RTTC National Closed Circuit Championship

Emily Martin sealed a narrow victory over team-mate Kate Allan in the RTTC National Closed Circuit Championships 10-mile trial, with Piotr Zulawski the fastest in the open category on Sunday morning.

Having finished second at the RTTC National 25-mile Championship at Manchester Bicycle Club last weekend and third at the RTTC National 100-mile Championships in Cockermouth, this time Martin took top spot.

The Team Bottrill rider posted 20-52, to see off the challenge of team-mate Kate Allan by five seconds in 20-57, while third place went to Izzy Sharp (Lidl – Trek) in 21-09.

“This is the first time I’ve won a national where it felt that the whole field was there,” said Martin.

“The 50 last year my two team-mates crashed and the 100 a week later. My season aim for this year was just to get a (national) jersey.

“I thought I could get it, but I knew it would take a really good ride. After losing out by three seconds last week, it’s really nice to win this week.

“It gives you confidence to be at the pointy end and drive to be the one on top.

“It was lovely to be off the roads and doing a ride that was all my effort, not having to worry about cars or junctions.

“I was hoping for more technical corners, but the chicane wasn’t put in, but that was fine. The wind picked up, but I didn’t notice too much and found that I rode the whole thing at an even effort.

“The National 10 is next incoming and I’m going to work as hard as I can for that. Today has been good for the confidence for that, and just to enjoy the rest of the season.

“I’ve got a few nice events coming up that I don’t have to get as stressed about.”

In the open category, Zulawski (Cambridge Cycling Club) set an unmatched 19-06 with Team Bottrill’s Rob Francis the runner-up just 14 seconds back in 19-20.

Meanwhile, a time of 19-22 saw James Jenkins (Hart Performance Coaching) take third spot narrowly from Jamie Witcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks) who was just a second behind in 19-23 for fourth – after seeing his chances of victory scuppered by a slow puncture in the latter stages.

A narrow contest saw the top 10 separated by just 39 seconds.

“It was fantastic, I was expecting there to be some really stiff competition and that was pretty evident by the fact that at the top end if was really close,” said Zulawski.

“There was handful of seconds separating the guys, sometimes a single second. It was pretty good conditions, a lovely day, but a little bit windy so there was a time to be had into the headwind.

“I was just focusing on tucking in. I’m at my best in an out and back, when there’s a little bit of congestion on the track or a few corners I lose a little bit of time to the better bike handlers.

“My last race will be the National 10 in Cambridge on my home turf. I live in Ely next to Cambridge, it’s a course I know well.

“There’s probably a couple of guys who I will struggle to match pound for pound like John Archibald.

“I’ll do what I can to make them sweat a little bit, but my season is already as good as it can be. I wasn’t imaging that I’d be winning a national at the start of the season.

“I’ve already ticked off more than I could imagine.”

In the junior open category, Alexander Murphy (Vrelo Club Venta) set 20-23 to win from Rhys Edwards (trainSharp) in 20-55 with Charles Langford (Southend Wheelers) taking the third spot in 21-07.

Lucy Benezet Minns, riding for Tofauti Everyone Active, finished top of the junior female grouping in 22-28, with a time of 25-21 helping Katie Lawson to second place for Secret Training Cycling Club, and Welwyn Wheelers’ Esmee Bone rounding out the top three in 25-33.

Paracyclist Claire Danson (…a3crg) in the H3 classification was quickest overall and top female in a handicapped time of 17-59, ahead of second-fastest female Marina Logacheva (…a3crg) classified as H2 in a handicapped time of 20-29, while Elisabeth Simpson (Royal Leamington Spa Cycling Club) classified as C2 set 21-08 under handicap for third.

Quickest open paracyclist was Ben Payne (Maidenhead and District Cycling Club) in C4 in a handicapped time of 18-54, while a time of 19-25 sawe B Xavier Disley (Aerocoach) take second and Diss and District Cycling Club’s Calum O’Neill went third in 19-35.

This event, held on course P917/100, sees riders complete four and a half clockwise laps of Goodwood racing circuit.

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

Results:

1. Piotr Zulawski (Cambridge Cycling Club)       19.06

2. Rob Francis (Team Bottrill)    19.20

3. James Jenkins (Hart Performance Coaching)              19.22

4. Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks) 19.23

5. Liam Maybank (Twickenham Cycling Club)   19.26

6. Kevin Chant (Wightlink)          19.32

7. Alex Pickering (Elysium Kalas Race Team)     19.33

8. Andy Critchlow (Team Ohten Aveas) 19.46

9. Paul Pardoe (Peterborough Cycling Club)      19.47

10. John Wingfield (Elysium Kalas Race Team) 19.47

Female:

1. Emily Martin (Team Bottrill)   20.52

2. Kate Allan (Team Bottrill)       20.57

3. Izzy Sharp (Lidl – Trek)             21.09

4. Alex Clay (Team Bottrill)         21.29

5. Jessica Rhodes-Jones (AeroCoach)  21.30

6. Laura Davies (Jadan Vive Le Velo)      21.47

7. Diana Egerton-Warburton (Team Enable – M.I. Racing)           23.24

8. Christina Wiejak (Barrow Central)     23.31

9. Alice Connor (London Academy Racing)        23.43

10. Sarah Matthews (…a3crg)   23.50

Junior Open:

1. Alexander Murphy (Velo Club Venta)20.23

2. Rhys Edwards (trainSharp)    20.55

3. Charles Langford (Southend Wheelers)          21.07

4. Alec Rowles (Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club)               21.25

5. Otto Allison (Charlotteville Cycling Club)      21.50

6. Ewan Cook (Wightlink Wight Mountain Race Team)  22.11

7. Elijah Storti (Welwyn Wheelers)         22.22

Junior Female:

1. Lucy Benezet Minns (Tofauti Everyone Active)             22.28

2. Katie Lawson (Secret Training Cycling Club) 25.21

3. Esmee Bone (Welwyn Wheelers)       25.33

4. Skye Martingale (Type One Style)       26.29

5. Poppy Kisley (Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club)    26.42

6. Grace Upshall (Poole Wheelers Cycling Club)            26.43

PARA-CYCLISTS OPEN
1 Ben Payne Maidenhead & District CC 0:18:54
2 B Xavier Disley AeroCoach 0:19:25
3 Calum O'Neill Diss & District CC 0:19:35

PARA-CYCLISTS FEMALE
1 Rebecca Newark Velo Bavarian 0:21:08
2 Gretchen Zoeller Born to Bike - Bridgtown Cycles 0:21:26
3 Elisabeth Simpson Royal Leamington Spa Cycling Club 0:22:53

HAND CYCLISTS OPEN
1 Callum Russell Macclesfield Wheelers 0:17:59
2 Mark Allen Dulwich Paragon CC 0:20:45
3 Patrick Asher-Relf ...a3crg 0:34:26

HAND CYCLISTS FEMALE
1 Claire Danson ...a3crg 0:20:29
2 Marina Logacheva ...a3crg 0:30:14