The ninth running of the Bontranger Twentyfour12 took place at Newnham Park, Plymouth.
For the first time, the three service cycling unions arranged for the event to be used to stage the IS XC Endurance Championships. As a first attempt, only a male team event was held, although there were 2 RNRMCA, 1 RAF and 1 Army Mixed Team, a Combined Service
Mixed Novice Team and several hardcore 24 hour soloists from across the services. In all,
15 riders represented the RNRM, although a few other members were there riding as privateers which was good to see. The track itself was a true mountain biker ’s course with testing climbs, rocky, rooty fast descents, leg sapping winding singletrack through the woods, grassy switchbacks through the camping area and even a river crossing. The quick riders were getting round in 30-34 minutes, whilst the more normal amongst us were in the 42-46 minute bracket. Two
Strava Sections allowed the whippets to test their mettle against the clock on the Cliff Climb and the Bluebell Wood descent, although one or two of the other teams took this part a bit too seriously as sunrise on Sunday saw a number of facial stitches and slings as testament to some hard riding.
In the mixed team event, the two RN teams again performed well against strong opposition. The teams, broadly split into the aged and the slightly less so, contained a number of riders for whom this was the first event of this type which reflects well on their decent showings. The ‘Spares or Repairs’ team (31 laps) led by
Jane Smith (Associate Member) benefitted from the strong road legs of the Association Chairman (thank you sir and sorry about the gravel rash) and some consistently fast laps from Rob Smith to finish fifth out of twenty teams; Gilly Gilson deserves mention for volunteering to go out on the dreaded last, extra lap. The
Team of 4 (29 laps), led from the front by Slinger Wood
(Ex-CPOET(ME)) and completed by Jenna Kelway, Tim
Chudley and Will Horsepool, gelled well and managed to survive a couple of nasty offs on the rooty sections to come in eleventh, a really encouraging result given the inexperience of the team. Unfortunately the Army (34 laps) and RAF (33 laps) teams had a little too much and finished first and second overall respectively.
In the novice cat, with two RN riders linking up with riders from the Army and RAF to form the CS Team, some very strong efforts from Laura Foster (CPOET(ME)) and
Gareth ‘Oily’ Wragg (Lt Cdr) enabled the team to finish in fourth having completed an impressive 30 laps. As important, the CS team formed good bonds with the other service camps, something the more compe titive elements in some of the other camps didn’t quite achieve.
Deserving of very special mention is Mne Will Duguid who took on the challenge of the 24 Hour Solo event. Will kept turning the pedals for a hugely impressive 18 laps,
1

eventually finishing 24 th . Only those that have competed non stop for 24hrs will understand what an achievement this is.
There were signs that RNRM XC Endurance MTB racing is healthy. We brought more riders than the other two better funded and resourced Associations and although our pit was a quieter place in number of support staff, it was the beating heart of our tight team of riders. Mention of Rob
Smith must be made who as the coordinator of both the IS event and the RNRM Teams did a fantastic job. He also provided the main catering facilities for our pit with
Chez Smith Mobile Home, helped run registration along with Jane, kept smiling the whole time and put in lap times that were in the top 10% overall. Also, Slinger Woods did an excellent PR job by using his time between the last two laps not to lie down and die (like I know he wanted to) but to stand track side by the RNRM pit in his RNRMCA top handing out jelly babies to all the tired riders trailing through. I think this exemplifies the important role that RNRM sport plays in promoting the Service to the public. Although no silver ware was won, we put in a good showing at one of the premier XC Endurance events in the country and generated a buzz that should hopefully see greater interest in this type of event over the winter and into next season.
The RNRMCA 50 Mile Time Trial championship was incorporated into the Southdown Velo
Open event which took place in Hampshire on the P901/50 (A27 near Fontwell). With just 5
RN riders entered, turn out for us was slightly disappointing. WO1 Sean Childs won the Open event and with it the RN championship in a new RN championship record of 1:49:59. Lt Col
Lenny Brown was the overall runner up in the RN champs with 1.54.41 and gave an indication of what he is capable of. Third RN and 6 th overall was stalwart Mr Chris Vellacott in
1.55.41.
3 Navy riders; Lenny Brown, Lt Cdr Nick Percy, and Sean Childs ventured to the Lake
District for the Blue Ribbon event of Time Trials, the National 25 mile TT championship.
Conditions were far from perfect with some heavy downpours; however, this could not deter
Matt Bottrill (Drag2Zero) on the day as he swept all opposition away with a blistering 48.15.
Sean was 11 th overall in (his best 25 Nat TT placing since 2008) and just over a minute off a podium place in 51.04, with Lenny 84 th in 56.42 and Nick having recently returned from deployment 98 th in 58.59.
As part of the Royal Marines 350 th year celebrations, WO2 Dug Hickin organised the very successful RM350 Ride Sportive, which consisted of (yes, you’ve guessed it) 350 miles.
