PTW

Well done to you Mr Lloyd and your family for yet another successful PTWCC/C.J. CONSTRUCTION GROUP promotion , also a big thankyou to all the pushers off and marshals, for their assistance, and without whom no events would be possible, a pity my legs could not match their capabilities!

Never mind Pip, perhaps it wasn't your legs - maybe it was that mystery virus that affects so many of our brilliant club ride racers when they put numbers on their backs

Yep another well done here too. Great event, great course and superb organisation. Apologies to my team-mates who I spectacularly let down, a slipped saddle and a bike that I haven't got used to meant I was weak as a kitten out there. Nevermind - Tank was an absolute monster and he blitzkreiged the rest of us to dust!

A lovely mid-Summer's early evening, hugely enjoyed by the riders, well-organised by the Lloyds, well-marshalled by the club, a great atmostphere at the HQ, the Ajax 'Borg' collective out in droves and great tea!!

Who could ask for anything more?

Yes another big well done to those involved for another successful PTW Open Event.

Personally can I say a big thank you Chris Allen and Nigel Pitt for dragging my lardy ar5e along the back road (and waiting for me on the lumpy bits) and apologies to Andy Lewis (we didn't know you'd left us).

I'll be putting a squadra report later this evening that will dish the dirt on Who Quit and why, Who got lost and who is John Davis?

Well done again Dave, an excellent prize list ,as always with our club , it,s a great pity other clubs don,t follow suit and give the money back into the sport!

pip does one of those clubs start with an O end with an E. Middle has got GMORE in it. Havent got a clue who you could be talking about.

Thanks Dave, great event , well organised and great course. thanks to my team mates CJ pip and John Davies ( who is he?).

OK your man at the Coal Face reporting on the activities of Squadra Chrono...... WHAT AN EPIC EVENT.

A bright and warm evening greeted the 40 teams that entered the unofficial Welsh Team Time Trial Championships. It was a little breezy for the early starters but as the evening wore on the conditions got better and better.

First out of the Blocks were PTW1, Bill Gannon, Peter Jones, Jeff Grifiths and Dave Williams. After a team tactics talk by Willy they were ready and off Bill went....... followed eventually by the other three.... Down to aberdulais They were all together, through 10 miles in in under 23 minutes, all going well, until Bill got lost at Macdonalds roundabout and headed off to Brecon........

After much shouting and confusion, Bill circumnavigated the McDonalds roundabout and eventually caught them back in time for the back road. All was well until the elastic broke for Jeff Griffiths at the Rock & Fountain. Undeterred, our intrepid Trio continued on to record a very respectable 1:3:57

Next Out of the Blocks PTW2 Nigel Pitt, Andy Lewis, Chris Allen and yours Truly. Off we went, and a cracking pace was set on the outward leg on the dual carriageway. A finer example of through and off you have not witnessed, and all was well until we discovered...... Andy was missing......... just before Aberdulais......... No shout, No sign of struggle, GONE!. Such was the suddenness of his departure we all thought he had punctured so we ploughed on. We went through 5 miles in 10:37, 10 miles came and went in 22:21. We caught the Cardiff Ajax Ladies, before Macdonalds Roundabout we headed left (we had a map) and got ready for the back road.

Now I must admit I had been comfortable on the Dual carriageway but the back road is made for my lighter companions and thankfully after a few shouts of EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE they nursed me over the lumps and bumps and even let me lead up the Rock.. We kept this up and finished in 1:00:07

Next up was PT3, a hardy looking bunch consisting of CJ, Dai Smith, Pip Lewis and WHO IS JOHN DAVIES? With Club Jesey' suitably modified on a WOK, Off went this Quality Quartet. Must say Guys, you looked superb (With the exception of CJ who turned up in red shorts. Although after further investigation itwas understandable as Giordana would not guarantee the strength of the cotton in the club kit)

A cracking pace was set along the dual carraigeway with speeds of 35 MPH being recorded. So much so that the lure of Macdonalds was too much for Pip and he decided to call it a day returning to the HQ to get ready for his business meeting. Still our hardy Trio pressed on. WHO IS JOHN DAVIES reportedly hit the front on the Rock only to be remonstrated by his Compatriots with a gentle "GET BACK YOU LITTLE........" Or at least something like that. Normal service was then resumed and they recorded an excellent 1:03:15

Now we were getting to some seriously quick guys and PT4 looked to be a good bet for Honours consisting of Spot, Hugh Davies (Sweep), Andy Evans and Mark Stacey.
Off they went......High speeds and no mean amount of effort saw this quartet fly along. Amazingly, Mark was on a road bike, no low pro for him, so probably this was the ride of the night as he stayed there right to the end with Spot on a mission. Hugh on the other hand couldn't quite hang on on the back road and with Spot ripping through on the blind side once too often, the elastic broke leaving the trio to finish in 57:10.

Then Came PTW5, the dream team, the young pretenders to the throne and what a ride they did all things considered. James Lewis Hefin Price, Dave (Disco) Crowley and Curtis Stacey. Off they went intent on ripping each others legs off, This was something I wanted to see.......

Off to Aberdulais only 18 seconds between them and Cwmcarn. But then the gremlins set in. Disco's seat moved, meaning his position was not good (Rumour has it that there was a photographer on the course and Disco could not be seen in such an un Aero position so decided to retire) Dave says he lost all power but hey............ was it a coincidence......... The loss of the 4th man so early meant that James couldn't be too cruel and had to hold back, the loss of one more man would mean no finish, Curtis' foot came out of his cleats a few times also........ AAAARGH, but still they finished in 54:41 winning the prize for first team with a Junior. The event was won by Cwmcarn who just failed to catch our boys recording a 51:59.

Back at the HQ Mr LLoyd and Family put on Excellent refrshments and there was much chatting about what had gone on. and what might have been. Most club members are still wondering WHO IS JOHN DAVIES everyone else is thinking, how fast would that have been on the R25/3L course DAMN!

Thanks for all your posative comments about the event. Its a pleasure to run and to be a member of a supportive club.
An event is non existant without racers so a thanks to all entrants.
See you all next year, get your entry in early, i am only allowed 40 teams and Ajax said they want to field 20 teams. I for one believe them!!

Thanks again
Dave & Lynette

Was a great event and very well organised, and even though i was hanging on at stages, I can't wait till next year!
And an awsome write up from Les. ( as always )

curtis

Many thanks for the write up Les. I think. I seem to be going down in club history as The Man Who Had Never Met John Davies...

... and as for the McDonald's rbt, well, I haven't been up that bit of road since at least last year. I could have sworn there was another rbt to go. Oh well, perhaps I ought to get Alf to burp up some more course directions. It's his special talent

Could I please enter next year's event right now? Thank you.

Have to agree with all comments dave, an excellent evening was had by all.
Thank You.

It was my 1st 25 + my 1st 4up and i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it, even the "wandering Bill" episode!!!!
If im in Bills team again, could someone lend him a satnav please.lol