RIYADH, 27 September — New sponsors, new club jersey and new names on the winners podium, heralded the start of the Riyadh Wheelers season with Zahid Tractor providing the generous support for the 16km Time Trial.
Zahid Tractor executives, Graham Turner and Derek Maughan got the race under way, with 25 riders on a deceptively tough evening.
Although the top three from last year, Patrice Delile, Blain Reeves and Rob Patrick were missing due to re-patriation and injury, this did not detract from an excellent race with some great performances recorded.
Young Saudi star, Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani, announced that his intention was to try and break the course record, but on the day the wind proved to be the winner, with Abdulaziz failing by a scant few seconds to take the record.
In second place, a name that will be familiar to the Riyadh sporting fraternity, was Alan Wood, back in Kingdom after a 2-year absence but as keen and fit as ever.
In third, all-the-year-round cyclist and promoter of the summer time trial series, veteran Charlie Dryden, was rewarded with a fine third place, and in doing so recorded a near PB in this tough event.
Finishing strongly, Paul McParland in 4th place won’t have it all his own way in the senior category with Colin Vickery and Roger Western both putting in good performances.
After some position changes, Phil Green stormed into 5th place and will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming months.
Cat B seems to be heading in a familiar direction with L. Pentlebury already dominating with a fine performance finishing high up the order. The mountain bike category continues this year and looks to have found a hard man to beat in Frank Oberlaender, who amazingly outpaced several riding road bikes.
All in all it looks like being another great season ahead, as along with our regular sponsors Zahid Tractor, TNT and Coca Cola; Bikes & Stuff, BAe Systems and Al Marai have seen cycling as a sport which promotes health, fitness and happiness, and are happy to be associated with the Wheelers.
Results: 1st A. Al Shahrani 23m37s; 2nd A. Wood 24m18s; 3rd C. Dryden 25m06s; 4th P.McParland 25m54s; 5th P.Green 26m52s; 6th L. Pentlebury 27m10s; 7th R. Ervin 27m22s; 8th C. Vickery 27m26s; 9th R. Gocian 27m54s; 10th T. Muir 28m43s; 11th L. Fischer 28m58s; 12th C. Eastes 29m01s.
