We have now switched our coached sessions to Friday evenings on the FIRST & THIRD Friday of the month. This will enable us to continue all year round with the floodlights in the winter at The Embankment Athletics Arena, Bishops Road, PE1 5BW. This exciting venture will hopefully allow us to offer more interesting sessions, and we be able to continue through the winter, and we will continue to offer various activities on many of the other Friday evenings.

We now have David, Emma, Malc and Marco as coaches, so even more of you will be able to come and join in the fun.

We will continue to arrange a mixture of family rides (All free) and coached sessions throughout the year, if interested please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For all events consider car sharing, makes it more social and saves money. Our own club sessions are on the calendar tab of the website, below are a selction of other local events we are likely to be going to, if you unsure how suitable they  are then PLEASE ASK.

Each year we award an attendance trophy for the best youth attandance, details Here

For time trials riders need to be at least 12 on the day of the event, here is a summary of useful information when starting time trials.

Recent results

Peterborough Grasstrack League 29th june

Luke Armstrong excelled in the handicap events winning both the 250m and the 500m events, while younger brother Daniel had the satisfaction of beating him in the time trial. Ieuan Williams was the most consistant rider picking up three second places and a third place.

Kings Cliffe 28th june

Another good night for Edward Lowe, who not only won his age group but also the overall best rider. Ieuan also gave a good account of himself to finish  fourth overall on the night. This leaves them second and fourth overall in the series.

Kings Cliffe 24th May

Excellent efforts from Ieuan Williams & Edward Lowe around the twisty and undulating circuit provided by the Flyers. Ieuan finished 4th equal with 15 points and Edward in his first event gained an excellent 9 points to show great promise for the future.

Shefford 3rd December

Tom Everton was second in the one lap time trial & won the 10 lap race and WON the overall competition for the combined score. This was Toms first race WIN and i think the first for our junior section.

Stroxton 30th October

Tom Everton & Luke Armstrong showing the way again.The course for this one was much tougher but they both battled well against mostly older competitors. Tom finshed 14th & Luke 18th. Well done to you both. Links to pictures from the event below.

http://www.lincscyclocross.com/lincscyclocross/Gallery/Pages/Witham_Wheelers_2011_2.html#27

http://www.lincscyclocross.com/lincscyclocross/Gallery/Pages/Witham_Wheelers_2011_2.html#24

http://www.lincscyclocross.com/lincscyclocross/Gallery/Pages/Witham_Wheelers_2011_2.html#9

Bourne Woods 16th October

Tom Everton & Luke Armstrong had good rides in their first cyclo cross race. Results will be posted when available.

Fineshade family ride 1st October

Well supported ride for the first time we have tried this. 7 junior riders in the group and a total of 15 of us all enjoying the spendid weather. Here are some of us getting ready to go.

Grass track reaces 19th August

Last one of the series and well done to all those who have competed.

Grass track races 22nd July

Very unlucky with the weather again, rained off after one event. Good effort from Ieuen, Luke & Sam in the one lap time trial. More riders there this time though, good weather next time (hopefully)

Grass track races 8th July

A wet evening so not many there but well done to those that were there.

Go ride races Kings Cliffe 30th June

Well done to Ieuen for finishing second equal on the night.

Grass track races 24th June

Excellent evening despite the poor weather, well done to all who represented the club so well

Tour series 2011

Well done to all who raced at the Tour series On the Rollerpoluza 250m sprint :

 
If you would like further details then please ask the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who will do their best to help you.

Below is a list of Fenland Clarion Contacts. Please click on the links to email them.

A link to download our list of local coffee stops can be found here:  Coffee Stops

We are looking to update our list of recommendations for the benefit of local riders and for others visiting the area. If you have a favourite café or watering hole that you like to head for on your cycle rides please let us know: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Barn Tea Room, Rockingham

25 miles west of Peterborough. Grid ref: 866 917

Favourite cake: Millionaires Shortbread

Bike parking: in the garden at the side of the building. 

New Lodge Farm Café, Bulwick

South West of Peterborough. Grid ref:  959 951

Favourite cake: Cherry Flapjack

Bike parking: bike rack near the entrance, lots of space. 