Many, including me thought that this was a bike ride too far for most; however, in true
Bootneck fashion 110 serving and former RMs took this challenge in their stride. Starting from Portsmouth on the Saturday morning, they ticked off military bases on route at
Winchester, Blandford, Taunton, Exmouth, Yeovilton, Blanford and Winchester again before returning to Portsmouth. Over 95% completed the whole distance and between them, they raised a large amount of money through sponsorship for various affiliated RM charities. Big chuck up as well to the 75 volunteers, who helped man desks, supports stops, baggage areas, provide transport and distribute medals and tots of port. Well done all, we salute you!
2

If one was to say where did you hide whilst Hurricane Bertha was at full strength, not many would say a concrete dual carriageway in South Wales? As the sole RN participant Sean
Childs decided to do just this. The weather was so bad that only a 1/3 of the field actually started; and if it wasn’t a championship event, it would have been cancelled. Torrential downpours, thunder, lightning and mud rivers on R100/8 (Raglan/Abergavenny/Monmouth) course did not deter him from winning the event in a time of 3.43.10 (his second fastest 100 to date) by over 3 minutes from Richard Spink (Bristol South CC).
Mr Graham Moir (former RM) was our sole representative in the National 10 held on the super quick V718 course near Hull. On a good day, he put in a sterling performance to finish
=25 th in a time of 19.00 to set a new Club Record, bettering the previous one by a massive
21 seconds. Fancy riding at that speed and still not making the top 20! Completely bonkers and well done Graham.
LReg Sam Kelly organised a superb eleventh annual Navy Cycling Road Race championships which took place from the Defence School of Policing and Guarding (DSPG),
Southwick Park; incorporating for the first time, open roads around the vicinity of Wickham,
Hants. The course consisted of a repeated 6.5 mile circuit of slightly undulating and rolling roads, which helped to split up the riders. First race off was the combined ladies championship and sprint event (novices) who contested 4 laps (28 miles) in the morning, followed later in the afternoon by the larger open field which included the men’s championship race over 7 laps (47 miles). The event attracted 68 competitors in total. Both races were exciting and tactical to watch (including those who resided in the local pub’s front beer garden), where the stronger riders were constantly marked out and not allowed to make enough distance to force an escape, whilst the shrewd riders tucked in wherever they could to reserve energy which was usually required to chase down a breakaway or on the long drag to the finish line on each lap. The event itself was a major success, with only one rider receiving a few scrapes. In all it was a very successful event. Well done to C/Sgt Ollie Yates on taking his first RN Road title, closely followed home by another MTBer PO Stuart
Mackenzie in the runner up position. AB Gabrielle Saunderson had an easier day in the ladies race winning by almost 10 minutes. Brief results as follows:
Men’s Championship (Top 10)
Pos Name
1 C/Sgt Ollie Yates
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
PO Stuart Mackenzie
WO1 Sean Childs
WO2 Mark Mullen
PO Lee Grunwell
LS(D) Tim Chudley
WO2 John Storrie
CPO Tony Staples
Mr Chris Head
Unit
43 Cdo RM
HMS HERON
CTCRM
HMS HERON
RNAS Culdrose
Age Cat Time
Senior 2 hr 2 min 16 sec
Senior same time
HMS TEMERAIRE Vet 43 @ 6 sec
HMS TRENCHANT Senior same time
RNAS Culdrose
FDU1
Senior
Senior
@ 54 sec same time
Vet 45
Vet 45
Senior same time same time same time
Senior same time 10 C/Sgt David Weatherspoon 43 Cdo RM
Men’s support race (novice sprint (Top 5)
Pos Name
1 Cpl Mark Halliwell
2
3
Mne Aaron Daly
Mne Joshua Terry
Unit
RM Poole
RM Poole
RM Poole
Age Cat
Senior
Senior
Senior
Time
1 hr 17 min 59 sec same time same time
4
5
Maj Mike Campbell
Lt Cdr Keith Mabbott
NCHQ Vet 46 same time
HMS EXCELLENT Vet 40 same time
3

Ladies championship (timings as per the Men’s support race)
Pos Name Unit Age Cat Time
1
2
3
4
AB Gabrielle Saunderson
Lt Cdr Roxanne Heaton
Cpl Izzy House
MA Donia Lindo
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS Senior @ 12 min 9 sec
NCHQ Senior @ 22 min 5 sec
HMS EXCELLENT Senior @ 1 lap
HMS MONTROSE Senior @ 1 lap
The second annual Inter-Services Downhill Championship took place at Revolution Bike
Park, Llangynog, Powys; a change to the original plan, where a superb ‘can do’ attitude from
C/Sgt Sam Shields and Cpl John Bennett ensured the event actually went ahead, after many enforced constraints leading up to the day of the event itself. Consisting of one practice day, followed by the race day, competitors had two runs to establish their fastest run which dictated their overall position. With no ladies present, the veterans were set off first followed by the masters and then seniors. The event attracted 40 competitors in total (a good result considering Downhill is only in its second season proper). The course had a variety of steep technical descents, fast high speed sections, drops and jumps, all of which tested the riders ’ abilities and nerve. Both race runs were exciting to watch with many taking risks resulting in crashes. The RN contingent did themselves proud, and although they could not match the
