23 YEARS' HISTORY OF THE UNIQUE "CHALLENGE 25"
Linking Redbridge C.C. of England and Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers of Australia through an Annual Inter-Club Veteran 25 miles Time Trial
Co-ordinators: Alan Osborne (Redbridge) 1987-2009; Mick Wilkinson (Hamilton) 1987-2002, 2004-6 and 2008. In the years 2003 and 2007 James Eckersley officiated, assisted by Mick Wilkinson. A sub-committee officiated at the 2009 Hamilton event.
The first events took place on the 3rd October, 1987 in Australia and the 11th October, 1987 in England. Whilst the Redbridge awoke to a quite amazingly dry, cloudless day, overnight rain had flooded two miles of the starting lane to a depth of about 18 in. It was necessary to re-design and measure a course before the event could commence.
The two Clubs race in their own country, usually on different weekends, using the VTTA Standard Table to calculate a result which is kept secret from each other until both races are completed. The last Club to ride then opens the now traditional Gold envelope and announces and compares the opponents' time with their own total.
Various Trophies are associated with the event. The Links is the main trophy and it moves between the two Clubs like The Ashes in cricket. At present it is retained by Redbridge C.C. following their winning time of plus 45min. 59sec. in the 2009 Challenge. Pictured with the trophy in 1990 are Alan Osborne (left) and Mick Wilkinson, the original co-ordinators, both of them having ridden many Challenges. Each Club also has a Friendship Trophy that goes to the Best Individual on Standard. Both Clubs have a Shield that records the winning Club of each year. There are also Memorial Trophies.
Unfortunately for Redbridge, the Australians treat this event as they do all sports and "The Poms" have to be beaten. To their credit they have won 17 of the 23 events.
Pictured alongside is "The Links", the much-coveted Trophy which is kept for a year by the Club with the best five riders on VTTA Standard. The Trophy, crafted from Australian Walnut, was made and donated to the Challenge 25 by Vince Amos in 1990. The Trophy folds and is kept in the silk-lined base on which it normally stands. Vince, who is a regular competitor for the Hamilton, also makes Classical Guitars as a hobby. Following the presentation of the Trophy to the Hamilton President, he used a Guitar that he had made to accompany himself whilst he sang a lament about the Trophy going to far-away shores.
It was Alan Osborne's pleasure to receive the new Trophy on behalf of the victorious Redbridge Club during a visit to Australia in 1990 and bring it home. Redbridge C.C. won the Trophy in 1989, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2009. The Hamilton have won it on all other occasions in the past 23 years.
There have been several individual winners of the respective events, Redbridge have had nine with Ed Pheby (5 times), Ron Hubbard (4), Les Howell (3), Vin Denson, Roy Kemble, Alan Osborne, Ron Atherton and Eric Angell (twice each), Steve Smith (once).
Roy Kemble (1989), Les Howell (2002, 2004 and 2005) Ron Atherton (2003) and Eric Angell (2009) achieved Overall First Place on Standard when they beat all other Hamilton and Redbridge riders.
The Hamilton have also had nine winners. Les Holm, Roger Willoby, Peter Gumbley, Ron Brown, and the late Bill Ryan, once each, Lindsay Green (3), Mick Wilkinson (3), Tony Bolter (3) and Brian Cook no fewer than eight, a record which is unlikely to be beaten.
