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SUPERVET SHOWS UP THE BBAR

It's good news for Ian Cammish, but what does it say about the BBAR

I must admit that I didn't think I'd be mentioning Ian Cammish in an editorial, but some 20 years after his heyday, the Eighties time trialling icon is racing faster than ever.

At 51 he has just finished second in the British Best All-Rounder, the season-long competition he dominated with nine victories from 1980 onwards. It was close run, with the Planet X man just 0.3mph slower than Nik Bowdler and remarkably more than half-a-mile-an-hour faster than when he last won in 1989. Both his 50-mile and 12-hour times were better than 19 years ago and that half-day ride also netted him the National '12' Championship.

It's been quite a year for Cammish, but surely it's not great news for time trialling, and particularly the BBAR, that an elder statesman is still leading the way. After winning the season-long competition 11 times, reigning champion Kevin Dawson deserves a break and although we won the 100-mile championship with ease, he declined the opportunity o race for 12 hours.

Michael Hutchinson has won virtually every time trial of merit this season but stubbornly refuses to race in anything over 50 miles these days, after having "accidentally" last won the BBAR in 2005.

What's the merit of a national time trial competition that doesn't interest two of the sport's biggest stars? Scrap the '12', and the '100' while we're at it, and contest the BBAR over 10, 25 and 50 miles.

You can read more about Bowdler's BBAR win in this week's Cycling Weekly, where you can also find news of Stefan Schumacher's positive test for EPO during the 2008 Tour de France, and why Britain's Daniel Lloyd is Carlos Sastre's new wingman.

CW's Stu Bowers takes on Lance Armstrong in the Cross Vegas race; we take a ride around South Yorkshire with Graham Briggs; take part in the Tour of Ireland Challenge; talk to Armstrong's anti-doping doctor Don Catlin and much more…

Cycling Weekly October 9 issue is on sale from Thursday at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £2.50.

Robert Garbutt
Editor