London Phoenix CC 9

Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne set a new women’s course record on her way to victory at the London Phoenix 9.2-mile time trial near Brickendon in Hertfordshire on Saturday, while Alfie Salmon (Hart Performance Coaching) was overall fastest in the open category.

Hodgkins-Byrne (DAS Hutchinson-Brother UK) clocked 22-12 to set a new mark for the F7/10 course and take the win on the day by 1-16 from runner-up Louise Robinson (Shaftesbury CC) with third quickest female being road biker Lisa Hurrell (Maldon and District CC) in 26-56.

Including the men, she was an impressive seventh overall too.

“I was pretty pleased with my ride, I’ve been getting a few sessions in on the TT bike recently so it was nice to get a good ride which reflected that,” said Hodgkins-Byrne.

“I went off a little hard so was unsure how the lumpy finish would go, but luckily I hadn’t totally overcooked it!”

In the open category Salmon covered the course in 20-16 to win by 51 seconds from road bike rider William Taylor (Go Fast Turn Left), with third overall being 6AM Cycling’s Martin Smith, who was also on a road bike and clocked 21-41.

Salmon has been a regular on the TT scene this season with six previous rides, but this was his first victory having placed second at the Easterley RC 25 last month as well as third in the Icknield RC 20 and Eastern Counties CA 25 in March.

Hodgkins-Byrne has only ridden one other time trial so far in 2024, but she was fastest female there too, winning the Sussex CA hardriders 19-mile event in March where she was ninth overall.

The event used the F7/10 course which begins near Brickendon and heads north on minor roads to Horn’s Mill to the south of Hertford before looping back south through Little Berkhamsted, Epping Green and back up through Bayford to the finish back in Brickendon.

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