Banbury Star Hardriders TT on the K4/21 - an amended, shortened version of the K4/23 course avoifing the 20mph limit in Wroxton village.
The racing season opens in March with our feared Hardriders event,
posing a real test of a rider’s winter training efforts. Starting at
Wroxton, competitors head north west, descending the notorious Sunrising
Hill to Ettington where they then turn around and retrace the route to
HQ, climbing back up the hill which is 17% at it’s steepest. The winner
is presented with the Broughton Cup.
Hardriders
2024 will continue it’s early place in the racing calendar, being held on
Sunday 24th March with the first rider off at 0801. The race HQ will be in Wroxton Village Hall.
David Fellows continued his fine start to the 2024 season with victory at the Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club 2024 Hardriders 21-mile time trial on Sunday morning, with Naomi de Pennington finishing as quickest female.
Having won at Matlock CC 25-mile time trial in his opening event of the season, Solihull CC rider Fellows followed that up by setting 47-55 to win ahead of Max Bolton (Oxford University CC) who set 48-34, while a time of 51-02 helped Josh Lovell of the promoting club to take the final spot on the podium.
Fourth fastest overall and fastest road bike went to Richard Santhouse, in more success for the promoting club, who stopped the clock at 52-27.
On his success, Fellows said: “It was a tough headwind on the out leg and it was the first time in eight months I’d ridden my time trial bike in anger - but I stayed as aero as I could until the turn then worked to keep the speed high on the return leg but save as much as I could for the hill.
“When I got to the top I felt like I’d done enough to take the win for a fifth time. So it was just a case of cruising the last three miles. Thanks to Banbury Star CC for such a great event over the years!”
David Fellows
In the women’s event, de Pennington managed 54-35 to take the honours ahead Lydia Watts (Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club) who finished in 57-48, while Team Boompods rider Sian Marsh was just a second back in third in 57-49.
Fastest female on a road bike went to Ellen Reynolds, with 1:02-33 enough for the Elevate RT rider to also take fourth overall.
This event, run on the K4/21 course, starts just west of Banbury in Wroxton and sees riders head northwest on the a422 before curving around Blackwell Wood and then continuing westbound through Pillerton Priors until reaching Ettington, where riders turn and retrace the route all the way back to the finish life.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by James Ayles.
Results:
Open:
1. David Fellows (TT Bike) Solihull CC 47.55
2. Max Bolton (TT Bike) Oxford University CC 48.34
3. Josh Lovell (TT Bike) Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club 51.02
4. Richard Santhouse (Road Bike) Banbury Star Cyclists' Club 52.27
5. Simon Smith (TT Bike) ZeroBC Race Team 52.34
6. Ben Dodd (Royal Leamington Spa Cycling Club) 53.04
7. Nick Nixon (TT Bike) Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club 53.17
8. Tobi Ng (TT Bike) Team PB Performance 53.18
9. Thomas Briers (TT Bike) DRAG2ZERO 53.27
10. Cian Leveridge (TT Bike) Team PB Performance 53.54
Female:
1. Naomi de Pennington (TT Bike) DRAG2ZERO 54.35
2. Lydia Watts (TT Bike) Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club 57.48
