News & Features

The build-up to the National Hill-Climb Championships continued apace last weekend, with some of the favourites for the title having to settle for the minor podium places.

Andrew Feather (BCR Racing) was a man on good form, with three victories over the weekend.

He beat reigning national champion Dan Evans into second spot in both the Huddersfield Star Wheelers and Holme Valley Wheelers hill-climbs of Jackson Bridge and Holme Moss respectively, and then went on to take victory in the North Lancashire Road Club event on Nick O’Pendle on Sunday.

While Dan Evans was second in both of Saturday’s events in Yorkshire, his wife Jessica Evans was fastest female in both of those events.

And on Sunday Evans had to settle for second once again, this time being beaten in the Welsh CA Championship by Ed Laverack (JLT Condor). Rebecca Richardson (Hafren CC) was fastest woman at the Welsh title race near Abergavenny.

Adam Kenway (Vitus Pro Cycling) also had to settle for second spot as he was beaten in Sunday’s Bolsover and District climb of Carr Lane, Palterton, in Derbyshire by Joseph Clark (Cycling Sheffield-Giant. He clocked 3-11 to beat 2016 national champion Kenway  by one second, while Yasmin Marks (Beeston CC) was the fastest female in 4-36.

In East Sussex, there were two victories each for Olivia Webb (Eastbourne Rovers CC) and Rowan Brackston (London Dynamo) who were fastest woman and man respectively in Saturday morning’s ESCA climb on Firle Bostal, as well as the afternoon’s Velopace climb of Church Street in Willingdon.

Sam Lindsay topped the men’s category as triathlete Kate Mactear was top woman in the University of Bristol CC’s hill-climb event in Somerset on Saturday.

Lindsay clocked 2-45.7 for the Belmont Hill event, while Mactear – who has featured on the podium at World and European triathlon events – covered the course in 3-42.5.

In Derbyshire, Andy Nichols (Team B38-Underpin Racing) and Hattie Archer (Bolsover and Dist CC) were fastest at the Rutland CC climb of Mam Nick near Edale in Derbyshire on Saturday.

And on Sunday Richard Gildea was fastest male while Jacintha Hamilton-Love was quickest woman at the Watford Velo Sport hill climb on Whiteleaf Hill near Monks Risborough.

In County Durham Blaydon CC’s Marcus Cram and Hannah Farran (Boompods EDCO) were fastest male and female riders respectively at the Houghton CC hill-climb on a wet Quarrington Hill course.

Calum Brown (Team B38-Underpin Racing) built on his victory in the Monsal hill-climb last weekend by taking victory in the 600-yard Tickhill Velo climb of Brookhouse, Carr, clocking 1-01.9 to win by 3.8 seconds, while Emilie Verroken (Maxx RT) was fastest female.

* 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.