The Helenium Tea Rooms, Barnsdale

North West of Peterborough. Grid ref: 912 108

Favourite cake: Scones with jam and cream

Bike parking: car park next to the café

(more information on the Coffee Stops link)

Tea Room, Rasell's Nurseries

North West of Peterborough. Grid ref: 017 177

Favourite cake: Coffee cake

Bike parking: rail in the car park (bikes not allowed in the garden centre)

 Farmers Coffee Shop, Ramsey

South East of Peterborough. Grid ref: 287 851

18, Great Whyte, Ramsey (Closed on Sundays)

Favourite cake: Apple sponge with custard

Bike parking: alley way to the side

Fenland Clarion – Tour of the Dolomites 2023 

Saturday June 24th – Friday July 7th 

Link to the Ride with GPS collection with the routes. 

https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2019428?privacy_code=qeW4SGdENWKZy4ru 

For some years now some members of the Fenland Clarion have taken an annual cycle tour, usually in Europe although we have visited the Scottish Highlands for a memorable tour in 2017.  Last year after a two-year pandemic induced hiatus we were blessed with a glorious adventure to the western Alps of France including the beautiful Verdon Gorge.  

This year we decided to return the Dolomites, scene of my first tour with the team in 2015. 

We were to be (L to R) Ian Todd, Phil Anders, Me, Julian Tatam Ian Richardson and…. Phil Gee.  

Planning and Preparation 

It’s all in the planning and there’s plenty of it.  Club runs leader Ian “Henri Desgranges” 

Todd devises the route always ensuring that iconic climbs are included and the inevitable hair- raising descents. 

The routes are pored over before downloading to our Garmins and maps highlighted showing the rides to come. 

Packing lists are circulated and the magic art of stuffing it all into a pair of panniers can be seen here. 

Our flights from Gatwick to Verona were booked taking advantage of the direct Thameslink train from Peterborough and it’s no fuss approach to carrying bikes. 

All the planning in the world however can’t take account of BA changing the flight time from 5 o’clock on Sunday afternoon to 6:30 in the morning which meant an overnight stop in Gatwick for the early flight.  Then network rail announced that due to engineering works there were no trains into London that weekend!  So, again we made alternative arrangements and readied ourselves for the trip. 

Day 0 Saturday June 24^th.   

Miles 22.3 

We awoke to the news that Phil Gee and crashed on a preparation ride the night before and would have to join us when the stitches from his hand had been removed.  

Ian Richardson, Julian and myself had decided to take the train to St Neots cycle the 16 miles to Bedford then catch the train down to Gatwick. The journey went well and we all, minus Phil G, met up at the airport for the twilight check in on Saturday evening. 

The bikes are readied for the flight; handlebars lowered, seats lowered, pedals removed and sealed in its plastic bag.  

Then they go into the oversize baggage conveyor belt system – 3 bikes fitted but Julian’s and my bikes bizarrely didn’t fit despite having gone through this procedure on several previous tours.  Fortunately, they could be manually loaded, a great relief, and we could get to our hotel ready for the dreaded 4.00 am alarm call. 

Day 1 Sunday June 25^th   - To Verona 

Miles 8.3 

Without the stress of packing bikes, we had a straightforward check-in and flight and arrived in bright sunny Verona at about 9:30 in the morning.  The bikes had survived the journey and after assembly we circled Verona airport a number of times before finding our route into the city. 

Camping San Pietro in Verona is up a hill with fantastic views over the city and tents were swiftly pitched in the beautiful surroundings. 

Here a confession is due, some tours ago, I decided that camping was not for me, so I book into nearby B&B’s and hotels, tonight I had the luxury of an ancient 1970’s caravan on the campsite and a great night’s sleep after we had explored Verona and its ice cream parlours. 

Day 2 Monday June 26^th Campsite in Verona to Mori 

46.9 miles in 04:07:10 at 11.39mph over 1691ft 

Early starts are the norm on these trips as we are always keen to get going and find somewhere for breakfast and of course coffee.  Today’s ride was mostly flat following the Claudia Augusta cycleway yia the Adige River.  The cycleways were in good condition and well used, we were surprised at the large number of e-bikes.   

There were plenty of cafes along the route such as this one at Belluno Veronese.  It was a lovely ride past vineyards and orchards although the temperatures in the mid 30c made it quite hard. 

Once in Mori we had the obligatory ice cream stop at the fantastic Gelateria Bologna housed in an elegant Art Nouveau villa.  It was so good we went back there for more after our evening meal. 

Day 3 Tuesday June 27^th Loppio to Lago Caldenazzo via two cols. 

48.4 miles in 05:42:38 at 8.48mph over 7370ft. 

Started the day at a local bike shop to replace a lost cleat screw, which had caused me to have a slow-motion fall yesterday.   

Looking at the profile we knew todays ride would be tough and so it proved – from the start we were climbing - up the 9.74 miles of the Passo Bordala (1,264m) again a hot day with temperatures averaging 30c.  After descending to the Adige River, we picked up the Via Claudia Augusta cycleway again before climbing the monstrous Passo Sommo (1,343m) for 12.5 miles (including an ice cream stop in Folgaria) and down to Lake Caldenazzo.  It was quite late when we arrived so no swimming but a lovely meal in a bustling lakeside restaurant. 

