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ANNUAL DINNER & PRESENTATION EVENING
November 2008
Royal Dean Forest Cycling Club's Annual Awards Dinner was held last
weekend at the Courtfield Arms in Lydbrook to celebrate and reflect on the 2008 season, probably the most eventful and successful
season in the Clubs 58 year history. Chairman Matt Heaman opened proceedings welcoming friends from Glos Velo, a cycling fellowship
also based in the Forest, Ross & District Cycling Club and Newport Phoenix Cycling Club, congratulating Club members Joanne Parry
& Ben Oliver and Jenny Hanger & Martin Green on their marriage this year, before reflecting on the tragic loss of two
club members Lindsay Venner and Tim Watson.
Matt introduced this years star special guest Michael "Dr Hutch"
Hutchinson to the 86 diners who was to assist presenting the trophies to their recipients and add more than a little mirth to the
proceedings in his Northern Irish Belfast brogue.
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Michael Hutchinson |
Matt prescied the 2008 season emphasising how the Club and cycling
scene locally continues to go from strength to strength and how much he is looking forward to 2009 as the Beijing effect is still
rippling through the cycling world especially poignant as the British team won all before them at Manchester in the World Cup series
event last weekend.
Before beginning to dish out the silverware "Dr Hutch" regaled the
assembled throng with many anecdotes from his years as a Time Trial Champion and also his "failed" attempt at the World Hour Record
before conducting a question & answer session from the floor.
They say "the cream always rises to the top" that was certainly true of the
2008 Season with senior staesman and now muti-titled Welsh Champion Bob Parry scooping 7 of the awards a feat surpassing that of
his son Colin in previous seasons , it was a matter of great amusement as Bob was introduced as Colin's older brother!!
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Colin Parry with Bart & Kiko Venner |
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Trophy Winners |
The awards were made as follows:
Bob Parry - 10 mile - 25 mile - 50 mile & 100 mile Senior Time
Trial Champion. Veterans 10 mile & 25 mile Time Trial Champion. The accumalation of these achievements became a formality when
choosing the Mens Season Best All Rounder of course Bob Parry who's times of 21m 20s for 10 - 55m 46s for 25 - 1h 55m 57s for 50
and 4h 10m 49s for 100 miles certainly impressed Dr Hutch given Bob is nudging 60 and has only been cycling seriously for
30 months!!
Emily Ravenhill - 10 mile Womens Time Trial Champion and Womens
Seasons Best All Rounder in the CEBAR competition.
Debbie Pearce - Womens Hill Climb Champion.
William Latchem - Seasons Best All Rounder in the Schoolboy Series
and Junior 10 mile time trial champion.
Earl Smith - Clubs most improved rider of the 2008 season and winner
of the Red Section of the CEBAR competition.
Pat Delaney & Martin Green - joint winners of the Blue section of
the CEBAR competition.
Dave Giles - winner of the Gren section of the CEBAR competition.
Jeremy Addis - winner of the Senior Hill Climb Champion Trophy
in his first season.
Jared Linden - Junior Hill Climb Champion plus the "Mountain Biker"
of the Year Trophy for his fantastic ride in the Forest Enduro in September where Jarad rode 2 laps, 20 miles, without being able
to change the gears on his block!
John Linden - recipient of both the Clubman of the Year award and
the "Reg Berrow Memeorial Tankard" for leading many Club rides and co-ordinating the Club's Time Trial series.
Matthew Heaman - winner of the Club's Track Trophy.
Leyton Fleet - won the new Road Racing Trophy , an achievement his
mentor Lindsay venner would have been proud of.
Mike Henderson - Audax Trophy Winner 2008 having ridden 15 200kilometre
Audaxes during the year.
Colin Parry - winner of the inaugural "Lindsay Venner Memorial Trophy"
for the fatsest ten on a conventional set up bike.
Paul Stephens & Alan Cook - Paul Stephens for the 6th consecutive
year for Most Rides by a Ross & District Member wins the "Jim Riches Fellowship trophy" but this year shares it with new kid on
the "pocket rocket" block Alan Cook.
Jon Batts - recipient of the "Chris Ball Memorial Trophy" awarded
to the Club member putting in the lost all round effort into the Club during the year also known as the "Good Egg Cup" !
The following morning winter training continued with 7 riders turning up at
Parkend for the "recovery ride" on the Forest and Wye valley roads. The route took the riders from the Forest over to St Briavels
then on to Tintern then to Trellech via Cot before descending to Monmouth then returning home via Redbrook and Coleford.
The 40 mile ride was notable for the bone chilling cold weather and warming coffee stop at Mitchel Troy garden centre, Monmouth.
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