I think we would all acknowledge that finding a completely suitable finish for the Sutton course is not easy. As someone who hasn’t actually ridden a T.T. event, I can only comment on what I have witnessed as a marshal, overheard from competitors and concluded from the information gleaned during the discussions we had at the Time-Trial planning meeting at the end of last season.
As has been mentioned, the issue with finishing on the main road to Sheriff Hutton, although having the advantage of being long, straight and giving everyone involved – riders, event staff and motorists – a clear line of sight, is that it is a fast and sometimes busy stretch of road, the nearside road surface is very poor – meaning that riders have to adopt a route further away from the kerb than is ideal - and once they cross the finish line competitors have to turn on the main road and make their way back to the starting position to collect personal items, discuss times with other riders etc. The road being busy, and the speed of passing cars, can make things difficult and uncomfortable for Timekeepers and riders alike. I have witnessed cars overtaking cars overtaking cyclists on that stretch of road, sometimes even in the face of oncoming traffic.
As has also been mentioned, the current finishing position has some drawbacks too - the nature of the final turn itself, gravel on the road surface and the lack of visibility due to uncut, kerbside vegetation becoming overgrown at this time of year.
Personally, I feel it was rather unproductive and inappropriate of Greg to refer to the “silly laney courses” associated with this Series as that reflects rather badly on the enormous amount of time, effort and planning which went into making the start of this Thursday evening Time-Trial Series the best-attended and most popular we have had for a number of seasons. However, I must also add that Greg was one of the few members who did make an effort to attend the aforementioned planning meeting, was responsible for advocating the addition of the Wheldrake circuit events for this season and regularly offers an opinion based on his T.T. experience.
Sometimes, we just have to be careful before sending e-mails or posting items on Discussion Boards etc. as these can be taken out of context, appear personal and insulting when that was not the intention and are often seen by a wider audience than was, perhaps, anticipated at composition. Goodness knows, I have probably fallen foul of this more than most.
This Series is looking really good this season, so let’s keep everything constructive, build on what we already have and continue to discuss, contribute to and enhance it and all Club activities. When you see an invitation to participate in an event, attend a meeting or assist with volunteering, come along, express your opinion in a positive manner or help out by filling one of the required roles as Club events simply can’t continue otherwise.
We’ve already had to cancel the Pock Pedal this year and event organisers - whether it's with regard to the Road Race Day, evening T.T. Series, weekend rides, the Junior Section or Club meetings - really don’t get an added buzz out of continually having to appeal for volunteers and participants right up to the last moment.