News & Features

National 25-Mile Champion Chris Fennell added the National Closed Circuit Championship title to his palmares on Sunday, while team-mate at the Independent Pedaler Joscelin Lowden won the women’s title to add to the National 10 crown she won in August.

After finishing second on three previous occasions, Fennell finally won the event, which covered five laps of the Thruxton motor circuit for a total distance of 11.7 miles.

Fennell, who clocked 21-47, said afterwards: “I had a perfect ride. I know the circuit like the back of my hand, and it helped. Everything went according to plan and I couldn’t really have asked for a better day.”

And Lowden said: “I’d done the prep work and think it went very well so even better to come out with the win with good power and timings.”

Thomas Day (Giant CC Halo Films) and Zoe Backstedt (Storey Racing) were quickest junior riders.

Elsewhere, Pat Wright (Paceline RT) and Mel Wasley (Epsom CC) were winners at the Brighton Mitre CC 25 near Steyning, West Sussex, on Sunday.

Wright clocked 52-24 to win by 26 seconds from Matt Smith (Team ASL), while Wasley clocked 1-00-02.

In hill-climbing, preparations for the National Championships next weekend continued across the country, with Rebecca Richardson (Brother.UK-Fusion) riding and winning an impressive four events last weekend.

She broke the women’s course record on her way to victory in the Drighlington BC event on Scotchman Lane in Batley on Saturday, where Jude Taylor (Cycles in Motion) was fastest male.

Sunday started with the morning’s Matlock CC climb on Riber, where Richardson was fastest again with Adam Kenway (Vitus Pro Cycling) being the pick of the men.

Two hours later she tackled Chesterfield Coureurs’ climb of Beeley Moor, where she set a new women’s course record of 10:07 with Leon Wright (Race Hub) being overall fastest.

And then she returned to Matlock CC’s Bank Road climb to storm to another win and women’s course record, with Calum Brown (Cycles in Motion) being quickest man.

After winning the Drighlington climb, June Taylor headed over to Lancashire on Sunday for the North Lancashire Road Club event at Nick O’Pendle.

He clocked 3-55 to win by just half a second from Garstang CC’s Alex O’Brien, while Harriet Giles (Tri Preston) was quickest female.

In Somerset on Saturday, reigning national champion Andrew Feather (Champion System UK) won the Team Tor 2000 event on West Close Hill near Priddy, while Nicole Coates (Brother.UK-Fusion) was fastest woman.

Daniel Hills (Brixton Cycles) and Debbie Percival (Kent Velo Girs/Boys) were the fastest over the Brockham Hill climb near Holybourne, used by Farnham Road Club for their event on Sunday.

In Northumberland Grace Inglis (Muckle CC) and David Huck (Barrow Central Wheelers) were fastest in the Muckle CC hill-climb on Prospect Hill in Corbridge on Sunday.

And Cleveland Wheelers’ Richard Lilleker clocked 4-02.8 to win the Ferryhill Wheelers climb in Frosterley on Sunday, winning by around 15 seconds from Darlington CC rival Marcel Schubert.

* 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.