March 2000

STOP PRESS

I have to report that Club President Andy Kelly suffered a minor stroke earlier this month. He is currently recovering at home.

Ruaraidh Gillies

TRACK NIGHT

Another successful track night at the velodrome on February 17th. It was well attended by club members, from Dave Quinn’s two lads 7 and 9 years old, to our oldest track star in the club Doug Phillips. Clive Walmsley was a great coach, doing an excellent job helping riders with their track skills.

TRACK ACCREDITATION

For riders who have ridden the Velodrome there is an all day accreditation session on April 29th. £15 for morning skill session and lunch (payable in advance) £10 for afternoon induction session (payable on day once skills session successfully passed). You need this accreditation to ride any open sessions at the velodrome.

Tel: 0161 223 2244

LVRC

Update on the series of 3 LVRC meetings at the Velodrome recently:-
Feb 5th:- Clive Walmsley  1st in 4-event Omnium, Geoff Brandt 4th in Omnium (1st in 750m sprint).
Feb 19th:- Geoff Brandt 2nd in Omnium (1st in 750m sprint, 2nd in 20 lap scratch) C Walmsley & D Parry DNS.
March 4th:- Geoff Brandt joint 1st in Omnium (1st in 750m sprint, 1st in Keirin, 2nd in 20 lap scratch) C Walmsley & D Parry DNS.

Geoff Brandt

FOR SALE

GB rider Michele Ward has various Track and road equipment for sale. Shoes, helmets, frames and wheels plus many more items for more information call Michele on :- 01244 571 986

L.T.T.C.A

Qualifying Events and Championship for 2000

The Junior Championship (2 Events to qualify)

9th April West Cheshire 25 D25/9

2nd July Birkenhead Vics 25 D25/12

10th Sep West Cheshire 25 D25/8

The Senior Championship

(must complete 25mile, 50mile,100mile and 12hr from the following events)

9th April West Cheshire 25 D25/9

7th May Phoenix C.C. 25 D25/5

11th June Chester R.C 25 D25/15

10th Sept West Cheshire25 D25/8

14th May West Cheshire50 D50/2

13th Aug Mid-Shrops Wheel 50 D50/3

3rd Sept Chester R.C 50 D50/2

29th May Anfield B.C 100 D100/2

6th Aug Shropshire CCA 100 D100/2

20th Aug WCTTCA/LTTCA 12hour D12/2

There are many good Time Triallists in the club so let’s make an impression on these championships.

THE BRUGGEN 3 DAY

The North End have been invited to a 3 day stage race in Germany organised by the Royal Air Force on the 19/20/21 May. A 4-man team is required, all racing is on Camp roads and there are 4 stages.

3.4km TT / 60km road race / 45min + 5lap crit / 120km road stage.

If interested contact me on the number below. Or email on spinergy@gbyrne1.fsnet.co.uk

EXCUSE OF THE MONTH

How about this for an excuse, when one of the young juveniles David Berry failed to turn up at the mills on Sunday. His friend James Hartley phoned him to see were he was, his excuse his bike was stuck on the turbo trainer!!!!!!!. Its one of the best I have heard unless anyone else has heard better.

BBC WANT US

The BBC have approached the Club, they are making a new series called Job Swaps. They are looking for two friends who share an enthusiasm in cycling, but are engaged in very different fields of work. Both must be well established in their careers aged between 30 & 55 and be enthusiastic about exchanging jobs with a friend for a week.

If anyone is interested, contact the Jonathan Warde BBC 0161 244 4264

Email : jonathan.warde@bbc.co.uk

FRANCE 1948

JULY/AUGUST

SAT Lime Street. Night train to London. Fare £2.50 return.

SUN Morning, ride bikes to BEA office. Dismantle bikes and taken by bus to London Airport Northolt (ex RAF). Flight (first time) by Vickers "Viking" Aircraft, propeller driver. Air fare return Paris £14.00 (no civil jets in those days). Arrive Le Bourget (Paris Airport). Bus into centre of Paris. Assemble bikes. Find Thomas Cook’s office. Change money and get digs address in Rue Rivoli. Call at digs. Leave bags, ride about 15 miles to outside of Paris to watch the Tour de France go by, won that year by Bartali. Rode back to Paris. Passed a hotel with cars with bikes on top. Turned out to be Bartali’s bike. Did not see the great man but his bike had a Brooks saddle. Back to digs, food and bed.

MON Bike to Gare de Lyon station to get a train to Lyon. Got into 1st class compartment. Later an inspector moved us to a 3rd class seat. Arrived at Lyon, looked for digs. Dig OK, with good food. Drank all the soup meant for other tables. On returning to our room and switching the light on, there were cockroaches everywhere, but they soon disappeared and we slept OK.TUES Left Lyon to ride south down the Rhone Valley. Weather was warm and sunny. Passed a bike shop, stopped for a look. Bought goggles. Owner wanted to buy my (Gordon’s) saddle which was a Brooks Swallow (no deal). Carried on Route N7, looked for digs. Digs Ok.

WED On down Rhone Valley. Traffic very light, roads good. Passed through Montelimar (of nougat fame) to Orange. Looked for digs no problem.

THURS Left Orange and on down Rhone Valley. River close to the road at times. Scenery lovely, passed through Avignon where we left the River Rhone and headed for Aix en Provence. On arrival in town centre we met 3 other English bike riders, the Mills brothers from the Liverpool Century and Alan Francis from the Walton C&AC (met Alan again at the VTTA dinner in Heswall on 16/1/2000) They recommended some digs for us. They were heading north and we south. We did not see them the following morning.

FRI Left Aix, weather getting hot, Heading for St Raphael. Started to see road signs full of bullet holes, shot up by troops we supposed. Through Brignoles and Frejus to St Rapheal. Found a first class hotel overlooking the Med. On the beach was a rusting landing craft left by invading forces in 1944? Booked into hotel. Took bags off bikes and concierge wheeled our bikes away to a garage. We had an excellent meal on the roof restaurant under the stars. Chatted in the bar later to a few English guests.

SAT On slowly along the coast heading for Nice via Cannes and Antibes. Stopped for lunch, where a local tried to push my ‘John Bull’ tyres off the rim to see if they were tubulars. Stopped several times during our ride along the coast and saw our first topless ladies on the beach! Arrived in Nice, found some digs. We had a walk round Nice after our evening meal. Visited a bar where two ladies propositioned us! But we had no money to spare so off we went to bed.

SUN We leave Nice and head towards the Alps steadily climbing for most of the day through L’Escarene towards Puget-Theniers to stay the night at the hotel recommended by Alan Francis and co who we had met earlier. The weather was perfect.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH……………….

A Kelly, G Thompson

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