DURING the week when Southend Wheelers celebrated their official 98th birthday, several members were adding to the club’s history with personal bests and selection for GB teams.

Dan Jenkins has had a great start to the season setting several new PB’s to date.

On Saturday, Jenkins smashed his PB for 25 miles and went ‘under the hour’ , a target that all time trialist aim for, for the first time.

Competing in the Eastern Counties Cycling Association (ECCA) event on the F2a course between St Neots and Cambridge, it only took Jenkins a mere 55 mins 33 secs to cover the 25-mile distance.

The hard work and training that Jenkins put in during the lockdowns and keeping focussed as with many club riders has really paid off with a nine minute improvement on his 25-mile times this year.

Similar can be said for Jan Harvey, who also enjoys triathlon.

Harvey has also produced several PBs this year and at the weekend took her current success to a new level.

Taking part in the Standard Distance ETU qualifier triathlon event on Sunday in Southport, Harvey finished in second place in her age category and doing so has now qualified to race for the GB team at the European Champs in 2022.

Harvey had previously qualified to participate at World and European championships in 2020, but sadly this event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rob Womack, who is one of several hand cyclists that exist within the club, was also in action over the weekend competing in Round One of the British Human Power series at Hillingdon cycle race circuit, west London.

The event consisted of two 30 minute races on the relatively flat cycle circuit.

Womack, like many other club riders has adapted his training methods due to the lack of events over the past 12 months.

The previous week, Ben Bowler, who is currently working in Northern Ireland, competed in the John Haldane Road Race.

Bowler's third road race of his short racing career to date proved to a positive one gaining second place in the bunch sprint.

Meanwhile club life is getting back to some normality with the club holding several club runs for its members, which it hopes to open up to the public in the coming weeks.

While the weather was not at its best, club ride leaders headed out to a number of locations, some off-road riding around the coastline.

Other groups headed out to Woodham Ferrers, Mountnessing and Paper Mill Lock, Danbury.