Army or RAF, they have proved without a doubt that they are a force to be reckoned with in the future. Congratulations to Wayne Mitchell (Snrs), John Bennet (Masters) and Sam
Shields (Veteran) for being recognised as RN champions in their respective categories. Brief results as follows:
SENIORS (Top 10)
Pos Name Service
1 BORROWDALE, CHRIS ARMY
2 GRINDLEY, DAN
3 LAVERY, JAMES
ARMY
ARMY
4 MITCHELL, WAYNE
5 WOODS, JAMIE
6 ROGERS, PAUL
7 MURRAY, GRAEME
8 WIGHTON, LEWIS
9 FREEGUARD, ANDY
10 WATTS, COLBY
RNRM
RNRM
RAF
RAF
RAF
ARMY
ARMY
1st Run
Time
2.56.44
3.02.28
3.02.64
3.03.97
3.04.19
3.14.34
3.12.27
3.13.32
3.09.98
3.09.37
2nd Run
Time
2.52.73
4.21.47
3.06.73
3.04.15
3.11.01
3.04.89
3.05.02
3.07.45
3.07.52
3.08.32
Fastest Time
2.52.73
3.02.28
3.02.64
3.03.97
3.04.19
3.04.89
3.05.02
3.07.45
3.07.52
3.08.32
Pos Name
1 HEAL, JAMES
2 FENTON, BARRY
3 RICHARDSON, TONY
4 BENNETT, JOHN
5 MOUNT, CHRIS
MASTERS (Top 5)
Service
1st Run
Time
ARMY
ARMY
RNRM
ARMY
3.00.02
2.59.24
3.11.83
3.17.11
3.46.09
2nd Run
Time
2.53.68
3.03.10
3.19.43
3.15.78
3.27.62
Fastest time
2.53.68
2.59.24
3.11.83
3.15.78
3.27.62
Pos Name
1 MACMILLAN, ANDY
2 NEEDHAM, ZAK
3 SHIELDS, SAM
4 BRYNE, TREV
5 EVERSON, TONY
VETERANS (Top 5)
Service
RAF
ARMY
RNRM
ARMY
ARMY
1st Run
Time
3.18.16
3.23.61
3.36.31
3.42.49
3.34.71
2nd Run
Time
3.26.24
3.21.88
3.26.60
3.29.55
3.35.20
Fastest time
3.18.16
3.21.88
3.26.60
3.29.55
3.34.71
4

The RN West Country Blazing Saddles
(WCBS) cycling challenge attracted over 44 riders. Taking place from Newnham Park,
Plymouth (HQ) it covered 53 miles of challenging and undulating roads over the
Dartmoor National Park, which included over 5000 ft of ascending. The event was based as sportive, thus not being a race, to encourage military personnel to get on their bikes with other like-minded indeed individuals to embrace a slightly more challenging environment than their usual daily commute. Starting in groups of four to five every two minutes to reduce road congestion and risk, times were recorded for personal achievements only. WO2 John Storrie completed the course in a blistering 3.25.45. All finishers received a well-earned medal, refreshments and an increase in morale, plus another dit to add to their collection. Particular praise must be awarded to the main organiser
POPT Ronnie Barker and his two assistants (all from HMS DRAKE) who did a superb job in ensuring every detail was covered throughout. The event was a major success, and plans are already in place to make this bigger and better next year.
The Inter-Service and RNRMCA MTB XC championships took place on Woodbury Common,
Devon , superbly organised by the PT2 Qualifier’s Course from CTCRM under the direction of
Andy Plewes and a small band of dedicated RNRMCA mountain bikers. The demanding 3.5 mile course consisting of loose, steep climbs and highly technical descents was one that befitted a championship of this calibre, with riders tackling the loop four or five times depending on their category. The event consisted of two separate races further divided into various rider categories. First off were the Inter-Services riders gridded by Service in front of the main field of
RNRMCA Seniors and Veterans (including Army/RAF guests). The Novice field then set off 2 minutes later. Due to the challenging nature of the course the 65 starters very quickly spread out, with lap times va rying from 16 minutes to over ½ an hour. The competition at the front of the field was fast and furious with riders swapping position depending on their particular strengths; there were long open ‘fire road’ sections favouring the strong as well as very steep climbs and descents to favour the more skilful, as well as loads of fast flowing single-track to put a smile on riders’ faces. The racing was close and exciting with a fair smattering of tumbles and mechanicals – luckily the HQ First Aid kits were only required on one occasion. The main event was the Inter-Services Championships; teams of 7 men and 1 women from each service racing for the main prize. Despite the Army taking the first two positions, the Navy’s strength in depth, placing 6 riders in the top 10, assured them of the overall victory. Due to operational commitments a greatly depleted RAF team bravely brought up the rear. Given the winning performance of the RN team, as well as the positive feedback from the riders, the 2014 MTB XC
Champs can be assessed as a hugely successful demonstration of the strong position of mountain biking in the RN. BZ to Surg Lt Cdr Al Lovell on his 3 rd place overall and PO Laura
Forster on her runner up position, as well as taking their respective RN titles along the way.
