Swanson is fastest in Caithness Cycling Club 10-mile time trial
In Caithness Cycling Club’s weekly 10-mile time trial Stuart Swanson posted the fastest time of 25 min 10 sec, ahead of Iain Miller and Wick visitor Alun Arnold.
The rain stopped just in time for the first rider and, with a temperature of 12C and a 10 mph south-westerly wind, conditions were reasonably good.
No-one achieved a season’s best, although Iain Miller did equal his and scored the maximum six points in the handicap league.
Times: 1 Stuart Swanson (road bike), 25 min 10 sec; 2 Iain Miller, 25.51; 3 Alun Arnold, 26.30; 4 Roger Broughton, 27.35; 6 Martine Hughes (road bike), 33.57.
Swanson had also been fastest in the Caithness CC 10-mile time trial the previous week, although he was 21 seconds down on his season’s best. Runner-up Iain Miller posted a six-second improvement but the best improvements were by Martine Hughes (27 seconds) and Gary Angus (23 seconds).
Times: 1 Stuart Swanson (road bike), 25 min 14 sec; 2 Iain Miller, 25.51; 3 Alun Arnold (Wick), 26.19; 4 Alistair Miller, 26.35; 5 Roger Broughton, 26.59; 6 Gary Angus, 28.55; 7 Alasdair Washington, 29.24; 8 Martine Hughes (road bike), 33.49.
This weekend the club hosts its annual Caithness Festival of Cycling with local riders joined by those from Orkney, the Highlands and as far away as Glasgow. The first event is the Mack Mowat Memorial 25-mile time trial on Saturday afternoon, followed on Sunday morning by the Caithness “10” and the 1.9-mile Scrabster Hillclimb.
An improvement in the weather saw three riders achieve personal best times in Wick Wheelers’ 10-mile time trial, with another recording his best time on the Wick course.
Mari Cole took one minute and 39 seconds off her PB to come within 20 seconds of the all-time ladies’ course record.
James Munro’s recent good form produced a one minute and 29-second reduction in his PB.
Rhys Evans improved by two minutes and eight seconds.
Iain Miller lowered his best time for the Wick course by one second to tie with Stuart Swanson for third place.
Stuart Anderson was well clear of Danny Miller for first and second places respectively.
Times: 1 Stuart Anderson, 22 min 47 sec; 2 Danny Miller, 24.34; 3eq Iain Miller, Stuart Swanson, 25.27; 5 Mari Cole, 25.57 (PB); 6 James Munro, 26.12 (PB); 7 Rhys Evans, 27.24 (PB); 8 Charlie Mackay, 28.09; 9 George Ewing, 28.15; 10 Kev Stewart, 29.03; 11 Lisa Coghill, 30.31.