New Forest Cycling Club held the revitalised Round the Forest TT this Sunday. The event had previously been threatened to be culled from the NFCC calendar due to dropping numbers of participants in recent years. The club were delighted that 64 entries had been received this year to enter the event. The event has transformed over the years from an original distance of 64 miles to the current 32 miles course.
The event this year started in Hordle and the course had been shortened due to road works, which ironically removed the day before the event. The riders then head out towards Lymington, Beaulieu, Lyndhurst, before turning at The Cat and fiddle pub back to New Milton.
Matthew Charlton representing Farnborough & Camberley CC took the honours for the second year running on a still spring morning in a time of 1:09:53. James Copeland (Fareham Wheelers), who had inadvertently taken a wrong turn off the course came home in second place in 1:11:30. James would surely have challenged Matthew for the win if he had not deviated from the course, but was still satisfied with his form and performance. Ben Boardman representing NFCC held off a rapidly finishing Rob Hunt from Army Cycling RT by a mere 11 seconds in 1:13:10 and 1:13:21 respectively.
Naomi Shinkins riding for UK-Biking – Bournemouth Cycleworks – Trek, won the ladies event by 47 seconds from Sarah Wise (Weymouth CC) in times of 1:29:34 and 1:30:21. Sarah barely held off third placed rider, Michelle Walter representing Bournemouth Arrow CC but just held on by 5 seconds as Michelle came home in 1:30:26.