And then it was Autumn!

After a packed summer of riding, racing and café stops, it’s now time to bring you up to date with what’s been happening and what we’ve got planned for the months ahead in LWCC.

Lights on. Let’s get on with it…

New Forest Sportive

Last year, we ran a very successful trip to Somerset for the 100 mile Tour of Somerset.

Never ones to let a good idea drop, we’re running another trip in 2025, this time to the New Forest Sportive.

The event is being held on Saturday 7 June and is open for entries now.

For those wanting to make a weekend of it, we will travel on Friday 6th, do the Sportive on Saturday 7th and then a club ride on the morning of Sunday 8th before heading for home. You can, of course, do all or any part of the trip.

Drop a member of the committee a line if you’re interested. A medal, drink and pizza will reward your efforts.

Tour de France

With the Grand Depart being held in very reachable Lille, Barry Mitchell and Neil Edwards are planning a trip

The plan is to ride the first stage (or as much as they can manage) the day before the Tour starts, catch the race itself in a couple of places on 5th July, and then journey over to Roubaix or Flanders on Sunday 6th July.

If you like the sound of it, let Neil or Barry know.

Calpe or Majorca

Winter training wouldn’t be complete without our annual trip to warmer climates.

Calpe has established itself as a firm favourite, but Denia, along the coast from Calpe, and Majorca are also being discussed. Spain is likely to be in February or March and Majorca in April or May.

Message Peter Fox, Gina Boakes or Paget Cohen to be kept in the loop.

CX Results Update

A quartet of off-road devotees have been testing their abilities and flying the Wanderers flag in the local cyclo-cross leagues.  Star of the show has been Dan Street.  Five top ten finishes, Including 6th in Round 1, place him 18th in the Challenge Tyres London & South East Cyclo-Cross League and 5th in the Aeight Bike Co Sussex League.

Also in the Vet 50 category Darren Haynes has broken into the top 20 on race day and lies 45th in L&SE and 16th in Sussex.  He has also raced in the East Kent League where he's placed 14th. 

Paget Cohen has a top 30 result to his name and is 58th in London and 23rd in Sussex.  In the over-60 age group Stephen Burgess has a top-10 on his palmares and is 19th in both Leagues.

Lewes Crits

Not for want of a significant amount of effort by Dan Street and Darren Haynes in particular, we only succeeded in getting one of this year’s Crits off the line. This was due to British Cycling not being able to provide sufficient accredited marshals.

The cancellations have caused us to have a wholesale review of the Crits and how they are organised. The reality is, if they are going to survive, several things have to change.

We are now in discussions with British Cycling and a number of other interested parties, and are optimistic, yet realistic about the prospects for 2025.

More details will follow as soon as we have them.

His steel racing bike weighed in at 15kg and carried him 400km and more every week.

Now a youthful 77, and a recent winner of a Bronze medal in the World Masters Games road race, his assertion that too little sex and an excess of drugs and rock and roll got in the way of true greatness is surely misplaced.

Read Bob’s entertaining profile on the Wanderer’s website.

“The best thing is when you nail a tough workout and you know it's because of the training ,or when you have a good chain gang and that gives you confidence to ride fast at the front knowing you can stay there”.

Barry Mitchell

“2024 has given me a large base from which to build upon. I have more multi-sport events lined up for 2025 and maybe a few 10 mile Time Trials to see if I can finally knock the last few seconds off my PB to take it under 20 minutes”.

Joe Benians