Perfect ‘10’ for rapid Smith

East Lancs Road Club

FRANK Smith is an East Lancs Road Club record-breaker.

He dug deep to smash his own and the club’s 10-mile best in the Cleveleys RC time-trial on a super-fast course in Cumbria, which followed the flat, smooth dual carriageway from Sizergh Castle to the Lindale roundabout and back.

Smith registered a fantastic time of 21 minutes 52 seconds to surpass a record which had stood for a quarter-of-a-century.

While riding at a consistent power output of 400 watts for eight miles, he didn’t drop below 30mph on the return leg.

The East Lancs club 10-mile Time-Trial Championship was part of the West Pennine RC event on the Clitheroe bypass course.

With a long descent and then a hard climb all within the first mile, coupled with a fairly strong headwind out to the turn, made for a challenging ride.

However, the faster riders weren’t affected by the conditions as victory went to Ben Trippier, who continued his great form this year in a personal best time of 22:16.

Sam Walley won the West Pennine Junior Cup as the fastest rider in that section and Noah Codling won the juvenile prize to secure a notable club double.

East Lancs riders made up a third of the field, with Jonny Decamps and Jason Codling recording personal bests.

Ben Whitehead and Trippier took part in the West Pennine RC road race, held on the 11-mile Bashall Eaves circuit near Clitheroe.

Both riders were comfortable in the bunch until Whitehead hit a pothole and had to retire with a buckled wheel.

Meanwhile, Trippier tried his luck at a break away on the last climb of the race with half-a-mile to go, but the bunch reeled him in and he had to settle for a place in the field.

He was cheered on by a large contingent of East Lancs riders who had taken part in the club’s 100-mile reliability ride, part of which was on the same route.

All 21 members finished the ride in the eight-hour time limit, with seven of them competing in their first 100-mile ride.

They were Joshua Decamps, Cameron Fitton, Lawrence Fairclough, Dave Barker, Oliver Huszar, Noah Codling and Jonny Decamps.

East Lancs’ Mark Barker completed the Fred Whitton reliability ride in the Lake District on some tough of roads, while club-mate Sally Rhodes won her first triathlon medal.