Day 4 Wednesday June 28^th Caldenazzo to Bellamonte 

48.1 miles in 04:58:13 at 9.68mph over 5232ft 

After we had all breakfasted at The Energy hotel, which had proven very bike friendly with a dedicated garage for bikes and tools, we had a lakeside ride then a seven mile climb from Valsugana at an average of 8% over an unnamed pass before a quick descent to a lake for coffee and toasties.  A lovely ride along cycle paths to Predazzo stopping for fruit before another stiff climb up to Bellamonte and our stop for the night. 

During the day I had trouble with the front derailleur, as the gear cable had been damaged in the fall yesterday, so over dinner I decided that tomorrow I would head straight to Canazei and to a bike shop that had agreed to fit a new cable. 

After dinner we were offered a local herbal liqueur called Amaro (Italian for bitter) which to be honest we didn’t “Amore”. 

Day 5 Thursday June 29^th Bellamonte to /Canazei for repairs (and avoiding San Pellegrino) 

22.8 miles in 2:09:40 at 10.55mph over 1813ft. 

So, while the rest of the group climbed the Passo di San Pellegrino from where the water comes, I had an easy descent back down to Predazzo and then a beautiful ride by the river Avisio to Canazei  

where the gear cable was duly fitted, then back to Campitello to meet the guys for dinner of lasagne. 

I discovered a splendid brew pub opposite my hotel called Rampeèr Birrificio Osteria and had a couple of ales from a selection of ten. 

Chris made a good call to swerve this one. It’s an absolute brute! After a fast descent, we were straight into a short steep ramp, which sapped the energy after bombing down some tight hairpins. The climb seemed never ending, but it was the huge unexpected inclines of 11 & 12%+ after 13kms that almost finished us off. Possibly one of the toughest tests of the entire tour. They seemingly went straight up into the sky without respite. Never was a summit reached so welcome. 

Day 6 Friday June 30^th Sella Ronda – anti clockwise this time. 

43.6 miles in 04:54:06 at 8.89mph over 6750ft 

The Sella Ronda was one of the highlights of our trip.  We stayed two nights in Campitello so were able to tackle the route without carrying our bags. It’s a famous ski circuit consisting of four Passos the Pordoi, Campolongo, Gardena and Sella.  A truly epic ride of stunning mountain vistas with 24.75 miles of climbing, gradients averaging 7% and which we had completed in a clockwise direction in 2015. 

The Maratona dles Dolomites which includes the Sella Ronda and the Passo Giau on its 138km course was taking place on the Sunday and we had a nice chat with a couple of Danish cyclists at the top of the Sella who had driven all the way from Denmark to take part. 

The weather forecast hadn’t been great and steady rain turned into a torrential and very cold downpour as we descended from the Sella back to Campitello and a welcome hot shower.  After a couple of beers at the Birraficio it was time for a goulash and potato dinner – well-earned we all felt. 

Day 7 Saturday July 1^st – Campitello to Cortina D’Ampezzo via the mighty Giau 

42.7 miles in 04:57:46 at 8.60mph over 6848ft. 

A tough day started with a steady climb up the Passo di Fedaia (2,057m) stopping by Lago di Fedaia for coffee and apple strudels.  After a fast descent to the valley then a climb up the Colle St Lucia and then the huge Passo di Giau (2,233).  Weather wasn’t great so views were poor and then it’s all clothes on for a very cold 18km descent down to Cortina d'Ampezzo.  Over 21 miles of climbing. 

Ian Todd summits the Giau watched by Julian. 

Bike packed and waiting at the Passo Fedaia 

Day 8 Sunday July 2^nd – Cortina to Alleghe and a hill too far.  

52 miles in 05:31:02 at 9.43mph over 6237ft. 

Set off on a pleasant Sunday morning with an easy ride down the valley to Vodo di Cadore where we turned to climb what we thought was the Passo Cibiana. The purple/black climbing profile on our Garmins should have warned us – it was climbing at 15%-18%. I was reduced to pushing, when we decided to cut our losses and find an alternative route to Alleghe.  As it happened the alternative did actually take us up the Passo Cibiana, a decent climb of nearly 6 miles and 2300ft.  Stopped at the top for coca cola and strudels in Refugio Remauro.   

Fast descent and then a mighty 10.5 miles and 3000ft climb of the Passo Staulanza – a good climb that deserved refreshments including a welcome beer as it was all downhill to Alleghe from there. 

I found the practice of plastering stickers all over the summit signs particularly annoying. 

Alleghe, visited on our 2019 Slovenian/Dolomites tour is a pretty place with a lake that deserved to be viewed with a beer at the beachside bar. 

