RAPHA CONDOR PASS LATEST TEST

AS PART of their preparations for the Girvan Three-Day Premier Calendar next weekend, Rapha Condor-Recycling took part in the Musselburgh RCC Three-Up 28.4-mile time trial in East Lothian on Saturday, and placed three teams in the top four.

The Rapha team made up of Kristian House, Dale Appleby and Rob Partridge won the event with 1-03-52, but John Herety?s men were denied a clean sweep of the podium by the Pedal Power team of Gary Hand, Gordon Murdoch and Scott McRae, who were 24 seconds slower.

Dean Downing led another Rapha Condor-Recycling team to third spot alongside Rhys Lloyd and Ryan Bonser, while fourth place was taken by Simon Holt, Graham Briggs and Tom Diggle.

?It was a good workout,? said Herety afterwards. ?specially when you consider we were riding on road bikes whereas many of the other teams were using specialist time trial gear.?

?It was quite hard out there,? added Downing. ?It was really windy and cold, but thankfully it stayed dry, but the course was pretty challenging as well.?

As part of their Scottish camp, the Rapha team will recce the course for the first stage of the Girvan on Sunday.

Elsewhere on a weekend with no top level events, Pinarello RT?s Russell Downing kept his form ticking over when he teamed up with Peter Williams to ride the Hull Thursday RC Two-Up 24-mile time trial in East Yorkshire.

The duo clocked 48-28 to win the event by almost a minute and break the course record, while second-placed Wayne Randle and Ashley Brown (Sportscover-Spiuk) were the only other team under 50 minutes with 49-21.

Plowman Craven RT will be aiming to maintain their form in the Hounslow Spring Road Race tomorrow, with the majority of their team riding the 140-kilometre event at Chobham.