PTW

Sunny intervals and a moderate breeze - Race Time Temp 19°C

Ignore today's wet weather because Thursday looks a fantastically sunny day until late afternoon and although we'll see some clouds at race time there's very little risk of rain (1%) so make the most of it boys and girls and please note that this is the last of our 19.00hrs starts.

Anyway, here are the essentials;

1. We meet up at the Neath Canal Car Park in Resolven for signing on from about 18.00hrs and closing at 18.45hrs for a prompt 19.00hrs race start.

2. You have to be a member of the PTW or a second-claim member of the PTW. There is no 'single race' fee - you have to join the club as a first-claim or second-claim member.

Course Description

START on the Vale of Neath Supplier Estate service road opposite Lamp Post No. 18. Proceed eastwards along the service road to the Resolven Roundabout (0.458 miles). (Safety Notice:- Do not cross the centre line of the road on the right hand bend). Take the 1st exit left along A465 dual carriageway westbound to the 1st exit left (4.862 miles). Continue up the loop to the small Tonna Roundabout where take the 1st exit to the large Aberdulais Interchange. Take the 4th exit (5.505 miles) to proceed down the slip road to re-join A465 dual carriageway. Proceed eastbound to the Resolven Roundabout where take 1st exit left to FINISH at the access road to the Canal Car Park on the cross-valley link road (10.006 miles).

Conditions were slightly better than the forecast and this spurred many of you on to some excellent SB's. On average, the times were just 4 seconds off your SB's but Brad was just 1 second off his SB... set on the night before! Once again, we had a lorry parked on the course but with the driver's evening meal sizzling away we wished him a "Iyi akÅŸamlar" and all got past him safely including Diane Wilson-Evans who was first off and first back... and by a good margin too! Stephen Morgan was 25 seconds off his SB and was well within the sights of Mr. Metronome (Clinton Evans) who knocked out yet another '21' this one just 8 seconds behind his SB and good enough for 2nd on the night. Similarly, Emma Davies was 10 seconds off her PB - another great ride in a great season.

John Shehan was only 3 seconds away from a new SB and just got ahead of Rob Lucas who was 20 seconds back on SB but Hollie Labunsky showed them how it's done by nabbing a new SB of 24:56. We had two new members join us last night and both recorded good benchmark rides that will allow us to correctly slot them in the starting order in future weeks. From West Wales, Gareth Shanklin recorded a 24:01 to give himself an obvious target for next week! Slightly closer to home, Anthony Williams from Tondu finished 7th with a 23:23 - two great PTW debuts there.

Mike Broadbent's form is coming back and he snuck under the '24' again as did Brad Davies who recorded 23:51 last night (on top of his 23:50 from the night before at the MCC Club 10) to take the midfield win. Dai Abbott is now on a bike with 700C wheels front and rear and while he's still getting used to his new TT bike he took almost a full minute off his SB to record a 24:47. Wearing another rather daring skinsuit, John 'Von Trapp' Deeley is another rider coming into form and he clipped another 8 seconds off his SB to record a 23:12 to finish 6th. Orange Paisley rocks! If John doesn't get a '22' next week then he really must make it a target for 2023. David Wilson-Evans came ever so close to a '22' himself to finish 5th and his 23:01 was a new SB by 8 seconds.

Neil Gregory was 29 seconds off his SB to finish 4th and, perhaps, last week's cancelled event broke Neil G's progress but Graham Rogerson's season is still gently building and he justified his Top 3 seeding by blasting out a 22:05 to finish 3rd. Returning from a calorie-intense family holiday, Neil Seaward just about got away with it and took the win with a 21:25 and will be back to his best for one last crack at a '20' next week. Well done Neil.

Alfie's MOTM goes to David Wilson-Evans for a new SB and a high finish on the night.

Thanks to Dai for time-keeping, Will for the whistles, Julian for marshaling the turn and also to Tony and Shirley for taking your menu orders for our end of season soirée.

Please note that next week will be the last club event on the dual and the final Thursday night will be on the back road - it's just a bit too busy on the DC at 18.30hrs.