News & Features

As the calendars roll over into March, so a healthy crop of time trials are on offer with riders across the land eager to get some good times under their belts. Hillies and hardriders events abound, especially on Sunday.

In Essex, the Hainault RC stage a hilly 50-kilometre event which has attracted more than 100 riders including former national 50-mile competition record holder Paul Hart (Southend Wheelers), Rhys Howells (Richardsons-Trek RT), Lloyd Chapman (Plomesgate CC) and the ActiveEdge Racing Team duo of Felix Barker and John Mulvey.

And among the women are in-form Elizabeth Marvelly (Liv AWOL), who was second in last weekend’s North Road CC Hardriders event.

Banbury Star CC promote a hardriders 23-mile event too, with the last rider off in Oxfordshire being Jack O’Neill (Team Jewson).

Felix Wilkinson (VC Montpellier) is riding events both days – firstly the Dursley RC 10 on Saturday and then the Chippenham and District Wheelers hardriders 22-mile event on Sunday.

Challenging him on Sunday will be Daniel Kempe (Bristol South CC) among others, while in the women’s event in-form Megan Dickerson (Bristol South CC) and Joanne Jago (Performance Cycles) are both down to ride.

The Sussex CA hilly 25 takes place near Staplefield on Sunday, with the top riders including Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC), Pat Wright (Paceline RT), Simon McNamara (South Downs Bikes) and Mark Smith (Crawley Wheelers).

And further north the North Lancashire RC hilly 30 has attracted riders of the calibre of Richard Bideau (Pendle Forest CC) as well as Derek Parkinson (Springfield Financial).

As well as the Dursley RC 10, Saturday’s events sees an intriguing battle in the Burton and District Cycling Alliance two-up 30-kilometre event, where former multiple national champion Matt Bottrill teams up with Brett Harwood in the colours of Team Bottrill.

Challenging them are 22 other pairs, including Keith Murray and his son Sam Murray, the Drag2zero pairing who will be ones to watch.

Angela Carpenter (a3crg) is down to ride twice on Saturday.

She tackles the Farnborough and Camberley CC 10 near Bentley in Hampshire in the morning, where flying chef Alan Murchison (Drag2zero) is also due to ride. And then Carpenter heads over to Rake to compete in the afternoon’s a3crg Hardriders 10.

The event is split into two with road bike and time trial bike categories. Dave Dent (GS Stella) and Neil Mackley (a3crg) should feature on the podium for the road bikes, while the time trial event has attracted Matt Buckley (a3crg) and Gary Chambers (NOPINZ).

Full startsheets are available on the CTT website. Remember to keep checking back to the CTT website over the weekend for reports and results.

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