Dan Bigham (Brother NRG Pro Cycling) is having a pretty good season. “I haven’t been beaten in a time trial this season,” he confessed as he relished his latest victory-the RTTC Circuit Championship at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, on Sunday.
While defending champion Ryan Perry (Team Raleigh GAC) was a no-show, 2016 runner up Matthew Smith (Team Bottrill-HSS Hire) was on hand to provide the main challenge. Last year Smith was just six seconds behind Perry. This time Smith was seven seconds slower than Bigham, who clocked 41-06 to take the title.
A former triathlete, Bigham has certainly quickly established himself in his current sport doing well in road races and on the track where this year he claimed three National titles wining the Kilometre, Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit.
More recently `I did a 45-32, where I beat Kieron Davies, and a 17-24 `10`,” Bigham said between eating some very large strawberries. “I’ve got to build my energy up, I’m due to ride a road race in a couple of hours,” he explained. The National `25` is his next target.
While Bigham was in a hurry to get away, Hayley Simmonds (TeamWNT Pro Cycling) had a fraught time getting to the event. “On Friday I was riding a UCI Time Trial in Slovenia and without having a mechanical I would have won. As it was I ended up fourth just seven seconds behind the winner,” Simmonds said.
“I enjoyed today, it is a good course it was a little windy and a bit hilly, it suited me.
Simmonds now looks forward to the British Cycling Championships where she defends her Time Trial Championship. “I’ll also be riding the road race and spending a week or more at the Isle of Man, where the events take place. After that I’ll be taking a bit of down time and planning the rest of my season,” Simmonds said. As last year Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) was second while Helen McKay (Les Files RT), who was third in 2015 on the same course was fifth this time out. “I had thought a top 10 place would have been good, so I’m really pleased with today,” McKay said.
The Juniors set the tone for the day with Joe Laverick (Banks/Catford CC Equipe) living up to his reputation as the 2016 GHS `10` Champion. His winning 44-56 would have given him 20th place in the Men’s event. “It was a good course for me today, a bit hilly and made difficult with the wind. I had a bit of a shock after the first lap when I miss-understood the time check I was given. You are 1-20 down on Harry Buxton I understood in fact it was the reverse,” Laverick said. “This was my first proper TT this year, I ride road races mostly, but I’ll be defending my GHS title.”
Kevin Tye (VeloRefined-Aerosmith) was top Veteran in the Target time with a +11-10 while Simon Norman (Bedfordshire Road RT) was best on Scratch with his 43-02, four seconds better than Brett Harwood (Team Bottrill-HSS Hire) manged. Liz Powell (Mike Vaughan Cycles) was best Women’s Veteran and Jackie Field (CC Ashwell) top the Target category.
The event also brought the Knight Composites Classic TT Series to a close with Hayley Simmonds taking four of the six qualifying rounds to take the Women’s Series; Alex Robertson (Verulam CC) the Junior Series; Jack Rebours (Caesarean CC Jersey) the Men’s; Peter Nicholls (Race Hub) best Veteran; David Hargreaves (North Lancs RC) Vets Target Time; Jackie Field (CC Ashwell) Women Vets and Rik Waddon (Para T) Paracycling. Lastly the top team overall is Storey Racing with Elizabeth Jane Harris, Jennifer George and Monica Dew.
