JENKINSON 12-HOUR CHAMPION
One year after finishing third in the RTTC National 12-Hour Championship Julian Jenkinson (UTAG-Yamaha) reached the top step of the podium when he triumphed in Sunday’s Lancashire RC promoted title race at Garstang, Lancashire.
Jenkinson covered 2 92.49 miles after a race-long battle with runner-up Andy Bason (TeamPedalRevolution.co.uk), silver medallist in 2009.
PERSONAL BEST
Like Jenkinson, Bason’s efforts brought him a personal best 290.67 miles after he had been leading for much of the 12 hours. The final individual medal went to Derek Parkinson (Cleveleys RC) with a total of 275.01 miles.
With Mark Arnold in fourth with 274.31 miles and Nik Bowdler finishing with 271.21 miles Bason led TeamPeadlRevolution.co.uk to the team championship with a total of 836.19 miles.
COURSE RECORDS
Jenkinson’s mileage was a record for the course as was TeamPedalRevolution’s team mileage. Gethin Butler held the previous Lancashire RC `12` record with 287.12 miles while a Hounslow & District Wheelers trio covered 827.95 miles when the event was also the Championship in 1997.
As in 2009 Christine McLean (Shetland Wheelers) collected the women’s award with 236.81 miles.
A dry, bright day greeted riders although a sometime troublesome wind did not help thanks to the openness of much of the course.
TWO-MAN BATTLE
It soon became apparent that baring accidents it was going to be a two-man battle. The 50-mile check before Cockerham showed Bason was closing on Jenkinson, who had started four minutes before him. The UTAG-Yamaha rider went through in 1-56-20, Bason was credited with 1-54-57.
Before our two leading characters went through High Wycombe CC’s Adam Topham was the fastest at that point with 1-59-11. Derek Parkinson’s `50` was 2-00-55, already caught and dropped by some five minutes by Bason.
Sixty-nine miles covered and the championship moved on to the 16.667 miles Inskip Circuit, to be covered four times.
BASON IN COMMAND
With two laps completed the 100-mile mark was passed with Bason still in command with 3-51-55, just 1-28 short of catching Jenkinson, who was timed through with 3-54-27.
Topham was still holding third place with a 3-58-56 `100` while Parkinson was on 4-01-35; Arnold 4-04-42; Bowdler 4-06-07 and Carl Ruebotham (Team Swift-Allsports), winner of last year’s Elmet `12` with 285.08 miles, 4-10-24.
With the best part of eight hours to go the question was would anybody crack as legs began to wilt and you wondered why you didn’t stick to `10s` and `25s`.
Only Topham disappeared from the final listings while in the closing hours Ruebotham pulled back his deficit on Bowdler to move up to fifth.
JENKINSON’S ADVANTAGE
Bason, meanwhile, was paying for his earlier efforts taking 8-08-05 for the next 190.67 miles while Jenkinson covered 192.49 miles in 8-05-33. It all added up to a narrow 1.82 miles advantage for Jenkinson after the 12 hour contest.
Jenkinson efforts let him join some illustrious company, riders who have won the championship with over 290 miles, Andy Wilkinson, Gethin Butler, Kevin Dawson and Michael Hutchinson.
Success in the `12` for Jenkinson comes after taking silver in the National `100`and an eighth place in the 50-mile championship.
A HEADACHE
“It was a very good championship, but it would have been a lot better for me if Andy (Bason) hadn’t been there,” Jenkinson said. “He made me try so hard that I had a headache all day,” he joked as he looked back at the event after a day recovering.
“I knew Andy would be the one to beat, he is such a hard rider. He was off only four minutes behind me and I knew he would be trying to catch me; it was going to be a close thing.
“At around 125 miles I think he was just one minute behind me so I had to get my finger out, we had a really good battle,” Jenkinson said.
“I enjoyed the course with its three little loops, it broke everything up nicely and there were no dual carriageways. It was also nice day although it was a bit exposed being near the coast.
BBAR FOR JENKINSON?
What next for Jenkinson? “Well its no secret I’m chasing after the British Best All-Rounder Competition this year. I’m just about leading it from Andy (Bason) so I’ll have to keep my eyes on what he is doing before the Competition ends,” the champion said.
“I’ve got no excuses I did my best,” Bason said. “It was a funny day it really felt as though there was a block headwind. Sometimes flags were rattling on poles in the exposed places.
“I lost some time when I dropped a bottle, I only had four for the day, so I turned round and had to pick it up, but these things happen its all part of the game,” Bason said.
So ended the 66th RTTC National 12-hour Championship and the 81st Lancashire RC `12`, four of which have now incorporated the RTTC Championship.