News & Features

JACKSON FLYING START
Andy Jackson got his season off to a flying start notching up two wins for his new team SSL RT. Sunday saw Jakson take the Kettering CC's Mark Bell Memorial 20-mile time trial with a 44-00, 2-30 clear of runner up Gavin Hinxman of the promoting club while Nick cave (Lutterworth Cycle Centre) was a further 10 seconds of  the pace.Welland Valley's Linda Hubbard took the women's honours with a 58-16. Jackson had teamed up with Simon Beldon on Saturday to win the Sheffrec CC 2-Up `25`ahead of Birdwell Wheelers Benjamin Harvey and Dan Taylor, a 52-18 giving the SSLL RT duo a winning margin of 1-19. Alex Deck (Langsett Cycles) and Chris Melia (Born to Bike) teamed up to win the women's prize with a 1-02-59.

PENDLE FOR GULLEN
James Gullen (Pedal Heaven RT) continued his winning run this time in the North Lancs Rc classic Circuit of Pendle where a 1-00-06 for the 28 miles left his nearest rival Matt Moorhouse (Preston CC) 4-50 adrift. The promoting club's Mark Haydock improved one place on last year's performance to claim third with his 1-05-55. Buxton CC's Molly Horsley-Forest was best of the women with her 1-21-38. 

TAYLOR AGAIN
National 100-mile Champion Charles Taylor (Team Bottrill) got his seaon off to a good start with victory in the Matlock CC Hilly `25`, his 1-00-33 some 12 seconds short of Darryl Webster's 1982 record. As last year Steve Gibson (Peak RC) was again runner up to Taylor this time with a 1-04-52, beating Matlock's Kevin White by just two seconds. Rebecca Linaker (South Normonton CC) clocked a 1-20-06, first woman.

Chris McNamara (Nuun-Sigma Sport-London) claimed the Sussex CA event, cut from 23 miles to 21.4 because of traffic lights, with a 49-34 from Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC), 51-04, and Simon McNamara (South Downs Bikes), 51-05. Helen Wells (Sussex Nomads CC), 1-08-49, was best of the woman. Event secretary Steve Dennis tells us he offers his "heartfelt commiserations to those who went off course."

David McGaw (Cambridge CC), as last year, won the CC Breckland `10` on Saturday, a 21-19 putting him 17 seconds ahead of Daniel Bloy (Velovelocity). Bloy's team mate Paul Jay filled third with a 22-28. A 27-03 earned Jen Smart (VC Norwich) the women's prize.

CLOSE FOR AXFORD
It couldn't have been closer in the Maidenhead & District CC Hilly 30-mile time trial where Danny Axford (Arctic Tacx RT) beat Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) by one second with his 1-08-31. Paceline RT's Paul Wright finished in third with 1-09-08. Wright's clubmate Keith Lea topped the listing in the VTTA (Kent) `10` at Harrietsham with a 21-50. Simon Henderson (Thanet RC), 23-06, Rodney Smith (Wigmore CC), 23-42, completed the top three while Julia Hawksworth (Southborough & District Wheelers) was best of the women with a 30-09.

THE OLD ONE-TWO
Tanks Direct CYcling managed the old one-two in the St Austell Wheelers 20.7-mile event with Mark Lees, 49-52, and Steve Sage, 50-50. Alessandro Gourley (Penzance Wheelers) completed the leading trio with a 50-59. Mid Devon CC's Lauren Dolan got round in 57-10, first woman.

Ben Anstie (73 Degrees Bicycles) improved on his third place last year to win the Chippenham & District Wheelers `24` with a 54-39 ahead of team mate Peter Kibble, 55-44, and Tony Chapman (Frome & District Wheelers), 56-38. Frances Bromley (Buxton CC) was fastest of the women with her 1-07-32.

 
After Tanks Direct Cycling and 73 Degrees Bicycles one-twos Rock to Roll Cycles did the same in the Border City Wheelers Hilly `25` thanks to Alex Foster, 56-09, and Stephen Lewis, 56-07. Third spot went to Jon Sturman (Activ Cycles) with a 56-50 while Border City's Carol Westmorland finished with a 1-14-08 for the woman's award.

Dean Robson (Nopinz) came out on top in the Wrekinsport CC Hilly `18`, a 41-12 giving him 17 seconds in hand over James Ratcliffe (Fred Williams RT) while 2014 GHS Champion George Evans (Team Bottrill) took third with a 41-49. Jenny York (Mid Shropshire Wheelers), 53-17, was first woman.

Philip Graves (Clifton C York) followed up his Yorkshire CF `10` with success in the Featherstone RC `10`, a 21-56 leaving him 50 seconds clear of Mark Wolstenholme (Team Swift).