THE Yeovil Cycling Club April 2017 Membership Cards Dave Pitman

THE Yeovil Cycling Club April 2017 As many of you will know Dave Pitman Hill road race • Tour of the Peak,• Plymouth sadly died at Christmas. Martin Wills kindly GP •Western Divisional champs • King of the put together some information for the funeral mountains in the ‘Pernod Star Trophy’. As eulogy... well as stage race wins Dave knew a lot of Dave Pitman in • The Wicklow 3 day people, and a lot of people • Gabra 2 day •He also knew Dave or knew of him, came 17th in the The but few of us were fully Tour of Ireland . aware of his outstanding Locally, Dave won athletic achievements over both the Ham Hill road his life time. race and the John Fortunately, he Andrews memorial Road meticulously recorded his race when to used the ‘life in sport’ in a number Babylon hill circuit. of journals. The following Dave was a keen is taken from them and and committed cyclist, gives credence to the idea racing 3 or 4 times a that ‘he was quite a good week often cycling long cyclist’ distances to an event, I first came across riding the event and then Dave in the 60s when he cycling home again. beat me in the Monsal Several summers Dale hill climb by 2 secs!! were spent racing on the I didn’t know this until a continent, recording a conversation we had, soon after he started number of wins which enabled him to live on work at Yeovil College some 30 years later! the proceeds! Including the 66 mile criterium In 1966 as a 17 year old apprentice at at Liseux, as part of the twinning visit with Rolls Royce he competed in his first time trial, Somerset Road club. recording 24 mins and 11 seconds in a club In the 70s Dave spent time at Mercian 10 mile event. In the remarks column of his Cycles in Derby learning and developing his journal he wrote “suffered all the way, what frame and wheel building skills, which he a start”. used to benefit others. Apparently, on a tour His first road race win was in May 1968 of Nova Scotia in later years he spent a whole the South Pennine RC road race, a sum of £3 evening rebuilding a rear wheel for a tour 10 shillings his prize money. This was the start of an illustrious career in cycle racing. Membership Cards Over the next 30 years Dave won over If you have not had your membership 25 cycle races many of them top prestigious card yet it should be enclosed with events including Runner up twice in the this newsletter, so please check the National Hill climb championships • The Gun envelope before you recycle it. YEOVIL CYCLING CLUB @Yeovilcycleclub member, no easy feat in a hotel room! Robin Hoods Bay, backpacking, not the easy Support your club 1983 was the last year of serious B&B way!! Bike boxes competition for Dave, but his time for the He regularly walked on the moors and By the time you read this the Time Trial Series At the time of going to press the details New Forest 25 mile TT reflected how good a mountains of Britain but his walking and will already have started and the first of our have yet to be agreed but provided rider Dave was, achieving 56min 16seconds, cycling also took him to exotic parts of the major road races is only a few weeks away. there is sufficient demand it is the but also recording in his log that he “had to world A trek to Everest Base Camp • Cycling The club needs your support, we have intention to buy two Bike Box Alans. No 0004 stop for a pee” tours of Morocco • Venezuela • India • people willing to lead and organisedate these events These will be available to club YC Awarded to D 1 9 2 8 No 0001 CYEOVIL LISHECYCLING CLUB July of that year Dave retired from cycle Newfoundland • New Zealand, the tour leader butESTAB they cannot do it alone. date members to hire at a much lower YEOVIL CC YC Awarded to £2 WeVOUCHERFOR SUPPORTING need YOUR CLUBtwo, tiples of five occasionally racing (almost). The thing is you can't just stop of that tour had planned an end of tour 2 8 E D 1 9 Collect 5 vouchers and get £10 off your club YEOVIL LISHCYCLING CLUB rate than the commercial hirers are CAB iry date. Redeemable in mul EST membership or club clothing Not transferable. No exp YEOVIL CC Thank you three helpers eachNo 0005 week for someone as active as Dave! highlight for the group to take the legendary tiples of five charging. £2 VOUCHERFOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLUB date Collect 5 vouchersry anddate. Redeemableget £10 offin mul your club membership or club clothing Not transferable. No expi Running was the answer, achieving victory TranzAlpine train from