Although the RNRMCA will not be hosting the Inter-Service event next year, planning is already underway to modify the course to facilitate greater novice participation to continue growing the sport. Brief results as follows:
5

1
INTER SERVICES (TOP 10)
PERRY
2 SPILSBURY
ARMY
ARMY
3 LOVELL
4 MACKENZIE
5 LEUNGEN
6 GATES
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
7
8
9
10
CRANER
PROUDMAN
SMITH
JARRATT
RAF
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
RAF
82:45
83:16
84:43
87:16
89:39
90:45
91:57
94:14
96:37
97:34
1
2
3
4
5
RNRMCA SENIORS (TOP 5)
LOVELL
MACKENZIE
84:43
87:16
KESTLE
PROUDMAN
GOULD
87:47
94:14
100:29
1
2
3
4
RNRMCA VETERANS (TOP 4)
LEUNGEN
CRANER
89:39
91:57
SMITH
CHILDS
96:37
97:34
1
2
RNRMCA LADIES
LAYCOCK 101:40
FORSTER
STAITE
92:10 (4 laps)
100:28 (4 laps) 3
1
2
3
4
5
RNRMCA NOVICES (4 LAPS)
GREGORY 87:19
STEVENS
TAYLOR
91:43
96:34
CAMPBELL
REGAN
96:36
97:25
-
20 RNRMCA riders made the annual pilgrimage to this year internationally acclaimed Duo
Normand 2 Up Team Time Trial, in Normandy France. This year’s package was organised by outgoing Chairman Dave Wallace, as his final swansong before departing the RN, accompanied by the ever faithful support crew of Roger Ridley, Sally Dean and Linda
Richards who ensure all riders’ needs were taken care of. Conditions this year were quite favourable, and with many of our riders stronger and fitter than in previous years, it had the potential for many pairings to achieve PBs over the 33 miles course (which consisted of a flat first half and very rolling/hilly second half). Sean and Graham were the highest placed team overall in 12 th , and 1 st Veteran team breaking the previous record (which Sean broke last year with multiple Scottish champion Iain Grant) by over a minute. It was not all good news, though as the curse of bad luck struck our tandem pairing of Bob Richards and Mark Gorman who suffered their 3 rd DNF on the trot, this time due to a puncture.
Top 5 Pros
1 Truls Engen KORSAETH - Reidar Bohlin BORGERSEN Team Joker 01:05:32 49,72 kmp/h
2 Anthony DELAPLACE - Arnaud GERARD Bretagne Séché 01:06:23 49,08
3 Artem OVECHKIN - Ivan BALYKIN Rusvelo 01:07:52 48,01
4 Maxim POKIDOV – Maxim RAZUMOV Itera Katusha 01:08:14 47,75
5 Brian VAN GOETHEN - Peter KONING Team Metec 01:08:35 47,50
6

6 Samuel PLOUHINEC - Pierre LEBRETON 01:09:22 46,97
7 Johan COENEN - Boris CARENE Team Differdange 01:10:01 46,53
8 William GUZMAN ROSARIO - Gediminas KAUPAS Team Differdange 01:11:17 45,70
9 Simon MCNAMARA - Christopher MCNAMARA 01:11:33 45,53
10 Corentin ERMENAULT - Adrien GAREL 01:12:06 45,19
11 Geoffroy LELIEVRE - Gaètan VINCENT 01:12:26 44,98
RN overall and category positions
12 Sean CHILDS - Graham MOIR 01:12:38 44,86 - 1st Vets
44 Chris VELLACOTT - Phil ROGERS 01:18:14 41,64 - 4th Vets
98 Antony STAPLES - James SCOTT 01:23:25 39,06 – 12th Vets
124 Jerry BROMYARD - Andrew PHIPPS 01:25:25 38,14 – 15th Vets
132 Tom COX - Stuart EDWARDS 01:26:06 37,84 - 17th Vets
140 David WALLACE - Barrie WHITEHEAD 01:27:00 37,45 - 18th Vets
163 David HALL - Stewart COX 01:28:29 36,82 - 22nd Vets
225 Paul SPANNER - Gabrielle SAUNDERSON 01:34:28 34,49 - 16th Mixed
231 Mark BEVERSTOCK - Mike HOMER 01:34:43 34,40 – 32 nd Vets
The Royal Navy under the organization of Sam Kelly played host to this years Inter Service
Road Race championships, which were held for the first time in many years on open roads around Southwick, on the same course previously used for the RN champs.
