It's a trial for Lewes Wanderers as they get back on two wheels

Normally the club runs up to 13 ten-mile events starting in early May, but constraints imposed by the pandemic has not been possible.

Precautions still needed to be taken to ensure the safety of all involved. It was a warm, dry evening and for the first of what will only be three Evening 10s for 2020, competitors started just south of Halland, headed down The Broyle to the Kennel Corner mini-roundabout; turned left and raced through Laughton until the A22 and then left again back to just before East Hoathly.

Some 36 competitors rolled up, 30 from the host club. Even better to see was that the efforts of the club’s new women’s representative Gina Boakes to encourage more females to race had proved successful.

Fastest of those was joint eighth overall Sally Turner in a blistering 23min 28sec, a new course record and 32 seconds ahead of club record holder Lisa Davis in 11th.

Anya Tamplin was 19th in 25:41, while Kate Thomas (24th in 27:16) edged out Gina Boakes (26th, 28:02) and Christine Lowden (27th, 28:17). Teresa Tamplin was 30th with 29:33 while Lowden’s daughter Rosie (32nd) debuted with 31 minutes, 13 seconds ahead of Kaye Dwyer.

Overall victory went to guest rider Jesse Yates in a new outright course record of 21:11, just two seconds quicker than Matthew Chipping and the host club’s Brett Davis, who tied for second.

Rob Rollings was only 13 seconds back and former-Wanderer Pete Morris another 16 seconds back.