| Annual Results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Challenge Winning Club | Individual Best on Standard from Winning Club | Runners Up | Individual Best on Standard from Runners Up | ||||
| 1987 | Hamilton | + 32m 02s | M. Wilkinson | + 8m 15s | Redbridge | + 2m 03s | V. Denson | + 3m 34s |
| 1988 | Hamilton | + 31m 20s | M. Wilkinson | + 8m 29s | Redbridge | + 31m 02s | R. Kemble | + 7m 59s |
| 1989 | Redbridge | + 38m 54s | R. Kemble | + 9m 10s | Hamilton | + 23m 40s | W. Ryan | + 5m 36s |
| 1990 | Hamilton | + 44m 11s | L. Holm | + 9m 55s | Redbridge | + 33m 45s | R. Hubbard | + 8m 24s |
| 1991 | Hamilton | + 55m 18s | B. Cook | + 12m 26s | Redbridge | + 45m 28s | R. Hubbard | + 11m 02s |
| 1992 | Hamilton | + 57m 41s | M. Wilkinson | + 13m 02s | Redbridge | + 35m 55s | R. Hubbard | + 9m 45s |
| 1993 | Hamilton | + 58m 09s | B. Cook | + 13m 54s | Redbridge | + 43m 09s | A. Osborne | + 11m 18s |
| 1994 | Hamilton | + 60m 27s | B. Cook | + 14m 52s | Redbridge | + 50m 33s | V. Denson | + 11m 46s |
| 1995 | Hamilton | + 67m 39s | B. Cook | + 15m 08s | Redbridge | + 51m 41s | A. Osborne | + 11m 35s |
| 1996 | Redbridge | + 58m 34s | R. Hubbard | + 12m 23s | Hamilton | + 58m 23s | B. Cook | + 16m 41s |
| 1997 | Hamilton | + 66m 32s | L. Green | + 16m 04s | Redbridge | + 53m 24s | E. Pheby | + 15m 15s |
| 1998 | Hamilton | + 81m 52s | B. Cook * | + 19m 31s | Redbridge | + 68m 18s | E. Pheby | + 17m 21s |
| 1999 | Hamilton * | + 84m 19s | B. Cook | + 18m 50s | Redbridge # | + 71m 35s | E. Pheby | + 17m 30s |
| 2000 | Redbridge | + 73m 15s | E. Pheby | + 16m 24s | Hamilton | + 66m 40s | B. Cook | + 17m 03s |
| 2001 | Hamilton | + 76m 30s | L. Green | + 18m 36s | Redbridge | + 54m 06s | E. Pheby | + 13m 37s |
| 2002 | Redbridge | + 54m 02s | L. Howell | + 17m 21s | Hamilton | + 30m 41s | L. Green | + 7m 24s |
| 2003 | Hamilton | + 44m 28s | R. Willoby | + 9m 42s | Redbridge | + 41m 54s | R. Atherton | + 11m 26s |
| 2004 | Redbridge | + 45m 28s | L. Howell | +14m 59s | Hamilton | + 44m 55s | P. Gumbley | + 11m 23s |
| 2005 | Hamilton | + 61m 44s | R. Brown | +15m 39s | Redbridge | + 55m 30s | L. Howell # | + 18m 35s |
| 2006 | Hamilton | + 71m 04s | A. Bolter | +17m 31s | Redbridge | + 33m 07s | Steve Smith | + 9m 22s |
| 2007 | Hamilton | + 66m 47s | A. Bolter | +16m 36s | Redbridge | + 47m 58s | Eric Angell | + 11m 05s |
| 2008 | Hamilton | + 68m 28s | A. Bolter | +17m 36s | Redbridge | + 46m 34s | R. Atherton | + 14m 47s |
| 2009 | Redbridge | + 45m 59s | Eric Angell | +11m 05s | Hamilton | disallowed | ||
| * = Hamilton Team or Individual Event Record | # = Redbridge Team or Individual Event Record |
The race has been instrumental in forging strong social links between the two Clubs. Regular correspondence has taken place between the Co-ordinators, using old-fashioned letters backed up by phone calls, faxes, e-mail and now a web site. In the early days audio tapes were also a popular feature and several videos of the race days have been produced and exchanged.
