KENT Valley Road Club retained their team title and with it the Palmer Shield in Sunday’s North Lancs Time Trials Association 100-mile time trial from Winmarleigh, south of Lancaster.

Triathlete Colin Hill rounded off a super week – he won Kent Valley’s Club championship 25 miles title in a new club record last Wednesday – with an outstanding debut 100-mile ride. He averaged more than 24 mph, stopping the clock at 4hr 13 min 22sec, then asked the timekeeper if that was a good time! It was only bettered by winner Billy Rodgers of Rossendale with 4-04-29 and four other leading riders.

Super veteran John Leach and back-to-form Tim Bennett were Kent Valley’s other counters in 4-17-36 and 4-33-11 respectively while Lois Gosnay was the leading lady with a battling 5-14-15. Other Kent Valley times were: Tony Dixon 4-33-57; Nigel Hooker 4-35-24; and Richard Belk 4-39-40.

Hill served notice of his sparkling form four days before the 100 with a club best time of 54-57 on the Levens course. Runner-up was an inspired Adrian Yate in 56-27 with Ben Lawson third on 56-51. Bruce Barnes made the best of a 16-minute allowance to clinch the handicap award with his actual time of 1-08-23, adjusted to 48-45. Joint second on handicap were Eric Dixon (1-06-12) and Lynn Hamel (1-10-34) with a shared adjusted time of 52-30.

Other times were: Chris Baron 58.51; Andy Powell 59-22; Andy Barlow 59-26; John Leach 59-47; Tony Dixon 59-50; Ian Padley 1-00-47; Carl Weiss 1-01-30; Sharon Padley 1-02-21; Richard Belk 1-02-28; Tim Bennett 1-02-57; Terence Tideswell 1-03-24; Kev Preston 1-04-01; Mike Birkett 1-04-14; Andy Slattery 1-05-15; Bob Bagot 1-06-03; Fred Pickstone 1-06-57; Lois Gosnay 1-08-49; Howard Richards 1-09-17; Colin Lister 1-10-56; Rob Mills 1-15-48.

In the Cleveleys RC 30 on the Nateby course, Kent Valley’s Bruce Attwood was really on the pace with 1-10-22, clocking ahead of clubmate Ben Lawson 1-11-19. Frank Kilburn rode 1-27-50. Joint winners were Preston’s John Morgan and Blackburn’s Ian Stott, both recording 1-08-33.