The RTTC National 12-Hour Championship head to South Wales on Sunday, with the 2016 title race looking set to provide some wide open and entertaining competition.
None of the top three men from last season are riding this year’s event leaving the fate of that title wide open, while in the women’s event three of the top five are returning in a bid for glory.
With 2015 women’s winner Jasmijn Muller (Born to Bike-Bridgtown Cycles) a non-starter due to illness, last year’s third-placed rider in 2015 Crystal Spearman (NOPINZ) looks to face a battle with multiple National 24-Hour Champion Lynne Biddulph (Born to Bike-Bridgtown Cycles), who placed fifth in last year’s 12-hour title race.
The men’s startsheet includes a host of top riders, but none stand out as obvious winners. 2014 National 24-Hour Champion Jonathan Shubert (Arctic Tacx) is down to ride, and former National Hill-Climb Champion Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) could be one to watch, while Nigel Haigh (Strategic Lions) will be looking to improve of seventh last year.
Sean Childs (Royal Navy and Royal Marines CA) could challenge for a podium finish, as well as Chris Hopkinson (CC Desiragear) who was 22nd in last year’s title race but is no stranger to long distance events having been an ultra-distance cyclist just a few years ago, tackling events such as the Race Across America.
Jon Wynn (T1 Diabetes.info) will be targeting a podium finish, while his team-mate Richard Spink could also challenge.
The first rider is off at 6.06am, with the last at 7.09am.
The event features a change of course following problems with traffic lights on the old R12/95 course in previous years.
This year the course is R12/16 and utilises more dual carriageway than before. Headquarters is at the Govilon Sports Pavilion to the west of Abergavenny while the course covers roads between Raglan Usk and Hereford.
Event organiser Robin Field is hoping for good conditions, with the course promising to be fast and possibly see rides of over 300 miles.
Results will appear first on the CTT website, Facebook and Twitter pages.