Durant & Tudor dig in for gold over 100 miles
The longest event in the Shropshire time trialling calendar saw a new name engraved on the Jack Parker 100-mile Trophy.
Mason Durant of Paramount CRT produced a sub-four hour effort to win by one minute 26 seconds from Bridgnorth CC’s Jonathan Mills-Keeling to take 100 gold.
Durant stopped the watch on three hours 58 minutes 11 seconds and knew he had been in a race, riding his time trial bike four times the distance he had ever ridden it before.
“The 100 was a baptism of fire,” he said. “The furthest I’d ridden on the TT bike was the 25 three days before. I went out steady and managed to hold the pace in the second half despite the suffering.
“I’m delighted to take the 100 title at the first time of asking – thanks to the organisers for getting up so early on a Sunday morning!”
Mills-Keeling didn’t only take overall 100 silver with his actual time of 3:59:37, he also captured veterans 100 gold ahead of Paramount’s Chris Riley, as well as leading Bridgnorth CC back to the head of the Top Club Award standings by 75 points. Tim Beardmore took the overall and veterans 100 bronze.
In the women’s championship, experience counted as reigning champion Helen Tudor retained her title by 3:01 from two first-timers – Emma Serjeant and Victoria Doran. The Oswestry Paragon rider was pleased to hang on to the women’s-100 mile trophy in 5:05:41, fending off a strong challenge from Hafren CC’s Serjeant.
She said: “A new course for the 100 this year, and I was pleased to improve on my Anfield 100 time.
“Well done to Emma and Victoria on their first 100s. Great work from Dave Drew putting together a new course, and thanks to all the marshals, I just wish it hadn’t rained on the last lap.”
Serjeant put in an excellent attempt of 5:08:42 for women’s 100 silver: “I was so happy to have got it done! It was all going well until about 75 miles and then my body started to hurt! I’m so happy to have got through it.”
Doran also suffered, but determination and planning got her through to earn women’s 100 bronze in 6:12:36.
She stated: “I got my pacing, nutrition and hydration right, but it’s a long way and was a tough challenge.”
