The club's first season wasn't terrible, though it was blighted by a curse.

By the end of the year everyone had been ill, punctured in at least 2 races, and Steve had managed to snap his chain in the break at Edlington, 50 minutes after Tony and Simon telling him that his chain was a neglected disgrace and was going to snap soon.

Tony took a particularly nasty fall at an Audax in Lancs and was lucky to come away looking like this...

Tony took the club's first win at the Holme Valley Wheelers RR with a late lone break, Steve taking the second road win at Hull at the end of the season...not before hitting the deck in Doncaster...

Chris did his usual notching up the wins thing at the end of the season taking both the Buxton CC and Macclesfield CC events before picking up a Veteran's medal at the National Hill Climb Champs. Special mention to Bill Straker, talked into riding his first ever Hill Climb, he stomped up Monsal with promise to return next year.

The highlight of the winter has to be a weekend in Bala. I could write about it here, or just be lazy (efficient?) and give you the link to Andy's account on his blog.

Plenty of pics on there for you as well. We may do it again this year, we may go somewhere else...who knows?

The season gets off to a flying start with Steve Gibson finally winning the Coalville Wheelers 25. A close 2nd last year, Bike Radar reported:

Peak Road Club stalwart Steve Gibson scored his first win of the 2009 season with victory in Coalville Wheelers' 25-mile event at Griffydam, Leicestershire, on Saturday.
Gibson was the only rider under the hour mark for the course, which had to be altered slightly because of traffic lights on the original route. Nevertheless it still proved a challenge, with Gibson the only rider to come home under the hour mark in 59min 53sec.
Scratch man Richard Cordin (Matlock CC) had to settle for fourth spot, while Leicestershire RC's Matt Sinclair was second with 1:00:55 and Rob Weare (Team Midland) third, another 37 seconds off the pace.

Steve, Tony and Simon have had a frustrating few weeks starting with the Neil White pursuit in the North East. Tony struggle with illness, Simon punctured 5 miles from the finish and Steve found himself a marked man trying to clip across to the break.

The 1st CDNW event was a Halfords/PCA massacre. Rob Hayles and co driving on the front blew the race apart in the first 9 miles, with a break of 9 up the road, Simon and Steve made the next group of 15, with Tony unlucky to be caught on the wrong side of the split. Tony made amends a week later, picking the winning break at Saighton and taking 10th place.

Well, Steve and Tony rode the Tour of the Border 4 day. Steve was forced to abandon on day two ater dropping a wardrobe on his chest the week before and finding that any effort to breathe or pull on the bars reproduced the symptoms of a moderate heart attack. Tony fought through all 4 days and now believes that the form from there is just around the corner.

Simon finally grovelled to 13th in the Denbigh RR, then 4th the week after at Darley Moor...4th in a break of 4, pitiful.

Thurcroft CC RR was a frustrating day again, all day in the chase group at full pelt, catching the break at 1km at which point the 'tired' Planet X and JE James riders who had sat on for 40 miles recovered dramatically.

Nigel Measom 2 day on 2/3 May saw Steve and both Simon's being battered in Leicestershire. Simon O spent 45 miles in the break with Lovatt et al, only to be caight 1k from the line. Simon W performed admirably, getting round and surviving his first race at this level.

We all missed the break the day after and spent 77 hard miles in a splitting and reforming bunch, grovelling in at the head of the bunch. Special prize to Simon W for delaying the start fr 5 mins while the St John's guys dealt with an injury received when he discovered a razor blade at the bottom of his kit bag...well, you would wouldn't you?

Simon O rode the Angela Davis Memorial in Aberystwyth on the 10th, finishing 2nd after being well and truly out-classed by breakaway companion George Rose who put 50 seconds into him in just 3 km of climb to the finish.

Tony and Steve rode at Bashall Eves but were frustrated at missing the very late break that escaped with 5m to go.

Bill has finally emerged from the traditional anonymity of the Time Trialist to give me some results, including taking the 60+ prize on 3rd May in the Matlock CC 10...however they are in some strange sort of tester's code...so see if you can make sense of this:

Does anyone other than Chris understand this?

A spiffing start to June. Tony and Steve rode the vets Divs and did so well that they won't even talk about what happened.

Simon O rode at Darley Moor on 6th and proved that 600 miles in the Alps doesn't translate into racing speed, getting dropped from the winning break at half distance (claiming the leg excuse, treacherous thing).

To top it, we all marshalled at Bole Hill on the 7th. Froze almost to death, got absolutely soaked on the way home, then Steve was struck by a dog as it hurled itself out of a front door in Tideswell. It was actually the longest roll down a road seen for some time...the dog is AWOL!

