Matt Nunn continued his consistent season by placing 16th in the Kent League Circuit race at the Gravesend Cyclopark.

Racing in a field of 27, and although he missed the winning break of 8 riders, Matt held on in the main bunch.

Nic Fennell (Thanet RC) took a two minute victory in the Medway Velo Open 25 mile time trial held on the Hamstreet bypass.

In warm and sunny conditions that saw two thirds of the field beat the hour mark, the Thanet team claimed first and second place with Fennell recording 51:36 and Paul Burrows covering the course in 53:53. Evergreen Mark Hill (Velorefined) took third place and the prize for best veteran with a time of 54:57. Local rider Antony Bee of the Wigmore CC finished in 9^th place 57:10.

The women’s race was closely contested, with Pip Jenkins recording a time of 1:00:42, just failing to beat the hour mark. Kate Thomas (Lewes Wanderers) and Natasha Jarman (Southborough Wheelers) filled the spots on the podium.

Medway Velo also ran a general classification prize combining the time from their open 10 held the previous week. Fennell, Burrows and Hill taking home the prizes having ridden strongly in both events.

Organiser Steve Smith thanked all of the riders for competing, and thanked the club members for giving up their time to marshal.

Matt Nunn rode strongly at the Gravesend CC club 10 held on the Isle of Grain on Tuesday 17th May claiming second place in a time of 23:24.

Jon Graciano took on the SERRL Cat 2/3 race at Laughton in Sussex.

Describing the circuit as a quick course, unfortunately got dropped around 28km in. Jon chased hard and at one point Jon almost got back on just 30m off the back of the main bunch. Sadly at this point Jon got stuck behind a car at the roundabout, however he still kept pushing to the end, coming in 31st out of 57.

National champion Chris Fennell (The Independent Pedaller-No Pinz) added another win at the Medway Velo Open 10 to his palmares.

After a couple of years at different courses due to covid, the race returned to its traditional home on the Isle of Grain course, with riders having to deal with a deceptive headwind on the return leg to the finish.

Fennell came home in 19-28, a full one minute ahead of his brother Nic, who claimed second place. Army Cycling’s Stefan Gloyn was the only other rider in the 20 minute bracket, recording a time of 20-55.

Medway Velo Michael Stanley continued his strong season with a time of 24:52, just ahead of Wigmore rider Jamie Harris.

First woman overall was Debbie Percival (Kent Velo Girls/boys) who rode her time trial bike in 27:16.

With the increasing popularity of riding traditional road bikes in time trials, a number riders opted for the road bike event, with Huseyin Vardal of the Gemini winning the category in 22:32 ahead of Paul Turton (23:55) and Cameron Carthew of the Wigmore in 25:07.

Medway Velo’s Sally Smith was first placed woman in the women’s road bike event, ahead of Martina Ben-Shaul and Caroline Wyke. Smith and Ben-Shaul also being placed second and third woman overall.

Organiser Matt Nunn thanked all riders for taking part remarking “the first of our open time trials bought out the fine weather and a number of riders recorded personal best times, coping well with the windy conditions you usually find on the Isle of Grain. I would thank all of the riders who entered as well as the club members who gave up their time to marshal, and assist at the event.”

The club’s second open event is a 25 mile event on the Hamstreet by pass next Sunday, 22^nd May.