On Race Days each Club put on a Social Event, where the race is discussed, speeches of thanks made and awards presented. Over the years several exchange visits have been made. The Redbridge Co-ordinator has visited the Hamilton eight times and participated in their Challenge Dinner each time. In 2008 he was asked to time the Hamilton event, but resisted the temptation to deduct from their plus times. He has also competed in their Challenge Race on two occasions. In 2006 Brad Pearman and Lyndsey visited the Hamilton and Brad participated in a Circuit race. In 2007 Stewart Fung and his wife Marina met up with four members of the Hamilton whilst on an extended tour and dined with them in a restaurant at Woody Point on Moreton Bay. Redbridge have been delighted to welcome Douglas and Jackie Hodson in 1988, Bill Davies in 1990 and James and Patricia Eckersley in 1998, 2001 and 2005. Bill, James and Patty have presented awards to the Redbridge Club team members, and spoke at the Evening Functions.
In 2006 both Alan and Mick received Special Awards in recognition of their promotion of the 20th Challenge Events, and Redbridge presented the Hamilton Special Silver Medal to Margaret Mulliner in recognition of her having timed every Redbridge Challenge 25. James Eckersley received the Redbridge Special Silver Medal in recognition of him being the only competitor in either country to compete in all of the first 20 events from 1987 to 2006.
On the 21st November, 1993, Joan Osborne, aged 63, who had been instrumental in bringing about the Challenge 25 which later led to the Twinning of the Redbridge C.C. and the Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers, passed away suddenly after a heart attack.
Both Clubs immediately decided to have Memorial Trophies in her honour and it was decided that these would be allocated to a new Handicap Section in each Club's event.
The two Clubs operate a slightly different approach to the workings of these Awards. The Redbridge maintain one Trophy showing all the winners' names and times. Our Sister Club purchases a special new trophy each year, so that the winner has a permanent memento of his or her win. Either way, the result is the same, with every winner very pleased to take the respective Trophy.
| Winners of Joan Osborne Memorial Trophies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton P.R.W. | Redbridge C.C. | ||
| 1994 | Don Brinkworth | 1994 | Alan Pembroke |
| 1995 | Les Rowbotham | 1995 | Paul O'Kelly |
| 1996 | Brian Cook | 1996 | Brian Martin |
| 1997 | John Lindsay | 1997 | Paul O'Kelly |
| 1998 | Bill VandenBerg | 1998 | Lewis Chapman |
| 1999 | Rob Gordon | 1999 | Fred Jefcoate |
| 2000 | Graham Robinson | 2000 | John Hilsdon |
| 2001 | Gary Alcorn | 2001 | Norman Parish |
| 2002 | No Handicap Section | 2002 | Ron Atherton |
| 2003 | Doug Whittington | 2003 | Steve Isgar |
| 2004 | Peter Gumbley | 2004 | Steve Isgar |
| 2005 | John Madigan | 2005 | Brian Martin |
| 2006 | Chris Locke | 2006 | Brad Pearman |
| 2007 | Chris Locke | 2007 | Alan Dawson |
| 2008 | Tom Rothlisberger | 2009 | R. Atherton |
| 2009 | Helen Young | 2009 | David Mellor |
The 2010 Redbridge event will take place on Sunday, 12th September, using a course in the Rodings area and will start at 08.00 hrs. Headquarters will be at the Leaden Roding Village Hall.
All being well, the Redbridge watches will be in the capable hands of Margaret Mulliner for the 24th consecutive year.
The Redbridge have often used the Challenge 25 organisation as their all-category Championship 25. Any riders under 40 can also enter, but their times only count for the Championship, Joan Osborne Memorial Trophy and World Masters Time Trial Challenge. In 2009 all Redbridge entrants qualified for the Challenge 25 as Richard Mellor and Stewart Fung celebrated their 40th Birthdays prior to the event. Richard showed signs of things to come by getting into the Redbridge team of five at his first attempt.
For many years Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers raced some weeks after the Redbridge, apart from 2006 and 2008, when their event was held within two weeks of the Redbridge, using their Laidley course again.
In 2009, additional events in Queensland meant that it was necessary for the Hamilton to race on September 6th (the same day as the Redbridge!) However, tradition was upheld and the Redbridge were not aware of the result until the Redbridge Challenge Dinner in the evening of Challenge Day.
