Hounslow and District Wheelers star Paul Holdsworth led the club to a team victory in the Reading 50 at Aldermaston last Sunday.

His time of one hour, 54 minutes, three seconds was good enough for fourth place overall. With Dave George (2.10.55) and Neil Holdsworth (2.17.59) also impressing, the club took the team award.

The event was won by Adam Topham (High Wycombe CC) with 1.49.19. Meanwhile, the Hounslow and District Wheelers Ron Brown Memorial 100 will take place on July 4, with the closing date for entries June 22.

has produced many fast rides on its current Farnham -Alton course, which is readily accessible from London. Last year’s winner was the reigning BBAR champion, Nik Bowdler (Farnboro.& Camberley) with 3 hours 43 minutes 23 seconds., in 2008 Paul Dring (Echelon SPIUK) took the honours with 3.48.34, an almost identical time to Steve Golla’s (High Wycombe) 3.48.42 the previous year.

Over the years the promoting club has often provided the winning rider as well as the marshals, here in roughly chronological order: Kevin Fairhead (2 Wins) Jeff Marshall (2), Martyn Roach (4), Colin Roshier (3), Robin Jackson (1) and most recently Paul Holdsworth with two wins, the second in 2006. Paul hopes to be a contender again this year. The Hounslow has also shown an impressive consistency in the team award category, having taken the prize thirty times out of fifty four possible occasions.

It would be wrong to imagine this is in any way a ‘club’ event and many past winners from other clubs have been on their way to winning that year’s BBAR championship, for example: Brian Kirby (1961), Ant Taylor (1969) and Michael Hutchinson (2000). Hutchinson’s victory is perhaps the most notable since it was his first ever attempt at the distance, and his main reason for entering was to get a qualifying time for that year’s championship 100; his winning time- 3.38.26!

The race had a previous existence as the Calleva Road Club 100 and was first promoted as an open event during the second world war, but it was originally run in the 1930’s as a club event. When this legendary club ran into difficulties in the mid fifties the Hounslow stepped into the breach and has run it continuously since 1956.

There were ninety five entrants in 2009, and although the size of this year’s field cannot yet be predicted it is interesting to note that the 2010 Charlotteville 50, which uses the same course and might well be seen as a warm up for this event, attracted the exceptionally large entry of one hundred and forty would be competitors. It’s not clear why the Charlotteville was so popular, but this does give the organiser, Trevor Gilbert, some cause for optimism. However it must be said that a full field of 120 is unlikely.

A slightly unusual addition to this year’s prize list, which the club hopes is in tune with the current zietgeist, is a fastest on fixed wheel award of £25.

The club believes that all entrants will be offered the best of the time trial tradition combined with an opportunity to record a fast 100 time.

Reading CC 50 Mile Time Trial. (13.6.10) Paul Holdsworth (Hounslow and District Wheelers) led the club to a team victory in the Reading 50 at Aldermaston last Sunday.

His time of 1 hour 54minutes 3 seconds was good enough for fourth place overall, and supported by Dave George (2.10.55) and Neil Holdsworth (2.17.59) the club took the team award. Neil is Paul’s brother.

The event was won by Adam Topham (High Wycombe CC) with 1.49.19.

Paul Holdsworth has delayed the start of his racing season until this month and so is still lacking in the competitive miles necessary for the perfect sharpening of a rider’s speed. However, enthusiasm is undiminished: watch this space.

Result: 1. Adam Topham (High Wycombe) 1.49.19.

2. Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) 1.52.16.

3. Gabriel Martinez (VC Meudon) 1.53.54 4. Paul Holdsworth (Hounslow) 1.54.16 5. Peter Matthews (Utag Yamaha.co) 1.54.38.

6. Jesse Elzinga (Beeline Bicycles RT) 1.59.01.