The Greenville Spinners kicked off their first of four time trials at the Donaldson Center Thursday evening. The time trial was held on a slightly rolling out and back ten mile course along Perimeter Road which favored riders with aero equipment. The early riders faced a slight headwind on the return leg, but as the evening wore on the wind died down and threatening clouds moved in. Fortunately the rain held off until all the riders crossed the finish line.

When the results were calculated the fastest women of the evening was Catherine James of Kenda Cycling with a time of 25:45.

“My strategy tonight was to go out harder on the front leg, and to see if I could hold it on the way back. The wind was hitting me on the way back, so that didn’t feel good,” said James.

With this the first time trial of the series James was using Thursday’s effort as a benchmark for the upcoming races of truth.

“I’ll be back to try and improve my time.”

In what one spectator described as a roaring locomotive, Eric Christopherson crossed the finish line with a winning time of 21:20 with an average speed of twenty-nine miles an hour. What is remarkable about the POA rider’s time is that he stopped to retrieve his power meter which bounced off its mount when he crossed a set of railroads tracks which intersects the course. On the return leg and over the same tracks it was his Garmin GPS unit that was ejected from its mount and he was once again forced to stop to find his wayward bike computer.

Like James, Christopherson attacked the course and held nothing back for later.

“I went out as hard as I could had just hung on to what I had,” said Chistopherson after the race.”If it’s a 40k race it’s a much different strategy. You need to save some for the return trip. But on a ten-mile [time trial] you go as hard as you can.”

The second time trial of the series is June 3rd with the first rider going off at 6:00 PM.

RESULTS

Juniors

1. Nick Townes
2. Eric Calder
3. hris Calder

Masters 50+

1. Mark Mathus
2. Robert Chambers
3. Steve Byrns

Men A

1. Eric Christopherson
2. Pat McCallion
3. Thad Dulin

Men B

1. Matt Tebbetts
2. Tim Grainger
3. Brian Kadien

Merckx Category

1. Andrew Danfy
2. Berry Knight
3. Dave McQuaid

Women

1. Catherine James
2. Cristina Lindsey
3. Kristen Synder