Chester RC 25

Jozsef Owen and Deb Hutson-Lumb were fastest male and female riders at the Chester Road Club 25-mile time trial in Shropshire on Sunday, while the top road bike rider was Steve Aston.

Hutson-Lumb’s time of 1-02-37 gave her the women’s prize by 1-58 from Port Sunlight Wheelers rival Penny Thorn, while Hayley Wells (Paramount CRT) was third, another 27 seconds off the pace.

Owen clocked 51-15 to win overall by 35 seconds from Sean Mullen (Richardsons-Trek RT), with third spot going to Bridgnorth CC veteran Tim Beardmore with 54-03.

Fibrax Wrexham RC’s Steve Aston clocked 1-01-52 on his road bike to win that category by 3-42 from Congleton CC’s Nathan Whitehall, and fastest female on a road bike was Sue Satchihananda (Crewe Clarion Wheelers) in 1-15-42.

Tim Beardmore was best veteran on age adjusted time with a 51-53, while Birkenhead North End CC’s Reuben Corlett was fastest junior in a time of 1-01-12.

The event used the D25/23t course near Market Drayton and was run off in sunny conditions, but there was a tough north easterly breeze which made for generally slower times on the day.

Riders headed south from the start on the A442 through Hodnet and Waters Upton, before turning at Shawbirch and heading back north.

This win was Owen’s second consecutive such victory following the West Cheshire TTCA 10 last month. The last time he rode this course was in last year’s Fibrax Wrexham RC event in August, where he clocked 52-46, so despite the winds today he was around a minute and a half quicker.

He now goes on to ride the West Cheshire TTCA 50 next Sunday, and hopes to tackle the Port Sunlight Wheelers 10 on July 1.

This win for Hutson-Lumb was her fourth open time trial win of the season so far, having also been fastest female at the Mid-Shropshire Wheelers 50 and West Cheshire TTA and Shropshire CCA 30 last month as well as the Velotik 15 in April.

Her time in this event of 1-02-37 was some way down on her course best of 59-57 from the VTTA National Championships in 2021, while her personal best for the distance is 59-46.

Her next challenge is the Hafren CC 10 on Wednesday, as well as the West Cheshire TTCA 50 next Sunday.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.

* A gallery of images from this event is available here