News & Features

All Terrain Cycles rider Andy Cunningham scored two victories in two days as he continued his preparations for the National Hill-Climb Championships next month.

The 28-year-old from Ilkley in West Yorkshire took his opening victory in Saturday’s Halifax Imperial Wheelers climb of Stocks Lane, covering the 900-yard climb in 4-51.5 to win by eight seconds and defend his 2016 victory.

While Richard Gildea (Didcot Phoenix) was second and Mary Wilkinson (Yorkshire RC) was fastest female.

Cunningham then headed over to Derbyshire on Sunday for Glossop Kinder Velo’s 3.2-mile climb from the town up to the summit of the Snake Pass.

He covered the course in 14.09 despite a tough headwind, giving him the win by just six seconds from Richard Gildea again, while Helen Aldred (Liverpool Phoenix CC) was the best of the women with 17.42.

Newly-crowned Welsh Champion Dan Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK) also enjoyed a double winning weekend.

He was victorious in Saturday’s Exeter Wheelers Climb of Stoke Hill near Cowley while fastest female was Maryka Sennema (Paceline RT).

And the pair were winners again the following day at the Minehead CC climb of Porlock Toll Road, Evans finally taking the win after three years of trying.

Elsewhere, Leon Wright (Race Hub) was the overall winner of the Stocksbridge CC two-stage in South Yorkshire – but he didn’t have it all his own way.

Leicester-based Wright won the opening stage on New Mill Bank Road near Ewden by 1.6 seconds from Andy Nicholls (B38-Underpin Racing), while Rebecca Goodson (Velo Schils-Interbike) was the fastest woman.

The afternoon’s second stage took riders over to Pea Royd Lane above Stocksbridge, an 860-yard climb which takes riders over the bypass and was used for the national championships in 2014.

This time it was Woolwich CC’s James Hayward who proved fastest with 2-20.6, the 37-year-old winning by 1.2 seconds from Leon Wright, but the Race Hub rider had done enough in the morning’s stage to win overall.

Meanwhile, Goodson was again the fastest female, covering the course in 3-20.3.

And in Lancashire, Mike Morris (NFTO Race Club) was the winner of Lancaster CC’s climb of Conder Bottoms, while David Huck (Barrow Central Wheelers) was second.

And they swapped places for the afternoon’s Jubilee Tower climb, with Huck first and Morris the runner-up.

Veteran rider Susan Paterson (Honister 92) clinched both victories in the women’s category.

In time trialling, Luke Cornish (Cwmcarn Paragon RC) and Crystal Spearman (Nopinz) took victories in the Welsh Championships near Abergavenny.

Cornish who also clinched victory in the VTTA 30 last weekend, clocked a winning time of one hour, 45 minutes and 14 seconds- over a minute faster than his nearest rival.

And Spearman, who finished sixth in the National 12-hour Championships last month clinch the women’s victory with a winning time of 1:59.05.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.

* See the individual event listings for more detailed reports on these and other time trials.