To be honest, the rest of the month hasn't been a wole lot better. Simon rode at the SPIUK Stratford RR, chasing a win, puncturing 10m into a 63m race. The 13m chase to get back after the world's slowest wheel chane left the sprinting legs a bit dead, and 8th was the best that was going to come out of that.

Bill has just clocked his 3rd Vets win of the year with a 24.02 at Cuckney last week that shames people 40 years his junior.

Steve has been chasing a sub 20 minute 10 all year now and is getting close, with a 20.14 to his credit, and regularly finishing within a couple of seconds of Marc Mallender who has nipped under 20 this year. That perfect day eludes him at the moment.

The Pete's RR last week was almost Steve's day, in the main reak of 5 with Kev Dawson, Ashley Brown and Duncan Moralee when a spoke broke in the rear Bora again leaving it unrideable. Tomorrow Tony and Steve ride on Saddleworth Moor at the Oldham Century RR...this will be the one we hope.

It just isn't working for Mr Gibson at the moment. In the break at the Lumpy RR with some very good company only to rip a spoke out,leaving the wheel unusable.

Steve and Tony headed off to the National Masters RR, looking for a medal, only for Steve to suffer a puncture early on with no service car. The weather and the hills took their toll on Tony, just off form that day.

The mountain bikers had a better week! Dan and Dave both rode at the Wharncliffe Weekender. Dan showed that experience counts, comfortably winning the Senior XC RR, with Dave taking the fun race in his best going out shirt. Sorry, can't link to the pics individually, but check out the gallery here.

Gareth meanwhile rode the Red Bull 24 hour Mountain Mayhem, turning in 6 quick laps as part of the team effort.

Simon O clawed his 2nd cat licence back with 2nd place in the GT Ellingworth RR, followed by 7th the week after at the Duncan Murray Wines RR.

What can we say about August?

2 CDNW races on the trot, both looking to set Gibson up for some placings, or get Tony up there. The first was well fought but just wasn't a course for us really. Despite a full day's aggression the bunch was just too keen and everything came back together for a gallop...no thanks. Tony was well placed for the last corner but it wasn't to be. Steve suffered his 87th puncture of the year, this time when he struck a traffic cone!

The week after Tony and Simon were soundly thrashed to within an inch at Bashall Eves. On a day when only 23 of the 80 starters actually finished the big boys turned up en masse, fresh from the tour of Ireland. Both popped out within 11 miles on a ludicrously fast day.

Well, we've had better. Yet more punctures for Gibson, a few more minor placings for Owens, and things just haven't gone Tony's way at all. Perhaps better if we just don't mention August.

September has been a battle to gain points for Tony and Steve, both facing the prospect of going town to to third cat for next year despite the fact that they have both been flying most of the year.

The Ystwyth CC RR was as grim as usual. A fantastic, hilly course with a brutal final 10 miles. Simon turned himself inside out for 4th, to add to the collection of 3 x 3rd places here.

Tony and Steve meanwhile were missing out on the other side of the country, another day with no reward for the effort.

The Thurcroft RR was another day of missed opportunities despite the effort made, with Tony salvaging 11th.

Simon came within a whisker of this year's win in the Rhyl CC Prestatyn Crits, attacking with 3km to go he was swept up by the sprint with 20 metres to go, hanging on for 6th. Alan Broadbent made his long awaited return to the road, 10 kilos lighter and looking very comfortable, coming home in the lead group for a well deserved 9th place.

The end of the road season came at the Derby Mercury RR with plenty of activity but missing the break to finish in the bunch for a dismal end to the year. This is the end of Simon's 20th season by the way.

On the bright side, this is also Paul Bell's last race in Doncaster Wheelers colours before he makes the switch to Peak RC. Let's see how next year goes.

Chris Myhill takes another medal at the National Hill Climb today on Pea Royd Lane. Fastest in the A Category (pensioners, original hips and teeth) and 11th place overall.

Winner, Cervelo pro Dan Fleeman, was visibly terrified as he grovelled up the climb. He should count himself lucky. Judging by the number of fast riders that set off after Chris the wind clearly changed for the better for the last 15 riders. Top 30 below, pics to follow soon from Andy.

October 11th was Monsal Head HC. Thanks to Andy for this pic of Simon Wells riding to 45th place from 93 starters, posting 1.59.

Read about Dan's latest exploits at BikeRadar

Dan Cook returned to racing in the Condor Cross on 1st November, winning the vets race and taking 3rd overall. Read about the race on BikeRadar

Congratulations to Dan on taking 3rd in the Yorkshire Cross Champs Vets category

Of course, November was all abot the training weekend...I'm so sorry, I can't speak about it, go and have a look at the gallery, sorry...

It is official. Nothing happened in December...Nothing, apart from Christmas. Even xmas lunch didn't happen because the few of us who could get out in the snow were so cold when we got to The Grouse that we kept going.

Roll on 2010