I keep old results sheets back to when I first started racing in 1978 and occasionally I look back at who was around and who was doing what performances. It's surprising some of the useless facts that you can find. For example in the M&DLCA 10 on 26th March 1983 Dave Hinde, me, Jimmy Williams, Chris Gilbertson, Mike Wilkinson and former Weaver Valley riders Les Jenkins & Paul Connell, all beat Chris Boardman!! 😮 😮 😮

Then it happened again in the Abbotsford Park Road Club 10 on 2nd April 1983 when Jimmy Williams, Rob Dacey, me and 8 former members Paul Clark, Andy Cunniffe, Mike Twelves, Alan Heggs, Les Jenkins, Paul Connell, Dave Ireland and Dave Collings, all beat him again.

😳 I probably should mention that Chris Boardman was only 15 at the time, but that is not exactly young and he was 4th Juvenile in one race and 13th Juvenile out of 27 in the other with a 26:15. This time was 45 seconds slower than 15 year old Paul Clark who at the time rode for Weaver Valley CC. Chris then went to the legendary coach Eddie Soens for some help and one thing after another, 9 years later he won a gold medal at the Olympics and the rest is history. A little bit of talent and help from those around in the club cycling World can go an awful long way, as this was well before the days of the BC production line that exists today and in fact this was the start of the current cycling revolution in this country.