Trent Valley member Jeremy Hodson competes in Belgium

This ride takes place the day before the professionals tackle the same course in the reknowned Spring Classic race of the same name.

Hodson, along with 15,000 others, tackled the many cobbled climbs that this race is famous for and found it tough but enjoyable on a cold but dry day.

His finishing time of six and a half hours was good going for the 220km

Back home on a cold, wet day in mid March, three members took part in Lincs middle-marker 25mile time trial.

With most competitors suffering in the conditions, Valley’s Paul Brownless put in a respectable ride to clock 1hr 5mins 25secs.

Shaun Pycroft came home in 1-11-28 and Paul Pycroft 1-13-25.

The start of the club’s time trial season in early April saw no change in the cold conditions as the early season five-mile event attracted just three riders.

Paul Brownless was fastest in 12mins 38secs, Tim Simpson finished in 28-03, and Mike Overton 15-05.

The following week five riders took part in the 10-mile trial on the Lea-Torksey course, Paul Brownless again finishing fastest in 25mins 17secs, Shaun Pycroft 26-28, Tim Simpson 28-03, Paul Pycroft 28-55 and Mike Overton 31-46.

The club is holding a series of short distance ‘come and try it’ time trials, with the first one this Sunday at 10am on Laughton Lane, one mile from the junction with Walkerith Road at Morton.