Duo Normand, 21 September 2008

Caesarean Cycling Club's two-up time trial pairing of Dave Mayman and Kevin Pilley produced the fastest time of the Jersey entrants in the 27 th edition of the Duo Normand on Sunday to finish second in the veterans race category. The 'Duo' is a 54km two-up time trial over rolling French countryside around Marigny, Normandy which is open to professional and amateur bike riders, and is now in its 27 th year.

With a strong contingent of Jersey riders - 4 pairs from Caesarean Cycling Club and 13 pairs from Velo Sport Jersey - spread through the various categories of the event, CCC's Dave Mayman and Kevin Pilley produced the fastest time of 1:20:42 to finish in a creditable second place in the Licensed Veterans race category. In a field of 41 pairs, with riders from France and England in the Veterans Category, Mayman and Pilley completed the challenging course at an average speed of just over 25mph to take second spot. English pairing of Mick St Leger and Nick Yarworth, from VC St Raphael, won the class in a blistering time of 1:17:30.

With 104 pairs in the Unlicensed class, VSJ's Stephen King and Kevin Mahoney completed a fine ride in 1:22:30 to finish 3 rd in the category, with other Jersey pairings of Mike Keighrey and Peter Ilton; Bill Buist and Mick Higginson; and Mike Mitchinson and Nick Le Cocq, all of VSJ, finishing in the top ten places at 5 th , 8 th and 9 th respectively.

Guernsey riders also enjoyed success at the event, with mixed pairing of Ann Bowditch and Terry Wright of Guernsey Velo Club winning the Mixed Pairs class in a time of 1:23:35 to take a place on the podium. Jersey mixed pair of Jemima (Jim) Davis and Tony Pushman came in 9 th in the class, in a time of 1:32:27. VSJ ladies pair of Jo Gagnerie and Susan Williams also secured a place in the top ten, finishing 9 th in a time of 1:15:18 over the shorter ladies course.

Conditions for the riders were dry and fine, although the earlier start times of the Unlicensed category meant a crisp passage across the lowland marsh section of the course, where early morning temperatures dipped to 5C. Later in the morning temperatures rose as did the wind to produce a steady NE breeze which affected some sections of the circuit. [KP]

Rider		Club	Categor24 September, 2008	Time
Dave Mayman	Kevin Pilley	CCC	Veterans	2	1:20:42
Kevin Mahoney	Steve King	VSJ	Unlicensed	3	1:22:30
Mike Keighrey	Peter Ilton	VSJ	Unlicensed	5	1:25:13
Bill Buist	Mick Higginson	VSJ	Unlicensed	8	1:25:57
Mike Mitchinson	Nick Le Cocq	VSJ	Unlicensed	9	1:26:03
Colin Perry	Simon Fenton	CCC	Unlicensed	20	1:30:25
Sean Twohig	Steve Whiteside	VSJ	Unlicensed	21	1:30:28
Shaun Bosio	Peter Derrick	VSJ	Unlicensed	24	1:30:40
Jemima Davis	Tony Pushman	VSJ	Mixed	9	1:32:27
Peter Mitchell	Martin Smith	VSJ	Unlicensed	33	1:32:51
Pascal Ybert	Alex Blampied	VSJ	Unlicensed	34	1:33:01
Peter Du Val	Martin Sampson	CCC	Unlicensed	45	1:35:00
Harvey Brookfield	Tony Moffa	VSJ	Regional	27	1:35:28
Ian Williams	Des McClelland	VSJ	Unlicensed	64	1:38:11
Mary Crow	Robert Erskine	VSJ	Mixed	15	1:42:30
Nicky Bardin	Paul Lipscombe	CCC	Mixed	19	1:46:23
Susan Williams	Jo Gagnerie	VSJ	Ladies	9	1:15:18*