Locals make worldfinal in Australia

Action from the Tour of Cambridgeshire Gran Fondo start outside the East of England Showground on Oundle Road.

The two-day event involved a Chrono on Saturday, which saw 800 cyclists race against the clock over a 16.5-mile course in Peterborough, and then on Sunday a staggering 8,000 riders took to the Fens to battle it out in an 83-mile Gran Fondo challenge on completely closed roads around Alconbury, Woodwalton, Great Raveley and Upwood.

All riders finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender classification received an invite to the 2016 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Perth in September.

Highest placed local in the Chrono, which started and finished at the East of England Showground, was Peterborough Cycling Club’s James Gelsthorpe. He was 11th fastest with 37:46:90 and that placed him sixth in the 19-34 age group.

Fenland Clarion’s Dave Langlands was not far behind. He finished 14th in 37:48:09 and that earned him a win in the 50-54 age group.

Both riders qualified for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships as did Peterborough CC pair Matthew Senter and Paul Pardoe. Senter finished ninth in the 35-39 age group in 38:49:25 and Pardoe was 11th in the same age categroy in 39:33:07.

Kevin Hobbs (Peterborough CC) managed a 42:48 clocking to finish 11 th in the 45-49 age group.

The Chrono was won by Colin Ward from Basildon in a time of 36:44:46.

On the ladies front Lindsay Clarke of Fenland Clarion was sixth in the 50-54 age group in 46:14:27 while local duathlete Wendy Gooding was eighth in the same age group in 47:15:27

On Sunday, Peterborough Cycling Club times for the Gran Fondo were: Nick Berwick 3hrs 19mins; Alan Brophy 3:23; Paul Pardoe and Steve Noel both 3:25; Ian Wild 3:28; Fran Mulhern 3:30; Adrian McHale 3:57; Terry Wright 4:05.

Paul Pardoe geared up for his Gran Fondo debut by winning the latest Peterborough CC Summer League race at Helpston in 23:27. He beat Dave Sergeant by a mere three seconds with Paul Townsin third in 25:29.