Number 52 THE March 2017 VETERAN Crabwood CC had a special guest at their club 10 in September. Chris Summers (Sotonia CC & VTTA Wessex) is pushed away by Jens Voigt, former professional but still a superstar Jens shares a laugh with the locals – new VTTA National Treasurer Mary Corbett (Sotonia CC/VTTA Wessex) and Stephen Skinner (New Forest CC/VTTA Wessex) 2 THE VETERAN THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE VETERANS TIME TRIALS ASSOCIATION Founded in 1943 to promote cycle time trialling for those aged 40 and over Number 52 March 2017 CONTENTS President’s Piece 6 National Presentation & AGM 36 Chairman’s Piece 7 Jim Burgin – An Appreciation 38 Secretary 8 Obituaries 39 Editorial 9 The Welland Trophy 49 Around the Groups 11 Notice Board 50 Cover photos – Yorkshire Group member Stan Chadwick celebrated his 100th birthday in April 2016; Stan joined the VTTA in 1956. Top image shows young vet Stan 55 years ago, riding an Isle of Man Week time trial. The lower image shows 100th birthday boy Stan surrounded by his Scarborough Paragon CC clubmates and well wisher Sir Gary Verity with the Tour de Yorkshire Trophy. Stan went on to be a VIP Scarborough finish line guest at that race and shared champagne with Tour de France legends Brian Robinson and Bernard Hinault and its Race Director Christian Prudhomme. See the Yorkshire Group report for Stan’s latest adventure. Copy dates - 21 May 2017, 20 August 2017, 19 November 2017, 17 February 2018 Advertising New advertisers are most welcome; this magazine goes to over 2500 members and provides good exposure especially for cycling equipment, services and holidays. Contact the editor for rates. Four insertions (one year) preferred but minor amendments between each can be accommodated. Supply format for contributions Email or an attached Word or Open Office file. Photographs must not be embedded within such files but should be sent as separate files. Content can be supplied hand written or typed but I have to then retype it, which takes time and may introduce errors. Contents designed and typeset by the Editor Printed, finished and distributed by Quorum Print Services Ltd Units 3 & 4 Lansdown Industrial Estate Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, GL51 8PL 3 4 National Association for the 40 years old and over racing cyclist NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 2017/18 President Carole Gandy (Kent) 01622 762837 : [email protected] Honorary Life Vice President Keith Robbins Vice Presidents Mrs D Maher E A Green Chairman Andrew Simpkins (Midlands) 18 Richmond Close, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5QD 07767 835004 : [email protected] Treasurer National Secretary Mary Corbett (Wessex) Rachael Elliott 28 The Meadows 6 Pindar Place Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7EL Newbury, RG14 2RR 02380 283371 07931 722817 [email protected] [email protected] Records Secretary Membership Secretary Geoff Perry (London & Home Counties) Merv Player (East Anglian) 8 The Meadway 18 New Close Loughton, Milton Keynes, MK5 8AN Knebworth, Herts, SG3 6NU 01908 200680 01438 814154 [email protected] [email protected] Editor & Advertising Secretary Awards Secretary Mike Penrice (Yorkshire) Ian Greenstreet (London & Home Counties) Tawnylands, South Duffield Road Davendry, Long Lane Osgodby, Selby, YO8 5HP Newbury, RG14 2TH 01757 291196 07980 301321 [email protected] [email protected] National Recorder National Executive Committee Members Steve Lockwood (Midlands) Robert Jones (South Wales) Honey Combe Cottage, Willow Road Barry Quick (Wessex) Martley, Worcs, WR6 6PS Alan Colburn (Midlands) 01886 889174 : 07976 231420 Brian Camfield (Manchester) [email protected] John Hawkridge (Kent) Website : vtta.org.uk and Facebook 5 THE PRESIDENT’S PIECE Carole Gandy It was pleasing to see more prize winners attending the AGM to collect their well earned spoils of their 2016 racing season. The AGM enjoyed some lively discussions, the results of which will be published in the minutes of the meeting. It was perhaps an end of an era this year with the retirement of Jim Burgin from the Chair after many years of loyal service to the Association for which his unstinting work was greatly appreciated. I am sure that the cut glass bowl presented to Jim will have pride of place for many years to come. The new Chair Andrew Simpkins, who is also the Chair of the Midlands Group, was welcomed and everyone is looking forward to working with Andrew to continue the work of the Association for the benefit of all its members. Well most of us have seen snow in some form or another, but as one weather forecaster said “Don’t rush to get your toboggans out as the snow will not hang about”. This was certainly true for us in the southern part of the country. As a child I used to enjoy getting the sledge out and flying down wintery slopes along with many other people. Sadly our alpine toboggan has sat for many years in our shed not seeing the light of day. With the dire warnings of global warming it is probably true to say that it will not be used for a long time to come. Even skiing has suffered with snow falls being unpredictable and whilst there are large dumps which tragically cause avalanches overall the amount of natural snow that falls appears to get less and less with resorts having to rely on snow making machines which again cannot operate if the temperature is too high or too low. Snow is something that I welcome as although I am only an average skier I do spend a large amount of the winter with friends skiing in France. On the cycling scene warmer weather in the winter probably enables more people to enjoy riding their bikes. Whilst those who race have specific programs to follow it is still nice to be able to feel the wind on ones face and enjoy cycling round the country lanes, be it for training purposes or just for riding with like minded friends. With the daffodils almost in bloom and in some cases already blooming along with other spring flowers and tulips also breaking ground this hopefully is heralding the approach of spring. Instead of sitting on turbos, attending spinning classes etc we can once again look forward to longer days of daylight and get out our lighter bikes and shed our longs and heavy jackets. Happy cycling in 2017. I wish everyone a safe and successful season. 6 THE CHAIRMAN’S PIECE Andrew Simpkins It was an honour for me to be elected as the new National Chairman at the 2017 AGM and I look forward to the opportunity to serve the Association in this important role. It seems appropriate to say a few words of introduction about myself in this issue of the Veteran. I am 63 years old, married to Sara, with three grown up sons and two granddaughters. We live in Wythall on the southern edge of Birmingham. I am now semi-retired after a career in management consultancy and IT. I do some postgraduate teaching and am on the leadership team of my local church. I joined the VTTA in 1997 and have ridden for my standards every year since then. They have been at the centre of my racing season and I am grateful to the VTTA for the motivation and sense of achievement that standards have given me over these 20 years. I also do some road racing with the LVRC and have ridden some of the big European sportive challenges. Although my current time trial bike is a Bianchi I am a Colnago fan and have a little collection of four of their famous bikes from the last 20 years. In December 2004 I became the Midlands Group chairman. In this role I have helped to organise and raise sponsorship for a season long points competition and have been the event organiser for the Group’s open 10 and 25 mile events. I appreciate how the Group structure is at the heart of the VTTA and the need for the NEC to work with and support the Groups for the good of the Association as a whole. In 2011 I chaired the Standards Working Party which led to the creation and approval of the new standards. I am pleased that they have been successful in providing a level playing field for all our members. Two principles from that experience I trust will guide me in my role as Chairman. Firstly that we should always aim for fairness in the way we conduct our affairs and competitions. Secondly when we look to make changes we should do so on the basis of sound evidence and analysis so that we can be confident they will produce a positive outcome for the membership. We have a great sport in which people are showing increasing interest. I hope we can attract more women and men into time trialling and help produce yet more incredibly healthy and fit veteran cyclists. One initiative that should help with this is to develop and improve our website and this will be one of my priorities for the NEC in the year ahead. Finally my best wishes to everyone for good riding and racing in 2017. 7 NATIONAL SECRETARY Rachael Elliott With this new issue of the Veteran, we witness the dawn of a new era. Jim Burgin officially retired from his role as Chairman of the Association at the February AGM. When Jim first mentioned his retirement many months ago, I feared his boots would be very difficult, if not impossible, to fill; the knowledge, efficiency and diligence which Jim has imparted to the Association over the years has been absolutely supreme.