ and all the groups should go round at 18 mph – I’m sure there’s one at least in each group with a computer. At this speed no one should get out of their depth and it enables the group to get organised. Best, if you can, is to appoint someone as leader to keep everyone working evenly and together. If you’re not working you’re not training and if you can’t work then you’re in the wrong group. Group training is completely different to training on a turbo. You’re completely at the mercy of the elements, and you learn the techniques of positioning, cornering, managing your speed in a group. That’s why a competent leader is an asset. Also we offer you to read more.

The lap times were: