This year the F2/50 in Cambridgeshire will play host to the Shaftesbury Open 50, it is a fast course with a great road surface, perfect for hitting a PB.
One of the oldest events in the TT calendar, the event is the current host to the competition record, set by Marcin Bialoblocki in 2018. Prior champions include names such as Hutchinson, Cammish, Dawson and many more.
In 2022, Team Bottrill did the double, winning both the mens and womens events courtesy of Tom Hutchinson, fresh from his efforts in the Sub7 Ironman, and 2022 women's BAR champion Kate Allen.
The "Shaftesbury Centenary Trophy" has been awarded to the winner of the open 50 every year since 1988. Since 2023 the award is jointly awarded to the fastest competitor in both the open and female classifications. Claire Emons was the first, and current, winner of the female classification after winning the 2023 event. Current male holder is Jack Levick. Fancy getting your name on the winners roster for this classic event? Sign up now!
Early forecasts say this will be a fast day, and the chance to enjoy one of the great events in the calendar.
Liam Maybank earned a fifth win of the season with victory in the open category at the Shaftesbury Cycling Club Open 50-mile time trial on Sunday morning, with Chantel Coetzer finishing as quickest female.
Riding for Twickenham Cycling Club, Maybank clocked 1:37-53, to exceed his pre-race Spindata prediction by more than a minute to seal a fifth success from eight completed time trials in 2024.
Nicholas Fennell of Thanet Road Club took second place in 1:39-23, while Royal Air Force Cycling Association’s Adam Baker managed 1:42-46 to seal the final spot on the podium.
“It was a breezy morning making four tough headwind legs to manage,” explained Maybank, who tackles the Eastern Counties CA 10-Mile Championships next weekend.
“My power was decent and steady throughout which was a good step forward again after a rough National 50.”
Quickest female was Coetzer of Hainault Road Club in 1:59-48, while Jen Clegg (Team Bottrill) clocked 2:14-07 for second and third spot went to Annette Golawska (Rugby Racing Cycling Club) in 2:33-18.
Chantel Coetzer
In the road bike category, John Watson (Hitchin Nomads) set 2:00-25 to take the top prize, with second place going to FTP Fulfil the Potential Race Team’s Drew Sheffield in 2:03-49.
Abid Hussain, Sean McDougall and Garret Fay combined to win the team prize for Icknield Road Club in 6:32-22, while Mark Vowells (San Fairy Ann Cycling Club) was the lead rider in the Tricycle category in 2:12-10 and Kate Churchill and John Swanbury of VC Barrachi came first in the tandem grouping in 2:06-36.
Team Bottrill’s Wolfgang Emmerich won the Handicap category in -01-18, ahead of Thomas Pfeiffer (Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club) and Maybank both in -01-15.
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, and sees riders complete this ten times before finishing by the start line.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by James Ayles.
