The glorious British summer of 2022 keeps on giving as events 6 and 7 of the Cliff Pratt TT league were run on beautifully warm and dry summer evenings with no tough conditions in sight.

Warm summer evenings were enjoyed by riders, marshals and organisers alike. Photo Dave Millson

 

Driffield 25m TT shortened to 17m

Not that all went smoothly with one of the sets of roadworks which put paid to the 2022 Humberside TT championships also affecting event 6, shortening the Driffield 25 miler to 17.37 miles.  Everyone was certain to have appreciated the warm and still conditions for the event,  likely as well the shorter distance.

The roadworks at Leconfield weren’t about to dampen the enthusiasm of the riders as 9 starters took on the shortened course, unintimidated by the distance just two and a half days before several of them had hoped to be riding the Humberside Championships.  With the championship event looking uncertain however there was little reason to hold back, especially over the shorter distance.

Andrew Millar (Chapeau! Vive le Velo) once again cemented his position as one of the fastest of the region’s time triallists,  someone who doubtless would’ve been looking to medal at the championships had they run. Neil Cleminshaw reinforced the idea that a Chapeau! Vive le Velo one two was somehow becoming a habit in the league,  though Jimmy Trevor (Jem Hadar Racing) was having none of the idea that Steve Guymer (Squadra) on his road bike, was going to take for granted that third place spot.

Pete Fielding-Smith (Wilson’s Wheels) was also not taking anything for granted putting in another consistent effort hot on Steve’s wheels in fifth, whilst Mark Symons (HTRC) and Adrian Dalby (HTRC) were having their own tussle at the start of the back end of the field.

Pete Fielding-Smith (Wilson’s Wheels) keeps it consistent                      Photo thanks to David Jacketts Photography

 

Ian Pythian (HTRC) enjoyed another summer evening’s workout whilst Will Trevor (Jem Hadar Racing) brought home the field in a respectable time for the distance.

 

 

Sproatley 14.5m TT

Summer breaks and crit racing at Ennerdale continued to keep numbers modest for the 7th TT league event as 11 riders signed on, for what was one of the local favourite courses of many road riders in the East Riding Road Race League, which last ran in 2019.

Without immediate promise of a return of the classic ERRRL series due to covid and changing rules on marshalling road race events, the riders made the most of the smoothly rolling sporting circuit that took two laps of quiet country roads around the Sproatley, Lelley and Humbleton East Yorkshire villages.

Absence of the Chapeau! Vive le Velo pair of Andy Millar and Neil Cleminshaw was an inviting prospect for Hull Thursday’s Mark Mckeown who was eager for points in his bid towards the league title.  Another turn up for prospects being Mark’s son Tom (HTRC) also taking to the start.

Graham Heaton (City Road Club) managed to comfortably take the win if not the points from Mark who managed a decent run for 2nd after a short lay off with a personal injury had left Mark a little flat and out of tune.

Back into that comfortable third podium spot consistently taking the road bike glory was Steve Guymer of Squadra, with the following three riders giving each other plenty of room to manoeuvre between them, leaving only close pairings at the rear end of the field of Thursday’s Chris Devaney and John Savage, and John Galbraith and Tom Mckeown.

Richard Dean decided a chauffeur driven ride home was more to his taste on such a wonderful summer’s evening, having been allegedly seen letting the air out of one of his tyres just before the event start,  apparently saving himself for his usual ton up saunter through the lanes on the coming weekend.

 

Tom Mckeown gives chase to his older but not necessarily wiser club mate John Savage             Photo. Dave Millson

 

Special thanks as ever to Richard Guymer, Dave Millson, Geoff and Angie Rawson and all the other helpers who turned out to enable a good night’s racing.

Next up on the 21st July the Lockington 10m TT,  the president’s trophy.

See you there.