Unfortunately the RN was missing many of their stronger riders due to work commitments, which allowed the Army to show their strength in depth, as they dominated all three races.
It was a wet start to the morning as the support race rolled away from the HQ and through the village onto the course before the sun had been given a chance to start to dry out the tarmac. The women’s race, which started five minutes later, also had similar greasy road conditions to contend with at the start but by the end had dried sufficiently to allow for some fast cornering. Both the support race and ladies race were well supported by all three services, the Army fielding a full complement of ten and the RAF a team of eight Ladies, the RN managing a team of three. The support race that had generated significant interest was over subscribed. It took both races nearly three laps to settle with attacks soon being brought back very quickly. The Army riders who demonstrated the benefits of consistent and focused training in both races controlled their respective fields not allowing any break away until lap three when both events opened out. The support race saw six riders ease off the front and build up a minute lead before two riders from the Army forced the pace and got away. Both Capt Tony Ireland and SSgt Robert Jones now working hard together soon saw their gap increase quickly with only one other rider SSgt Robert
Froud managing to match the pace and he was soon across the gap and joined up with the two other team mates. With three riders from the Army away up the road the rest of the team came to the front to control the race and marshal any attacks. The Royal Navy despite good representation was just unable to muster the necessary team cohesion to break the obviously well drilled and stronger Army and RAF riders.
The Women’s race painted a similar picture also with three riders up the road but this time the gap was well over three minutes. The riders away were 2Lt Elizabeth Jane Harris and SSgt Chanel Mason of the Army and Sqn Ldr Victoria Webb from the RAF CC. LReg
Kelly, the Navy's strongest rider found herself unsupported in the pack surrounded by Army riders. This isolation prevented her from taking any tactical advantage she may have had forward. At the finish both Ireland and Jones were locked together with Capt Ireland taking the honours on the line. With the three leading women so far in front it was obvious who was going to cross the line in a podium place just not the order. As they came to the line the two
7

Women were locked together and they sat up held hands and crossed the line together with
Harris taking it from Mason and Webb third.
The afternoon’s main race had better weather as the early morning rain had gone to be replaced by warm sun and a drying road service. It was not long into the race before the
Army riders started to show their strength at the front of the pack, with two riders slipping away. WO1 Kev Sheppard (ACU) and Fg Off Anthony Richardson (RAF). The two soon built up a good lead of 45 sec being allowed to stay away for nearly two full laps before the bunch reeled them back in. The peloton having closed the gap re-organised and with the pair caught another four riders escaped off the front. Capitalising on their advantage after the catch, two riders from the Army SSgt Tom Stringer and WO2 Paul Jones pulled away down the closed road sections where they were quickly out of sight of the remainder of the bunch.
There were three chasers at 48secs; they were Sgt Deacon Cutterham and Spr Alex Royle of the Army and SAC Dan Watts (RAF). At the bell the order remained the same at the front although the three chasers were starting to be caught by the bunch. The two leaders came into sight together and they rode across the line with Jones taking the win from teammate
Stringer. The win was so convincing that there was then a wait of over a minute for the peloton to appear. When the peloton did show the order had changed again with the three chasers having been caught and a bunch kick for the final podium position being offered.
Dan Watts had the legs at the end to pop off the front leaving two riders from the Army to contest the scramble for the other leading places. The Royal Navy despite trying hard could not field a strong enough team to make much of a dent on the impressive Army Squad, a number of riders being absent on duty or suffering from minor illness and injury meant that although they put up a strong and gritty fight as with the previous two races they could just not bridge the gap and take any decisive action to break the Army stranglehold.
Despite the strength of the opposition there was a commendable effort by Sgt Mark
Hill, Cpl Matt Edwards and Maj Tjarko Leugen RNLMC who all held on to an aggressive field.
