Cycling: Olympian Romero comes to Levens (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cycling: Olympian Romero comes to Levens

9:49am Saturday 20th August 2011 in Sport

OLYMPIC and former world champion Rebecca Romero, above, (Port Sunlight Wheelers) tried to get her London 2012 campaign back on track in Saturday evening's Pendle Forest CC 10 miles time trial on the Levens course.

Changes in the Olympic format have brought the scrapping of the women's individual pursuit on the Olympic track so gold medallist Romero - previously a world champion rower - is now switching her individual focus to the road time trial event.

She certainly showed her mettle on Saturday with a near 30 mph ride of 20mins 44secs in far from ideal conditions - beating all the men in the process.

Romero's guest ride did not count in the 'middle-markers' event and fastest woman officially was Ulverston's world veteran road racing champion Anne Plant (Herbalife/Wheelbase) in 24min 8secs.

Fastest man was Aled Roberts (Rhos on Sea CC) who was 18 secs down on Romero, and quickest of the local riders was Lancaster CC's Michael Barlow in 23-08. Kent Valley Road Club veteran Tony Dixon rode 24-18 with Richard Belk on 24-24 and Sharon Padley on 24-51.

Kent Valley's latest midweek club 10 fell victim to last week's wind, rain and gloom and was cancelled for road safety.