News & Features

Here we are back in Championship mode after the Team Time Trial Championship a couple of weeks ago. This weekend sees the RTTC National 10-mile Championships heading over the border to Scotland where the Ayr Roads and Fullarton Wheelers jointly promote the Women and Junior title events on Saturday and the Men’s event on Sunday.

The 140 men entered include defending Champion Dan Bigham (Ribble Pro Cycling), Ryan Perry (Drag2Zero) and Matt Langworthy (Saint Piran) who completed the podium line up last year. Backing Bigham we have John Archibald and Simon Wilson who complete the Ribble Pro Cycling challenge for the team honours.

However, it is Marcin Bialoblocki (NOPINZ) who must be giving the above mentioned food for thought. The former pro has already claimed the 25-mile and 100-mile Championships this season plus national records at 25 and 50 miles to go with his `10` record of 16-35.

The men race on Sunday, the first man off at 09.01 with Bigham last away at 11.30, two minutes behind Bialoblocki who chases Harry Tanfield (Cleveland Wheelers). The last 10 riders all start at two-minute intervals.

The Juveniles and Juniors open the action on Saturday at 09.01 with the girls first to face the timekeeper. Pfeiffer Georgi (Liv CC Halo Cycles) and Elynor Backstedt (Backstedt Hotchillee) should be front runners for the podium, both already experienced road racers, Backstedt having won the North West Junior Tour stage-race last weekend.

The boys include Joshua Sandman (Team Backstedt Bike Performance), runner up last year, Tom Temple (Primera-teamjobs) and Tom Cornwell (In Gear Quickvit Italy Bike Tours), second and third respectively in the recent Junior `25` Championship, and Adam Jarps (Team Bottrill-Vanguard).

The Women’s Championship field sees Hayley Simmonds (Team WNT Pro Cycling) chasing her fifth successive `10`Championship having dominated the distance since 2014. Simmonds has had a tough season on the road with more than her share of misfortune with injuries, however, that did not stop her adding this season’s 25-mile Championship to her calling card. Simmonds is last away at 11.00.

Regular challengers Anna Turvey (Tyneside Vagabonds) and Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) are on hand to keep the pressure on Simmonds. Liz Powell and Vicky Gill are also backing Lethbridge in the search for the team medals.

The event headquarters are in North Ayrshire at Eglinton Country Park, Racquet Hall, Irvine KA12 8TA. Prize giving will be around 12.30 on both days when former word hour record holder and world individual pursuit champion Graeme Obree will do the honours.

Words by David Taylor
CTT Publicity officer