The Royal Navy’s two strongest riders on the day PO Stuart Mackenzie and CSgt Ollie Yates also gave a good account of themselves despite overwhelming odds and placed ninth and eleventh respectively surrounded by strong and tactically astute ACU riders who did their job of disrupting any challenge well. Photos of both races can be found at www.grahamrobins.net http://www.grahamrobins.net/photos/Interservices%20Cycling%20Road%20Race%20Champ
Brief results as follows:
Men’s championship (Top 15)
Pos Rank / Full Name SERVICE TEAM Cat
1 WO2
2 SSgt
3 SAC
4 Sgt
5 L/Bdr
6 WO1
7 Sgt
Paul Jones
Tom Stringer
Dan Watts
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
Royal Air Force CC
Deacon Cutterham Army Cycling Union
Kev Alexis Army Cycling Union
Kev Sheppard
Dan Lewis
Army Cycling Union
Royal Air Force CC
8 Off Cdt Robert Willcocks
9 PO Stuart Mackenzie
10 Capt
11 CSgt
Ryan Perry
Ollie Yates
12 Flt Lt
13 WO2
14 Capt
Ian Lewis
Steve Baker
Rick Hunt
Royal Air Force CC
Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA
Army Cycling Union
Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA
Royal Air Force CC
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
4
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
3
4
3
2
2
2
8

Men’s support race (Top 5)
Pos Rank / Full Name
1 SSgt Robert Jones
SERVICE TEAM
Army Cycling Union
Cat
3
2 Capt
3 SSgt
Tony Ireland
Rick Froud
4 Sgt Kev Bell
5 Maj David Walker
Ladies championship (Top 10)
Pos Rank / Full Name
1 2Lt
2 SSgt
Elizabeth-Jane Harris
Chanel Mason
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
SERVICE TEAM
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
3
4
2
3
Cat
W3
W3
3 Sqn Ldr Victoria Webb
4 Pte
5 SSgt
Kimberley Preston
Donna Short
Royal Air Force CC
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
W4
W4
W3
6 Maj
7 LReg
8 WO1
9 SSgt
Sue Jeffery
Sam Kelly
Elizabeth Dunne
Sarah Hardy
Army Cycling Union
Royal Navy & Royal Marines CA
Army Cycling Union
Army Cycling Union
W2
W3
W2
W4
10 L/Bdr Sam Wilson Army Cycling Union W3
Weekend 11-12 October saw something akin to the quickening at Nevis Ranges Fort William as a field of 166 malnourished sallow eyed individuals from 26 countries turned up to do battle. These were not the immortals looking for “the prize,” ready to do battle with swords but the worlds best endurance MTBs riders ready to race the
World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike
Championship for it was Scotland’s turn to host the third annual event run by the
World Endurance Mountain Bike
Organisation. Lining up alongside reigning champion Jason English (confusingly from
Australia) was the cream of the British and European 24hr race scene with at least 5 previous winners of the prestigious
Mountain Mayhem 24hr title. Joining them on the start line was Mne Will Duguid from “just down the road” at 43 Cdo and PO Rob Smith a Reservist from HMS VIVID. Both riders pitted together and were supported in their efforts by a dedicated gang of friends and family.
The consensus from those that had pre ridden the course was that it was super tough, using large parts of the UCI World
Cup course, plus lots of other trails within the Nevis Range. A lap came in at just over 13km with 460m climbing. Ouch, it was going to be tough on the body with little respite between technical climbs and full concentration descents. Not sure what the organisers, Nofussedevents scarified
9

to the weather gods but whatever it was it was enough because apart from a light shower over part of the course the race was a dry affair with dust actually spotted at one point, in
Scotland, in Oct! As the title suggest the event is run over a 24hr period with the winner being the person who completes the most laps in the time, with any lap started before the
24hr is up to count. So at midday on the Sat in front of a pipe band the race started. Racing in Scotland in October meant that there would be a lot of darkness; over 12hrs as it turned out with race control insisting that lights were fitted by 1730 and they were still being used at
0800. With live timings provided throughout the event, was made it up to third by darkness, although he was suffering at this point.
As the laps ticked by and night gave way to dawn, lap times for most dropped as legs began to tire and the low mist made going slippery in places.
Planned to be his first and only 24hr solo event, Rob completed 20 laps in 23 hrs 47 min covering over 260km having climbed over 9000 meters (height of
Everest) finishing 4th in his age cat (40-
44) and 41 st overall in a strong field.
Meanwhile Will rolled over the line after
24 hrs 30 min of cycling having completed 18 laps placing him a very creditable 6 th in his 30/34 age category which earned him an overall world ranking of 68th. He is not even a Mountain Biker, as his MTB only gets dusted off twice a year, for the Relentless and Strathpuffer events. This man is an inspiration to many within the club, and should be an inspiration to many of you to have a go at something even more challenging in 2015.
The day commenced with the morning’s committee meeting, where constructive suggestions are made and influential decision are taking to ensure our sport and association remains as accessible as possible for every member to participate and get involved in for the remainder of the year and the throughout 2015. On completion 40 riders turned out for the end of season chilled out ride. I say chilled out when I means, every man for themselves as some thought they were in the Milan-San Remo and rode faster than they actually race. Groups quickly established and many of us enjoyed a nice coffee stop for a change. On return, a quick shower, then it was big eats in the Yeovilton Sports Bar, prior to the AGM taking place.
