AFTER the bad weather that has resulted in the cancellation of many early season events the East Surrey Road Club were fortunate to have a bright sunny morning on Sunday for the 46th edition of their open Hardriders time trial on a 30 mile course including Reigate, Dorking and Horsham.

It was, however, very cold as the early riders started at 8am from Leigh near Reigate and this was probably the reason for there being 16 non starters out of an entry of 82.

One notable absentee was the 2009 winner Richard Prebble, who had been taken ill the previous evening.

Of the early starters it was Mike Coyle (VC Etoile) at number 20 who set the best time at 1:11.21, but this was nearly three minutes down on his 2009 time when he came third.

This was to stand until local rider Steve Dennis (East Grinstead CC) number 60 stopped the clock at 1:09.42.

Only two riders beat Dennis's time to the first check at Dorking with Pete Tadros (In Gear Quickvit RT), the winner in 2007 and runner up last year, leading Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Sport) by nine seconds.

At the next check at the foot of the climb up Hurst Hill to Rusper the positions had been reversed with Sybrandy five seconds ahead of Tadros and more than a minute clear of Dennis.

By the finish Wouter Sybrandy had extended his lead and recorded a time of 1:07.44, which was only 19 seconds outside the course record set in 2008 by Matt Bottrill.

He therefore continues his impressive start to the season which has already seen him gain four wins and set two course records.

Pete Tadros slowed against the rising wind over the run in to the finish and recorded 1:09.13, but this was still good enough for him to record another second place with Dennis in third claiming the prize for the fastest veteran.

In the competition for the best veteran against age related target time the regular winner of this award in the Hardriders event, John Woodburn (VC Meudon), was again successful with his time of 1:24.30 giving him a plus of 11 minutes beating Reg Smith (DCB-Demelza RT) into second with Dennis picking up another third placed prize.

The ladies award was likely to be close with the winner for the past two years Trudi Sammons (Reading CC) being challenged by Rebecca Slack (London Dynamo) and their fastest qualifying times were the same.

On the day Slack came out the winner with a time of 1:19.11, which is a ladies' record for the current version of the course, and Sammons came second with 1:21.04, half a minute faster than in 2009.

The total of prizes awarded to the winners by the East Surrey Road Club was £1,050 thanks to the continuing long term support of their main sponsor CLB Gatwick Chartered Accountants of Horley.

The event was also a district round of the season long RTTC-Rudy Project Time Trial series with 40 points awarded to the winners of each category.