Time trialling in the UK will be presided over by a new-look ‘top brass’, following an eventful recent AGM of its governing body, the CTT, with a new chair voted in and numerous directors resigning.
Andrea Parish, chair for the past three years, was voted out and then retired from the board, along with stalwarts Martyn Heritage Owen and Robin Field. In the days following the meeting at the end of last month, CTT finance director Steve Reeve also resigned.
Tim Smith of the Manchester District, who took up organisation of the National 24-hour Championship time trial last year, was voted in as the new chair.
During her short tenure Parish introduced a number of initiatives, including a default road bike class for all time trials. This alone appears to have turned around time trialling’s waning fortunes. She also introduced a new website with club time trial entry and the national Tribes competition.
“I’m really proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to chair CTT for the last three years,” she told CW. “I’m very proud of the work that’s happened, including the rebrand, the work we’ve done securing partners and, of course, creating the conditions that allowed for change to happen.”
She added: “I wish Tim Smith all the very best. I believe there are some great directors elected to the board and they have a great opportunity to carry on and make further change.”
Outgoing director Heritage-Owen said: “I’d already been looking ahead to the future, and I won’t be contributing nationally any more. However, I’m looking forward to switching my focus to promoting and timekeeping, and supporting riders in the sport I love. I wish Tim and his team all the best for the future.”
New chair Smith told CW: “I think this is the best sport in the world and it’s an honour to be elected to this position to be able to build on the foundations that have been put in place by the previous Chair. The new Board and I are already looking forward to continuing the modernisation of the sport.”
In his written election pitch to the Board, Smith added: “In recent years, the CTT has made great strides: we have improved policy, created a robust financial position and modernised our online footprint. We now need to build confidently and sensitively, by ensuring the voices of the time trialling community are heard in order to guide the future direction of travel.”
Other directors who were not re-elected or resigned included Martin Balk, Roger Wakeling, David Barry and Dawn Sherrin, while there were four newly-elected directors: Richard Bideau, Paul Winchcombe, Jon Fairclough and Alex Royle.