With all points clearly and succinctly delivered the area was cleared for the main theme of the evening………..Rollapoluza. Basically you pedal a bike on fixed rollers as fast as you can until you complete 500m. With little resistance it favours those with good high cadence, and not your Tony Martin big gear torque turkeys. With the aid of liquid nectar, and your best civvies, and enjoyable night was had by all. Well almost, as the new Road Race Secretary was occasionally seen departing the exit doors to relinquish his pre energy drink; such was his efforts! Results for fun:
Men’s Qualification (Top 20) Age Time KPH MPH RPM
1 Alex Allen
2 Leon Marshall
3 John Bennett
4 Tim Chudley
5 Ronnie Barker
6 Tim Scrivener
7 Andy Swash
8 Tony Staples
9 Gary Ibbotson
32 23.19 77.6 48.2 196.0
34 23.41 76.9 47.8 194.1
35 23.79 75.7 47.0 191.0
32 23.81 75.6 47.0 190.9
28 24.18 74.4 46.3 188.0
27 24.19 74.4 46.2 187.9
39 24.30 74.1 46.0 187.0
45 24.48 73.5 45.7 185.7
39 24.55 73.3 45.6 185.1
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10 John Mills
11 Mark Hill
12 Ian Dove
13 Sean Childs
14 Sam Shields
15 Stewart Cox
16 Tim Brookes
17 Barry Moss
18 James Pugh
19 Stuart Edwards
20 Dave Macmenemey
28
41
44
44
44
50
47
48
27
50
46
24.58
24.78
24.81
25.08
25.66
25.72
26.00
26.04
26.42
26.44
26.58
73.2
72.6
72.6
71.8
70.1
70.0
69.2
69.1
68.1
68.1
67.7
45.5
45.1
45.1
44.6
43.6
43.5
43.0
43.0
42.3
42.3
42.1
184.9
183.4
183.2
181.2
177.1
176.7
174.8
174.5
172.0
171.9
171.0
Women’s Qualification
1 Gabrielle Saunderson
2
3
Jane Smith
Laura Forster
Age
Quarter Finals
Alex Allen
Semi Finals
22.61 Alex Allen
Time KPH MPH RPM
22 27.26 66.0 41.0 166.7
47 34.04 52.9 32.9 133.5
34 34.76 51.8 32.2 130.8
23.17
Final
Alex Allen 23.03
V V
Tony Staples 23.98 Ronnie Barker 23.19
Leon Marshall 22.71 Leon Marshall 23.45
V V
Andy Swash 23.77 John Bennett 22.71
V
John Bennett 23.71
John Bennett 22.93
V
Tim Scrivener 23.29
Tim Chudley 23.49
V
Ronnie Barker 23.35
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A new incentive for 2014 will be the first inclusion of a RNRMCA Track champs which will take in the Newport Velodrome on Fri 7 Nov, organised by CPO Barrie Whitehead. The itinerary will include a morning’s training/track familiarisation, followed by an afternoon of racing (4 events). The Race HQ will be situated in the central area of the velodrome and this is where you will 'sign on', Timings are as follows:
0815-0845 Athletes arrive and change into cycling attire (Changing rooms are in the corridor just after the ticket office)
0845-0915
0915-1130
Bike Hire and Sign on (Inner circle of the track)
Group training/Warm up (Velodrome)
1200-1210
1210-1320
1330-1410
1420-1520
1525-1600
Briefing for afternoon sessions
Standing 1 km Individual Time Trial (4 laps)
4 man Team Pursuit (4 laps)
Flying 200m
Aussie Road Man Pursuit
If you have not yet received confirmation of your entry then contact Barrie on Barrie
Whitehead at 71IRSQN-NDTTech08@mod.uk as there are only a few places remaining.
CPO Laura Forster, HMS Montrose has stepped up to the mantle to offer her services as the new RNRMCA Sportive Secretary. Her intentions are to:

P



Road racing is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the RNRMCA. The Army has a well funded, and supported elite programme with a stated intention of placing a cyclist on the
Olympic team within the next 10 years. It is accepted that the RNRMCA is unlikely to be able to support such a bold ambition but this note proposes a model which will allow the discipline to continue to grow whilst rewarding performance and supporting participation through grass roots growth. The Road Race Secretary has a strategy which will be announced in the next
Newsletter.
Congratulations to Jane Smith on receiving her Honorary Membership to the RNRMCA, which was announced at the AGM.
Congratulations also, to Rob Smith and Bob Richards on receiving their Navy Colours in recognition of their national performances over a consolidated period. These will be awarded
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at the latter end of the year along with those that are still outstanding (Sean, Andy Plewes,
Nutty Edwards and Garry Drew).
Please ensure that I addition to sending me articles, please also send any event reports or news to chrisvellacott697@btinternet.com
our Webmaster.
Committee members are requested to check their details on the "Committee Contacts" page.
