A winter on the turbo doesn't seem to have slowed Doug Hart down! Two top three placings has seen his season start with a bang - and along with other Velo members racing against the clock and in the bunches, it has been a good start to the season.

YCF 10 - 22/02/09
Yorkshire's traditional TT opener on the fast V310 saw four Velo riders braving the windy conditions. Good times were posted by all, apart form Richmond, who suffered a puncture a mile from the finish.

1st - Barry Charlton - Lyme RC - 20:47
2nd - Philip Graves - Clifton CC - 20:51
3rd - Bradley Johnston - Planet X - 21:08
Greg Thorley - Yorkshire Velo - 24:11
Andy Waters - Yorkshire Velo - 25:52
Denise Shackleton - Yorkshire Velo - 27:08
Richmond Denton - Yorkshire Velo - DNF

Neil White Memorial RR - 01/03/09
New Velo member Karl Denton lined up at Middlesborough's Stokesely circuit, for his first cycle race in over 15 years! Karl was set off with the 4th cats in the handicap event, putting in some strong work with his group, even having the legs to keep with the elites and first cats when the whole field merged. With a lap to go he was one of the few 4th cats left, but a very strong attack on one of the circuits climbs saw Karl lose contact. All in all though - a great comeback.

1st - Daniel Smith - Velo29 CT
2nd - Kevin Dawson - Sportscover - JE James
3rd - Kevin Byers - Fietsen Tempo

Eddie Soens RR - 07/03/09
The famous early season handicap road race, held on the Aintree circuit, saw Mike Marshall and Dan Shoreman line up against some of the UK's strongest squads. When team buses from Team Halfords, Plowman Craven and Rapha-Condor turn up, you know the event is a serious one! And so it proved, being regarded as one of the fastest in recent memory. However the Velo boys in blue and black did well, Dan finishing in the main bunch, 2 mins down on the winner, and Mike riding strongly up until a naive puncture victim forced him to stop just as the peleton was strung out on a fast section.

1st - Ed Clancy - Team Halfords
2nd - Tom Murray - Plowman Craven
3rd - Matthew Kipling - KUK Kinesis

Cleveland Wheelers Hilly 21 - 08/03/09
Two new Clifton CC 'transfers' Nigel Goscinski and Andy Johnson ventured north for the Teeside SpoCo event, putting in good solid rides on the tough circuit.

1st - D Munnelly - KB Cycles RT - 44:54
2nd - S Baxter - Adept Precision RT - 45:34
3rd - J Sturman- Activ Cycles-Fentimans RT - 45:41
Nigel Goscinski - Yorkshire Velo - 50:11
Andy Johnson - Yorkshire Velo - 51:23

Featherstone RC 17 - 08/03/09
Doug Hart took on Featherstone's sporting course, and put in a storming ride, finishing in 3rd place, under 2 minutes off the pace of eventual winner, Joel Wainmann.

1st - J Wainman - Team Swift - 40:40
2nd - A Brown - Sportscover JE James - 40:58
3rd - Doug Hart - Yorkshire Velo - 42:12

Circuit of Ingleborough - 14/03/09
The tough Lakes and Lancs SpoCo event saw brothers Richmond and Karl Denton braving the cold and windy conditions. Along with 2nd claim member, Andy Jackson, they battled the 27 mile course, but finished well off the pace of winner Jimmy Wright. The defending champion, Andy finished down in 10th after a week of illness. After a strong start, Karl's first TT since he was a junior saw him buckle on the last 7 mile leg into Ingleton, and Richmond struggled after not racing for a year and a half.

1st - Jimmy Wright - Preston Wheelers - 01:05:17
2nd - Adrian Lawrence- Lancashire RC - 01:07:28
3rd - Keith Murray- Westbrook Cycles Team Scott - 01:08:29
10th - Andy Jackson - Pedalsport/Giant - 01:11:02
Karl Denton - Yorkshire Velo - 1:18:57
Richmond Denton - Yorkshire Velo - 1:25:30

Karl Denton at the Circuit of Ingleborough

Yorkshire RC Hilly 10 - 15/03/09
Another strong performance by Doug Hart at what must be the country's toughest 10! This event, based at Addingham, is now becoming Doug's own, finishing in the top three every years since it's inception 2006. A sunny but blustery day greeted the riders, with Andy Johnson and John Woods making up the Velo team. Doug eventully tied for 2nd with comeback rider Matt Howitt, however both were off the pace of talented newcomer Philip Graves, who clocked a very impressive time on a course that finishes 300 feet higher than it starts. 

1st - Philip Graves - Clifton CC -  24:26
=2nd - Doug Hart - Yorkshire Velo - 26:31
=2nd - Matthew Howitt - Yorkshire RC - 26:31
11th - Andy Johnson - Yorkshire Velo - 28:32
John Woods - Yorkshire Velo - 32:07

John Woods

Teesdale CRC Hilly 24.4 - 22/03/09
A very busy Andy Johnson again travelled north for a Teeside SpoCo event, clocking a good time on a tough course. A strong westerley made the event even harder, with just two riders getting under the hour.

1st - Dominic Munnelly - KB Cycles RT - 58:01
2nd - Keith Murray - Westbrook Cycles Team SCOTT - 59:36
3rd - Ian Cooke - Calder Clarion - 01:00:26
Andy Johnson - Yorkshire Velo - 01:07:09

Andy Johnson at the YRC Hilly 10

Team Swift 10 - 22/03/09
The very fast V718 saw a full field braving the tough wind - no sub 20 rides today, but still some impressive times, especially for the two Velo riders at the event, Greg Thorley and Andy Waters.

1st - Philip Graves - Clifton CC - 20:06
2nd - J Ramsbottom - De Rosa RT - 20:13
3rd - N Bowdler - Farnborough & Camberley CC - 20:28
Greg Thorley - Yorkshire Velo - 22:41
Andy Waters - Yorkshire Velo - 24:46