The Hamilton Ladies, Jimmy's Kitchen or Bob McIntyre (winner of the Special Redbridge Silver Medal in 2007 and 2008) usually put on a splendid Barbecue. Their Challenge Dinner has often taken place the same night and with some great co-operation from their trophy shop, all Gold and Silver team members have often received their engraved event medal that same night.
James Eckersley from Hamilton is the only rider to have competed in 21 Challenges. In 2005 Alan Osborne of Redbridge was indisposed and had to withdraw from the event and conceded to James, but he still claims to have ridden 20 Challenges as he had twice competed in the Australian event in Queensland as well. Alan has not ridden competitively since August 2005.
In the early days all the riders were "paired" with an Australian or British partner. The idea was that they would have a private contest within the event. This didn't really catch on, apart from the two original Co-Ordinators known in this particular contest as The Old Codgers, and the results are as follows with that year's winner in the left-hand column. Although Mick is listed as D.N.F. in 2001, this was due to him stopping to assist another rider. Unfortunately, with the retirement of Mick Wilkinson from racing, the competition came to a premature halt after the 2001 event. However, Mick remained an active official and in 2006 made a welcome return to the event and secured 16th place. His plans to compete in 2007 were again thwarted by a period of poor health, but he was able to compete in the 2008 event and delighted to make their Silver Team! Unfortunately his health did not allow him to race in 2009. However, history could be made in 2010, when Mick will be 80 years old and plans to ride the event. To celebrate, his three sons plan to ride the event with him!
| First Place | Runner-Up | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Name | Std. Time | Name | Std. Time | ||
| 1987 | Mick Wilkinson | + 8.15 | Alan Osborne | + 0.36 | ||
| 1988 | Mick Wilkinson | + 8.29 | Alan Osborne | + 4.35 | ||
| 1989 | Alan Osborne | + 7.39 | Mick Wilkinson | + 5.12 | ||
| 1990 | Mick Wilkinson | + 8.13 | Alan Osborne | + 5.35 | ||
| 1991 | Mick Wilkinson | + 11.40 | Alan Osborne | + 7.48 | ||
| 1992 | Mick Wilkinson | + 13.02 | Alan Osborne | + 10.26 | ||
| 1993 | Alan Osborne | + 11.18 | Mick Wilkinson | d.n.s. | ||
| 1994 | Mick Wilkinson | + 11.27 | Alan Osborne | + 11.23 | ||
| 1995 | Mick Wilkinson | + 12.18 | Alan Osborne | + 10.35 | ||
| 1996 | Alan Osborne | + 11.48 | Mick Wilkinson | + 10.39 | ||
| 1997 | Mick Wilkinson | + 11.28 | Alan Osborne | + 10.35 | ||
| 1998 | Alan Osborne | + 14.12 | Mick Wilkinson (punctured) | + 5.52 | ||
| 1999 | Alan Osborne | + 13.24 | Mick Wilkinson | + 12.41 | ||
| 2000 | Alan Osborne | + 13.32 | Mick Wilkinson | + 10.39 | ||
| 2001 | Alan Osborne | + 11.40 | Mick Wilkinson | d.n.f. | ||
In September 2003 Redbridge C.C. (England) joined Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers (Australia), Edmonton Masters Cycling Club (Canada) and San Diego Cyclo Vets (U.S.A.) in a four-way competition known as the World Masters Time Trial Challenge. Unfortunately San Diego were unable to find a suitable course for their 2004 event and withdrew from the competition.
Seven Clubs were listed for the 2009 Competition: Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers (Australia), Redbridge C.C., (England) and four from Canada: BC Masters C.A., Edmonton Masters C.C., Grand Forks C.C. and Horizon 100 (Saskatchewan).
All Clubs completed their 2009 events by September 6th. The overall result appeared on the website in mid September.
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