Walker in the honours after tactics pay off

KEITH WALKER produced two cracking rides to get among the honours in two events over the weekend.

He contested a road race on the Benenden-Cranbrook circuit involving 10 laps of an undulating 6.5 mile course and was content, initially, to let others do the work. Plenty of them tried to break clear; none was successful and Walker stuck to his plan until the fifth lap when he decided it was time to go away with a group of three.

He sprinted from the bunch to join them and they all worked well together to stay out in front until the seventh lap when six others sprinted away from the bunch to catch up.

Walker launched an attack a mile from the uphill finish and the group was split. Andy Cater (GS Avanti) and Andy Lack (Kingston Wheelers) passed him but, tucking in behind Lack Walker waited until the finish line was in sight before sprinted round Lack to take a well-deserved second place behind the winner Cater.

The following day Walker rode the Brighton Mitre hilly 25-mile time trial which involved 400 metres of climbing and an additional prize for the fastest rider over the final 2.5 miles up Devils Dyke.

Hilly courses suit Walker and he finished fifth with a time of 1:4.58.

Winner was Peter Tadros (In Gear Quickvit), the only rider inside the hour with a new course record of 57.18s. He also won the prize for the fastest finishing 2.5 miles with 6.29. Walker was fifth fastest in that, too, with 7.46.

Most riders had more problems staying upright for the KCA 10-mile time trial at Harrietsham because the strong NE wind was blowing right across their paths.

No surprise, then, that Wigmore’s Richard Masters was disappointed with his time of 23.45 since it was nearly two minutes slower than his best on that course. He did have a +2.45 on age standard, while Wigmore clubmate Clin Maisey, riding his first event of the year, was pleased to beat the half-hour and finish in 29.55. He had a +2.51.

Walker was fourth in the veterans’ category with a +4.04, while that man Tadros was again the winner with +8.42.

The third round of the Medway News Competition featured Masters as the winners again. He recorded 23.46, but was only three seconds faster than Walker. Not far behind was Wigmore’s Jason Nind (23.35) while Medway Velo’s Robert Sapp did 23.41 and Karl Strugnell 23.52. Other Velo times: Louise Mason 26.8, Stephen Harris 27.29 and for Wigmore Steve Bishop did 26.39, Paul Monaghan a PB 27.03s and Bill Spellman 27.20 in his first event.

The forecast wasn’t great for Sunday’s Bill Philbrook Memorial 25 mile time trial, but it was completely wrong and riders instead reeled off a series of PB’s.

First off was Steve Bishop, of promoting club Wigmore, and he was pleased with his time of 1:07.59. Many of the 100 other competitors flew round and a record 29 of them did the 25-mile course in under an hour.

Winner in a new course record was Tadros with a time of 51.52, an improvement of three seconds on the old record.

Kevin Tye (Data Team Allstars) was second with 52.06 and Seth Kay (Data) third in 52.38.

Wigmore riders did well, with Masters recording 57.13 in 15th place (+11m 18s) and Walker 20th with 58.48 (+10.14).

The only Medway Velo rider was Stan Franklin, who was well pleased with a time of 1:10.46s, giving him a plus of 8.44.