Finsbury Park CC 50

Lee Williams earned his third win from his past four events in the men’s category at Finsbury Park CC’s 50-mile time trial in Cambridgeshire on Saturday afternoon, with Sien Van Der Plank winning the women’s event.

Fulfil The Potential Race Team rider Williams clocked 1:45-34 to take a dominant triumph ahead of Nic Pillinger (St Neots CC) who finished in 1:46-07, whole a time of 1:48-41 helped CC Breckland rider Dave Green secure the final pot on the podium.

Having waited six events for his first win of the 2023 season, Williams has now backed up wins at the Hounslow and District Wheelers’ 100-mile time trial and the Vive Le Velo 12-hour time trial – sandwiched between a ninth-place finish at the a3crg 50-mile time trial – with another dominant performance.

Williams said: “It’s nice to get a short win as I usually do better over longer distances. I was racing on tired legs at the start of the season, I’m feeling in a better place now.

“I did that course three times last year and I’m only just short of a course PB in what were worse conditions yesterday. Everyone else was way off their expected times so being close to personal best in those conditions is encouraging.

“It’s the National 100 championship next weekend, then back on this course the weekend after and then after that is the 24, so hopefully I’ll be decent that weekend.”

In the women’s event, Van Der Plank (New Forest CC) set 2:17-06 to win by more than a minute, with Sleaford Wheelers’ Kathryn Smith second in 2:18-25, the podium completed by Jill Bartlett (Hounslow & District Wheelers) in 2:26-00.

North Lancashire Road Club’s David Hargreaves was top veteran on age adjusted time, with a net 1-37-50. His actual time of 2-02-57 gave him 20th overall.

Elsewhere, in the tandem category Newbury Velo's Ian Greenstreet and Rachael Elliott covered the course in 1-42-43.

This event, run on the F2/50 course, starts just west of Childerley and heads east on Saint Neots Road before looping back westbound past the start and onwards through Cambourne to the Caxton Gibbet roundabout, turning to retrace the route back past the start line to turn around the A1303 roundabout.

Riders then complete four full out-and-back laps of the course, before finishing on Saint Neots Road mile east of the start line.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by James Ayles.

* A gallery of images from this event is available here

 

Results:

Men:

1. Lee Williams (Fulfil the Potential RT)       1:45.34

2. Nic Pillinger (St Neots CC)            1:46.07

3. Dave Green (CC Breckland)           1:48.41

4. Wolfgang Emmerich (Team Bottrill)          1:49.14

5. Tim Radley (Gloucester City Cycling Club)          1:50.35

6. Andrew Turnock (Finsbury Park CC)        1:50.36

 

Women:

1. Sien Van Der Plank (New Forest CC)        2:17.06

2. Kathryn Smith (Sleaford Wheelers Cycling Club) 2:18.25

3. Jill Bartlett (Hounslow & District Wheelers)         2:26.00