1	Christopher Fennell	The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz	19:28	Male
2	Nicholas Fennell	Thanet RC	20:28		Male
3	Stefan Gloyn	Army Cycling	20:55		Male
4	Martin Kober	Abellio – SFA Racing Team	21:09		Male
5	Alex Pearson	Woolwich CC	21:26		Male
6	Paul Burrows	Thanet RC	21:40		Male
7	Graeme Garner	Essex Roads CC	21:52		Male
7	Matthew Saunders	Team Vision Racing – Silverhook	21:52		Male
9	Mark Hill	VeloRefined Rule 5	21:56		Male
10	Alexander Luisi	Bath Cycling Club	22:03		Male
11	Mark Doxey	Abellio – SFA Racing Team	22:21		Male
12	Paul Turner	34 Nomads CC	22:28		Male
13	Huseyin Vardal	Gemini BC	22:32	RB	Male
13	Pete Elms	VC Deal	22:32		Male
15	Simon Henderson	Thanet RC	22:55		Male
16	Paul Smith	VeloRefined Rule 5	22:59		Male
17	Liam McLaughlin	Arctic Aircon RT	23:04		Male
18	Mark Newton	Elite Cycling	23:20		Male
19	Paul Turton	Team Vision Racing – Silverhook	23:55	RB	Male
20	Jamie Harris	Wigmore CC	24:26		Male
21	Michael Stanley	Medway Velo Club	24:52		Male
22	Cameron Carthew	Wigmore CC	25:07	RB	Male
23	Jeremy Parker	Gravesend CC	25:17		Male
24	Daniel Homer	London Phoenix CC	25:30		Male
24	David Hodsman	Dulwich Paragon CC	25:30		Male
26	Sam Day	CS Grupetto	26:10	RB	Male
27	Andrew Grant	Chelmer CC	26:16		Male
28	David Smith	VC de Londres	26:36		Male
29	Debbie Percival	Kent Velo Girls/Boys	27:16		Female
30	Anthony Whale	Harlow CC	27:23		Male
31	Sally Smith	Medway Velo Club	27:31	RB	Female
32	Mike Perry	Thanet RC	30:11		Male
33	Martina Ben-Shaul	Dulwich Paragon CC	31:55	RB	Female
34	Caroline Wyke	CC Sudbury	33:14	RB	Female

It’s been a while since we’ve had a regular social get together, so starting this Friday we’re introducing Pub Night! This week 6th May we’ll be gathering at The Fruiterers Arms in Rodmersham from 7.30. 13th May The Three Sisters Otterham Quay Lane, Rainham. Please let Rob Kennison if you have a favourite pub in the local area, and he’ll add it to the schedule.

Phil Booth returned once again to Northern France to take on the Paris Roubaix Challenge, ridden over the cobbles of the Hell of the North the on the same day as the Paris Roubaix Femmes Race.

Battling over 19 sectors of fearsome cobble stones, including the three five star sectors of Trouee d’Arenberg, Mons en Pevele and Carrefour de l’arbre, Phil completed his 150km event in six hours.

Having suffered mechanical issues and punctures in previous years, some requiring novel solutions to fix his bike, Phil is pleased to report he suffered no mishaps this year.

Mike Stanley opened his open TT season with a new personal best over 25 miles.

Competing in the KCA event held on a warm but deceptively blustery Hamstreet bypass Mike came home in 1:03:10.

Mike had warmed up earlier in the week in the Gravesend CC evening Club 10, despite having some issues out on the Isle of Grain course Mike completed the event in 27:17.

Well done Mike!

Phil Booth took on the Amstel Gold Toerversie, the sportive version of the Dutch spring classic based in Valkenburg in the south of country and taken on by over 30,000 participants.

Having previously ridden the 165km event in warm spring sunshine, this year Phil took one of the different routes heading north around Maastricht and faced very different weather conditions; with the temperature little more than a few degrees above freezing he faced several hailstorms and rain, strong winds, with only odd breaks of sunny and dry weather.

11 climbs were included this year, including the one cobbled climb, the most difficult and well know climb is the Cauberg which is the final climb and with a gradient of 13% one which reduces many participants to walking, however Phil successfully took on all of the climbs, and completed the event in a little over 5 hours, good going given the poor weather.

Phil goes again next Saturday in the Paris Roubaix Challenge in northern France.

Father and son duo Rob and Tom Kennison took the ferry across the channel to take part in the Gent Wevelgem sportive which tackles 220km of the spring classic route.

Passing by many sites associated with the Ieper Salient of the Western Front of World War I, the Kennisons took on gravel roads, and several cobbled climbs, including the Kemmelberg with its gradients close to 20%.

Rob and Tom finished in a strong time of 8 hours.

Well done both!