There followed excellent pizzas at Pizzeria El Fornel next to the campsite. 

A tough day but very enjoyable. 

Day 9 Monday July 3^rd – Alleghe to Castello Tesino and a reunion with Mr Gee. 

58.2 miles in 05:54:42 at 9.84mph over 6833ft. 

Set off early to try and avoid bad weather, stopped in Agordo for fruit and supplies then a long climb up the Passo di Cereda to 1369 metres. 

Shame about the weather as the views were nothing to write home about! 

We descended to Fiera Primiero where we met the elusive Phil Gee who had flown out once his hand had recovered enough for him to cycle.  It still looked painful, at least until he removed the stitches himself! 

After lunch it was a very wet ride to Rugna then a long misty 10k climb through the woods to the Campsite Alice. I descended to the delightful town of Castello Tesino and a comfortable night in the Hotel Bellasvista.  Tremendous thunderstorm that evening which looked spectacular. 

Day 10 Tuesday July 4^th Castello Tesino and a return to Lake Caldenazzo. 

29.2 miles in 2:54:32 at 10.0mph over 2745ft. 

After 196 miles and 26000 feet of climbing over the previous four days we opted for an easy day and missed out the climb to the WW1 memorial at Forte Busa Granda, maybe next time?  

Puncture for Mr Richardson en-route today, before we stopped for lunch in Levico Terme, a pretty spa town. 

We were glad of an easy day before relaxing at the lakeside and returning to the Bellavista restaurant for a great dinner with lake views. 

Day 11 Wednesday July 5^th My birthday ride from Caldenazzo to Cerbaro nr Schio. 

50.4 miles in 5:14:24 at 9.6mph over 6012ft. 

After we had all had breakfast at my very bike friendly Energy Hotel there followed a steep climb up the Passo Del Cost but were rewarded with great views of the lake we had just left. 

A descent and then a ride through the valley stopping for coffee at Nando’s (Ristorante Nando not the chicken chain) and then lunch in the impressive architecture if unfortunately named town of Arsiero. 

After that if was a 12k and 2148ft slog in very hot conditions up to Cerbaro and a welcome beer overlooking the Veneto Strade from my hotel Alloggio Damarco, just up the road from the campsite. 

Today was my birthday so we celebrated at my hotel where although the restaurant wasn’t officially open Alessia the proprietor fed us with a delightful range of vegetarian food.   It turned out that her husband made his own beer and we sampled some very tasty brews including dark beers made with cardamon and juniper.  It was nice way to celebrate yet another birthday, although not a late night as we were all a bit weary. 

Day 12 Thursday July 6^th – Return to Verona 

54.4 miles in 04:31:21 at 12.03 over1484ft. 

After yesterday’s hot climb, the cold rain that started the day was most unwelcome and resulted in a shivering descent to Schio for a stop for coffee and cake and a completely unintelligible conversation with an elderly patron. He didn’t seem to mind that we only had about six words of Italian between us. 

The planned route for today crossed several valleys and entailed over 7000ft of climbing.  After an extremely short conversation it was universally agreed to proceed straight down the valley and a flat ride into Verona past the vineyards and castle of Soave.  I had a glass of it later to celebrate. 

We were back at our original campsite in time for a few beers! 

A pleasant evening and meal in Verona marked the end of our adventure. 

Day 13 Friday July 7^th – Return to the UK 

An early and thankfully uneventful ride out of the city to the airport, of which the highlight was the wonderful arched Ponte di Castelvecchio bridge over the river Adige built in the 14^th century.  Bikes dismantled and loaded on to the plane without incident and we landed back at Gatwick in time to catch a train directly back to Peterborough where we said our goodbyes and headed home.  After another hugely enjoyable and epic tour. 

Some more stats! 

540 miles were covered, we spent 54 hours cycling at an average speed of 9.86 mph. 

We climbed 54,500 feet or 16,611 metres, nearly twice the height of Mount Everest. 

There were only 6 Punctures, one fall and one broken gear cable. 

And I lost count of the beers! 

Here’s to the next one. 

Chris Farrow 

Fenland Clarion 

Hereward League (Bourne). Wednesday 28 June 2023

If you would like a place on the start sheet please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, age and club. Payment is £5 to be paid into the club account: sort code 20 34 60 account number 63663523.

Entries will close at 5pm Tuesday 27 June.

Sign on will be at the Five Horseshoes pub, Barholm from 6pm. First rider off at 7pm.

Details of the course can be found on the Bourne Wheelers Website: bournewheelers.co.uk

Juvenile BAR Shield

Ralph Stevens Trophy

2023      George Proderick      

Glover Salver Vets Champion*