News & Features

Team Bottrill and Team Swift powered to victories in the National Team Time Trial Championships run over a 30-mile course near Cramlington in Northumberland on Sunday morning.

Team Bottrill-Vanguard went one better this year than last with Stuart Travis being the sole survivor from 2017. This time he was joined by George Evans and James Rix, who covered the course in 1-03-54 to win by 39 seconds from Cambridge University CC trio of Felix Barker, Sebastian Dickson and John Mulvey.

And in the women’s event Team Swift lived up to their name with Kirsty Bramley, Fiona Sharp and Gemma Frost combining well to clock 1-17-53, good enough for a clear win by 3-3 from the Blaydon CC trio of Gemma Hutchins, Joanne Rea and Angela McGurk.

Elsewhere, in South Wales conditions weren’t great for the Realteam.co.uk 25 at Rhigos on Sunday, but there were still some fast times posted.

Tom Rigby (Croston Velo) won with 47.51, while Kieron Davies (Drag2zero) clocked 48-00 for second. Fastest female was Laura Bartlett, the a3crg rider who posted a time of 55-37, giving her the win by almost two minutes from Vicky Jowett (Plymouth Corinthian CC).

Luke and Ross Clarke led a one-two for TMG Horizon in the CC London 25 in Hertfordshire, the brothers clocking 53-53 and 54-06 respectively, while fastest female was Tracy van der Merwe (Finchley RT) with 1-09-34.

Natasha Jarman finished top female as Chris Fennell broke the Q10/19 course record in the San Fairy Ann Open 10 neat Tonbridge in Kent on Sunday.

Fennell (The Independent Pedaler) continued his dominance in open time trialling after setting a new course record of 18-44 near Tonbridge in Kent. The previous course record had stood for 30 years after Colin Sturgess posted a time of 18.48 in 1988.

Gemma Freeman and Mark Smith took narrow victories in the Bec CC 25 near Steyning, West Sussex, on Sunday.

Mark Smith (Crawley Wheelers), a prolific time trialler with over 30 events run this year, got his rewards. The 44-year-old Lindfield-based rider stopped the clock on 54-35 to take his win tally to half a dozen on Sunday.

Smith’s time was good enough for a 28-second triumph over Howard Shaw in second. Freeman stopped the clocks in 1-08-50.

In Hampshire, Paul Lockyer won the Bournemouth Arrow CC 10-mile event by eight seconds on Saturday as New Forest CC scored a one-two with Antony Green in second.

And in Scotland Chris Smart clocked up his third win of the season with a victory at Loch Ken on Saturday, completing the 25.5-mile circuit around the loch in 54.41 to top the standings.

He was less than a minute quicker than his veteran GTR – Return to Life team mates Douglas Watson and Lewis Duff, who completed the podium.

Jane Emslie of Edinburgh RC was the fastest woman on the day, she completed in 1:12.02 to finish in 45th place out of 54 riders overall.

Stuart Fairweather and Zena Palgrave were fastest male and female riders respectively at VC Norwich staged a 10-mile time trial near Morley in Norfolk on Saturday afternoon.

Simon Beldon (Team Bottrill-Vanguard) maintained his great recent form as he won the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 30-mile time trial on Saturday.

And David Leckenby (Ilkley CC) and Delia Beddis emerged victorious in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 15 on the same roads.

In Wales, Jenny Simmonds and Matt Burden were fastest female and male riders respectively at the Sportzmad 10-mile time trial near Port Talbot on Saturday.

Riding for 73 Degrees CC-WestSide Coaching, 41-year-old Bristol-based Burden clocked 19-19 for the R10/17 course near Resolven, giving him the win by just six seconds from Stephen Vanes (Successcycling.co.uk).

Simmonds (Look Mum no Hands!) covered the course in exactly 23 minutes, which gave her the win in the women’s category by 27 seconds from Emma Angove (73 Degrees Cycling).

* 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.