Border City Whs CC 13

Team Kirkley Cycles’ Lewis Wake made a great start to his 2024 season with victory at the Border City Wheelers’ early season 13.5-mile time trial in Cumbria, while Lucy Mikkelsen-Barron (Derwent Valley CC) was quickest female in a new women’s course record time.

Wake, the event winner two years ago, repeated that victory to kick-start his season in style and give him hope of a repeat of his successes in 2023 when he won eight open time trials.

His time of 28-39 was just two seconds away from beating his own course record from 2022, and gave him the win on this occasion by just over one minute from Rob Graham (GTR-Return to Life), with third being Chris Booth (Giant-Kendal-Sidas.uk) who was another 13 seconds back.

Mikkelsen-Barron’s time of 37-06 made her the fastest female by 3-24 from veteran Carol Westmorland (Border City Wheelers), while fastest on road bike was Joe Boothroyd (Giant-Kendal-Sidas.uk) with 33-01.

“I’m really happy to take the overall win,” said Wake, who is next in action at the Barnesbury CC 21-mile event next month.

“This course is often my first time trial of the new season and it’s a great opportunity to see where I’m at. Thanks again to Border City Wheelers for putting this event on so early in the year.

“I won this event in March 2022 with a course record time, which I missed out on by two seconds this year. I think the headwind on the outward stretch probably had a big impact on the overall time being slightly slower than my best.”

Mikkelsen-Barron will be hoping to carry her good early-season form into her next event, the Border City Wheelers’ hilly 20.2-mile event on March 24 on the Lazonby circuit.

This event used the L135 out and back course on the A6 beginning at High Hesket and heading south to the turn at Bowscar roundabout.

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