2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
It's a National hat trick for Plowman Craven Evans Cycles!
2nd July 2007
Plowman Craven Evans Cycles took their third National Championship in the space of a fortnight when the trio of Tony Gibb, Simon Gaywood and James Millard won the National 25 mile three-up Team Time Trial Championship in Wales at the weekend, beating their closest rivals by 47 seconds. Their finishing time of 49.55 – based on an average speed of 30 mph and a top speed of 37 mph – was achieved in spite of strong winds and a torrential downpour, both of which had died by the time the second placed team of Michael Hutchinson began their ride. The Sportscover-Planet X team of Wayne Randle and John Tanner were third.
It was a third National title for the Team and the second for Tony Gibb this season; two weeks ago he won the National Derny Pacing Championship in Cardiff and a few days later team mate James McCallum won the National Criterium Championship in Otley, Yorkshire.
It was also the second victory for the Plowman Craven Evans Cycles riders on the Glynneath course near Port Talbot in West Glamorgan. Two weeks earlier the trio, together with team mate Gordon McCauley took the Port Talbot Wheeler 25 mile four-up on the same course, setting a new course record of 50.03 in the process, also in appalling weather conditions.
Photo © Martin Jenkins
Three-up victory makes three-time National Champs
"Gordon must have been slowing us up," joked Millard as he, Gibb and Gaywood waited to collect their championship medals.
The ever-cheerful Gibb was celebrating the fact that "I've now won National medals on the track, in criteriums and time trialling."
As Gaywood rightly pointed out, "we are a versatile lot!"
Although unable to ride the National three-up, Kiwi Gordon McCauley was not to be outdone by his team mates, winning the Hemel Hempstead 25 mile individual time trial in 52.39, beating his nearest rival by nearly 4 minutes despite constant heavy rain and strong winds. The course record is 51.09, set by ex Canadian pro Matt Anand on a picture perfect day with no wind and a busy road offering plenty of opportunity to draft, so McCauley's time in light of the conditions was another fast ride for the man currently lying in fourth place in the Premier Calendar road race series.
"The guys at the race thought my time was pretty good given the conditions" commented McCauley, "but I'm always trying to set the bar higher in my time trialling."
In a nice coincidence McCauley's win comes almost 40 years after Plowman Craven Evans Cycles team boss and founder Simon Barnes won the same event.
Not to be outdone...Gordon McCauley
McCauley has had a lot of success recently riding time trials in the Hemel Hempstead area. Earlier in the month he broke the course record for the Hemel Hempstead 10 mile time trial by an astounding 30 seconds to record a winning time of 20.06; and he also won the 18 mile Hemel Hempstead Hilly time trial in 44.26, breaking a course record which has stood since 1991.
For McCauley, who is hoping to make the New Zealand Time Trial Team for the World Championships in Stuttgart in September, the Hemel Hempstead Hilly with its rolling course and three ascents of a 2 km climb was excellent preparation.
"Stuttgart is a hillier than usual course" observed McCauley.
The New Zealand squad will be announced on 21 August.
This Wednesday (4th July) Plowman Craven Evans Cycles travel to the Rochdale GP for the latest round of the National Circuit Series.
» view full race calender - click here
More information from Jonathan O’Neil: +44 (0) 7956250837 or click here
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