News & Features

Reigning national hill-climb champion Andrew Feather (Champion System UK) powered to three wins in two days last weekend as he continues his build-up to this year’s title race in Devon.

Feather proved fastest in Saturday morning’s Rutland CC climb of Mam Nick in Derbyshire, before heading over the border to Yorkshire and taking victory in the Holme Valley Wheelers climb of Holme Moss. He then went on to win Sunday’s Welsh Championship near Abergavenny.

Feather broke the old course record in Rutland CC’s event on Mam Nick, while fastest female was Lizzy Banks, the Bigla Pro Cycling rider from Sheffield, who also broke the women’s course record.

Lucy Lee (Brother.UK-Fusion) was quickest female on Holme Moss on Saturday afternoon, while her new team-mate at Brother.UK, Rebecca Richardson was crowned Welsh champion on The Tumble on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Calum Brown (Cycles in Motion) headed south from his home in Sheffield to tackle the Catford CC and Bec CC climbs of Yorks Hill and White Lane on Sunday.

And he was victorious in both, despite suffering problems with his gears at the start of the Catford climb.

It mattered little as he took an easy win, although he may have challenged the long-standing course record if he had had a seamless ride.

Eastbourne Rovers’ Olivia Webb was quickest female on Yorks Hill, while Kate Palmer (Brixton Cycles) was fastest woman in the Bec CC event that afternoon.

In Lancashire, Alex O’Brien (Garstang CC) was winner of the Lancashire RC climb on the Rake near Ramsbottom on Sunday.

Having also proved fastest in the previous day’s GTR-Return to Life climb in Scotland, O’Brien continued his great recent form with the win on the 947-yard Rake climb, while Hannah Tweddle (Cycles in Motion) was quickest woman.

On Hinton Hill in Gloucestershire, Ricki Ellison (CC Giro) won the Bath CC event on Sunday morning by 2.7 seconds from Glyndwr Griffiths (73 Degrees Bicycles), while Bristol South CC’s Jess Railton was the best of the females.

Watson’s Hill near Semer in Suffolk was the venue for the CC Sudbury climb on Sunday, which was won by Matt Day (Orwell Velo), while Kirsten Hamilton (Plomesgate CC) was quickest woman.

And in Essex the previous day James Hutchins (CC Hackney) had won the Essex Roads CC climb near Woodham Ferrers, just 1.4 seconds quicker than runner-up Gareth Wignall (Hertfordshire Wheelers).

Katie-Ann Elliston (Southend Wheelers) was the fastest female, around 28 seconds quicker than her nearest rival.

In time trialling Jake Hollins (Bath CC) was victorious in the Southdown Velo 28-mile Goodwood Hilly, his time of 1-05-24 giving him the win by just two seconds from Pat Wright (Paceline RT), while Deborah Smith (Southdown Velo) clocked 1-24-15 to finish as fastest female by around three and a half minutes.

And in the Lincolnshire RRA 10-mile event near Sleaford Brett Harwood (Team Bottrill) was fastest as he prepares for next weekend’s National Closed Circuit Championships, while best woman was Joanna Johnson (Lincoln Wheelers).

The VTTA (Kent) 15-mile time trial was won by National 25 Champion Chris Fennell (The Independent Pedaler), his time of 28-16 being more than two minutes quicker than brother Nic, while the women’s prize went to Rebecca Wilson (Rye and District Wheelers).

* 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.