The website also has links to the Forum which recently has seen a decline in posts, members are encouraged to use the Forum as a repository for Results/ Events as well as a secure method of comms for organised training rides etc.
Any members having difficulty accessing the Forum should contact the Webmaster.
y Major MGhee RM
I have never been a proper XC MTB racer, with no talent for the 90 minute thrash through the woods. So I tried longer circuit events, with a memorable 10 under-the-Ben in scorching
May sunshine the highlight, and a tedious 12 hours of mudfest at Bontrager one of the less happy memories. I have dabbled in the UK MTB Marathon series, which are generally great events on big loops, real wild trails and proper mountains. I completed the last Kielder 100, which had so few finishers they never ran another event; it was epic, but an experience that a 10k circuit will never replicate, not matter how many times you ride round it!
From there I branched into multi-day stage races; Yak Attack, Breck Epic, Tour of
Portugal… I’d be lucky to get in the front half of the race, but just riding those tough events was very rewarding and a fantastic pace to see some amazing places. Then I discovered a website that changed everything; bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk – this was real self-supported mountain bike touring, unshackled from the confines of non-technical terrain by utilising a minimalist philosophy, supported by a myriad of small companies producing featherweight but functional kit from tarps to quilts. This flies in the face of Pussers AT, which is still stuck in a world of ludicrous trailers loaded with garbage you don’t need, compromising the ability to make any progress on real mountain terrain. If riders can safely transit the 3000 miles of mountain wilderness of the Tour Divide with less than 5 kg of kit stored in soft bags on the bars/saddle/frame ( and no panniers, never mind hideous caravans), it’s probably safe for an overnight in Wales!!! It’s great that MTB is now recognised as AT, but we desperately need to get out of the dark ages when it comes to Expeds.
Armed with your new lightweight rig, the options for adventure are only limited by your imagination. But if you want some more structure then there are plenty of organised events / challenges / races going on. For individual TT challenges, you’ll want to have a look at this page; selfsupporteduk.net, which details a bunch of long distance routes for riders trying to beat the clock. For me the organised mass start events are the most appealing, as you can’t beat the realtime dynamic of ‘competitors’ to add some interest to the challenge. It’s also more sociable, and inevitably you will spend some time riding in the company of a fellow twowheeled tramp to bounce ideas off. I threw myself into the deep end (off a very tall cliff into a sea-state 6) this year, entering the Highland Trail Race (HTR), which had grown from 690 km in it’s first run-out in 2013 to a monster 900 km through some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the UK – what could go wrong? Starting from Tyndrum in mid-May (the best balance between max daylight and min midges), I turned up on a bike I had received the previous day, never ridden and was still changing the chainring 1 hour before the start! It was a truly sobering experience, Type 2 (occasionally Type 3) fun, but a fantastic adventure.
Of the 40+ starters, 12 finished. I think I was in 10 th position when I exited, after about
600km with a fatal crack in my carbon frame. My immediate emotion was relief, both mentally and physically battered, swearing never again. But this stuff is addictive, and I soon bounced back, however, my next event, the Lakeland 200, also ended unceremoniously with a free-hub failure – bugger!
The Grande Finale of the UK Bikepacking season is the Bearbones 200, a mass start
220km race through mid/north Wales on everything from singletrack to tussock bogs – seriously hard hike-a-bike, where the only indication of a trail is the gpx route line on the
GPS! I was determined to crack this in less than 24 hrs, earning the coveted ‘Black Badge’.
So long as I averaged 10km/hr, including stops, wrong turns, etc, this would be comfortably
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achievable – how hard can that be…? The weather was particularly good, with clear skies, a big moon and no wind. My only mechanical was a simple tyre sidewall cut that was too much for the Stans sealant, but luckily a homemade ‘plug’ took care of it. The feeding plan worked well, with a steady consumption of Bagels, Soreen and oat bars, followed by Jelly
Babies and caffeine gels to keep me awake in the dark. Progress was frustratingly slow at times, but as an amazing sunrise signalled the end was near, a sub-24 was still on, and with a bit of hammer down I made it with 45 mins to spare, 6 th over the line. One week later, and my feet are still numb…Of the 60 starters, 42 finished in times ranging from 20:40 to 39:30, with 9 attaining the black-belt of Bikepacking!
Signed
Sean Childs
WO1(PT)
Navy Cycling Development Officer
And now for the ladies only………………………….
………………………… read on.
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nd
th
th
th
th
th
th
th
th
There will be a social event on completion of the ABC Workshop night, this will be held at a restaurant in Port Solent, everyone and anyone is welcome, please let me know if you wish to attend by
Monday 3 rd November so I can
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To get the best out the club we recommend you get as involved as you can with club activities-participating as well as helping. The club is run by club members who volunteer to give their time for free. The more people help out the more great events and support the club can offer.
Check out the website page for more information on what you can do to help!