Greymouth over the Thank you theY timeAwarded to trials: a pusher-off C8 A typical hire cost is about £100 D 1 9 2 No 0002 CYEOVIL LISHECYCLING CLUB ESTAB date or high placings in hill events such as the Southern Alps back to Christchurch but, Dave (whoYEOVIL CC can also ride), and of five per week in peak season. We hope to Awarded to YC £2 VOUCHERFOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLUB 2 8 E D 1 9 Collect 5 vouchers anddate. Redeemableget £10 offin multiples your CYEOVILABLISH CYCLING CLUB EST club membership or club clothing •Grizzly • the Wellington Monument race • and a friend decided to cycle. When the train one or two Thankmarshals. you Not transferable. No expiry Neither task is YEOVIL CC reduce that to around the £30 No 0006 es of five £2 VOUCHERFOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLUB date Collect 5 vouchers anddate. Redeemableget £10 offin multipl your the Charmouth Challenge • Crewkerne Mini stopped at the one intermediate station, particularlyclub membership or club taxingclothing and only takes an hour at Not transferable. No expiry mark. Thank you Y Awarded to C8 D 1 9 2 No 0003 CYEOVILABLISHE CYCLING CLUB EST Marathon • Karrimor Mountain Marathon in there was a hand written note at the station most. If you candate help with these please contact Keep your eye on the YEOVIL CC Awarded to es of five YC £2 VOUCHERFOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLUB 2 8 H E D 1 9 Collect 5 vouchers anddate. Redeemableget £10 offin multipl your CYEOVILABLIS CYCLING CLUB SueEST Chesterman. Scotland "See you in Christchurch - Dave" a typical club membership or club clothing website and Facebook Not transferable. No expiry YEOVIL CC Thank you es of five He was regularly running 10 miles under understated comment from Dave. £2For VOUCHERFOR the SUPPORTING road YOUR CLUB races we need a variety of Collect 5 vouchers and get £10 off your for more details date. Redeemable in multipl club membership or club clothing the hour and a half marathon time of 1h 18 This summer he had booked up to cycle help:Thank youmarshalsNot transferable. No expiry for a few non-critical sites which mins, a very good club standard. the length of France from Cherbourg to will not be covered by the official Accredited In 1990 another new activity emerged, Montpelier on the Med. Marshals, help with the catering, setting out Triathlon and once again he did well in In 2008 he had a serious fall from his bike, and retreiving signs, judging and car drivers. If events, again taking 1st or 2nd on several which left him with life threatening injuries. you can help on 30th April please email Nick occasions. Dave's skull was badly fractured and he spent James. Contacts or both are on the back page Dave took part in an early ‘Etape du Tour’, a long time on life support in intensive care. It As well as the warm glow of having 'put across the Alps, with several Chard Wheelers, was a long recovery but recover he did, helped something back into the sport' you will be memorable, as he completed it on a mountain by being very fit, a great driver in his will to rewarded with a club voucher. Each voucher bike, on the frame he built himself in his lunch recover was the determination to get back on will be worth £2. They can be redeemed in breaks at work. his bike. multiples of 5 (£10) against either your club The new millennium brought a surge of Dave was always happy to spend time to membership, club clothing or even the hire of a activity, with Dave returning to bike racing at share his experience and knowledge of cycling club cycle box. the age of 51 with several top ten placings in and bikes, he was a great believer in the Night racing in Bath The three weeks of competition will also Vets races. ‘cycling club’, always being a club member, feature eight women’s events for the first 2002 culminated in Dave's last ever race, supporting and encouraging where he could. The ninth edition of The Tour Series has a time, as the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series at the European Masters Championships on He was a good frame builder, an expert revamped calendar; with all ten meetings of expands with thirteen teams. the Isle of Man, where he took the lead on mechanic and wheel builder. Some of us are the competition taking place in May, and will Seven professional men’s teams will line a hilly section of the TT course, only to be fortunate to ride frames and wheels he built. include three brand new events.

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