Watership Down Hill Climb

Ewan Tuohy (Dartford Road Club) took victory by less than a second in the Cycle Club Basingstoke event on Watership Down, while Madeleine Heywood (Fulfil the Potential Race Team) won the women’s event.

Tuohy took his first ever open hill climb victory covering the 720-metre course in a course record time of one minute and 54 seconds.

The Watership Down hill climb was used for the first time in an open event having previously been used for club events.

Taking place on the Ecchinswell to Cole Henley road in Hampshire, the climb has a maximum gradient of 24% which comes towards the start.

The hill shallows and dips in the middle before kicking back up and then levelling towards the finish.

Conditions were perfect for the event with some light rain for the later starters who were finished before a storm arrived.

Tuohy also won the West Kent RC 10 for road bikes in April and opened his hill climb campaign with a second place in the Team Bikestop Tyrekey event last weekend.

The Dartford Road Club rider was pushed all the way by Matthew Ferguson (Redhill CC) who finished less than a second behind in 1-55.

The fight for third was also a close one with Thomas Willan (Elevate RT) finishing in 2-01.2 which was five tenths of a second quicker than Jonathan Allen (Cowley Road Condors CC) in 2-01.7.

Willan also led the specialist hill climbing team of Elevate RT to the team award alongside Luke Walton (2-05) and Cameron Walker (2-08).

The quickest junior boy was Aaron Franks (Islington Cycling Club) who completed the course in a time of 2-05 - which gave him seventh overall.

“I was pleased with that,” said Tuohy. “The climb suited me very well as it was short and steep, about a two-minute effort.

“It was an event I had targeted, despite it being the first time they have used that hill for an open. I came down from Kent for the event so didn’t know the climb but did one effort before.

“So I went in partially blind.”

In her first open hill climb outing of the season Heywood was a convincing winner in the women’s event stopping the clock in two minutes and 31 seconds.

The 30-year-old finished 13th in the National Hill Climb Championship last season along with taking victories in the Sodbury Cycle Sport and FTP Racing events.

Heywood opened her hill climb account for the season finishing ahead of quickest veteran Kimberley Burrows (Onyx RT) in second (2-44) and Celia Brown (Elevate RT) in third (2-48).

Emma Melville (Cycle Club Basingstoke) was the only juvenile girl and completed the course in 5-22.

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

Results:

Men:
1 Ewan Tuohy (Dartford Road Club) 1.54
2 Matthew Ferguson (Redhill CC)     1.55
3 Thomas Willan (Elevate RT)           2.01
4 Jonathan Allen (Cowley Road Condors CC)           2.01
5 Danny Lake (360VRT)        2.04
6 Michael Sleeman (Gillingham and District Wheelers)        2.05

Junior: Aaron Franks (Islington Cycling Club)          2.05

Women:
1 Madeleine Heywood (Fulfil the Potential Race Team)       2.31
2 Kimberley Burrows (Onyx RT)       2.44
3 Celia Brown (Elevate RT)   2.48
4 Mandy Hibberd (Rapha Cycling Club)       3.15
5 Gemma Herbertson (Elevate RT)    3.35
6 Anousjka Selders (Cycle Club Basingstoke)           5.13

Juvenile: Emma Melville (Cycle Club Basingstoke) 5.22