News & Features

THE first national title since the restart of time-trial action is taking place this weekend with the VTTA National 50 Mile Championship.

After winning last year’s event Andy Jackson (AeroCoach) will start as scratch rider in the 120-rider field on the A46 in Nottinghamshire.

The National 12-hour Champion has a personal best of 1-39-33 over the 50 miles distance and won last season’s event in 1-45-09 with a standard time of +31.50.

Jackson was a clear victor last season but could be pushed on this occasion with Matthew Bottrill (Team Bottrill) searching for his first VTTA honours.

After finishing second in the VTTA National Championship last season over 15 miles Keith Ainsworth (Sheffrec CC) will also fancy his chanced after clocking a 1-44-27 in last weekend’s Shaftesbury 50.

The men’s scratch competition will also be in intriguing one with John Archibald (Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling) set to go up against Adam Duggleby (Almerico Vive Le Velo).

In the women’s event last season’s champion Karen Ledger (Ace Test Team) is absent.

Former National 50 Champion from 2018, Anna Turvey (Drag2Zero) will have her eyes on her first VTTA crown and clocked a time of 1-46-28 on her way to winning the Shaftesbury CC 50 last weekend.

She will face stiff competition for the scratch victory from National 25 Champion Emily Meakin (The Independent Pedaler) who is the only senior woman in the field.

Elsewhere, the iconic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit in Chichester is the setting for the …A3cgr event with competitors completing five laps (11.7 miles).

Veteran Christopher McNamara (Nunn-Sigma Sport-London RT) will start as scratch rider in the time-trial bikes event in his first open event of the season.

McNamara was part of the team who finished fourth in the National Team Time Trial last season.

Hayley Simmonds (AeroCoach) heads the women’s time-trial bike field and starts as scratch rider in a healthy field of 23 riders.

Simmons hasn’t featured in an open event since her National Hill Climb Championship victory in October after also winning the National 25 Championships last season but will have ridden the previous day.

She will face competition for the victory in the form of Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) and under-23 rider Caitlin Peters (Torelli).

The road bike categories also have healthy fields with Nigel Donaghy (Portsmouth Triathletes) starting scratch rider in the men’s and Marianne Holt (Team Bottrill) last out in the women’s field.

With riders keen to get racing action into their legs 100 riders are down to ride the Addiscombe 10 on Saturday afternoon.

Despite having no open CTT race results to his name all eyes will be on scratch rider Ryan Christensen (HuntBikeWheels.com) on the out and back course in Dorking.

The 23-year-old New Zealand international has made his name in road racing and will be looking at setting a benchmark for future weeks.

The women’s field is also a strong one and Lethbridge will be hoping for a weekend double starting with Saturday’s event.

She will face competition in the form of veteran Angela Carpenter (…A3crg) and Jennifer George (Memorial-Santos) amongst others.

In Cambridgeshire 180 riders are down on the start list to ride the Chronos RT 10 out and back along the A428.

Scratch rider is veteran Mark Jones (Drag2Zero) but he will face stiff competition from Ashley Cox (Team Bottrill) who won the Lee Valley 25 back in March.

Finally, the lumpier Sussex CA 30 sees a competitive field of riders compete towards the coastal town of Shoreham-by-Sea.

 Veteran Andrew Meilak (VeloRefined Rule 5) is the final man away but he will face fierce competition from team-mate Kevin Tye and rising star Oliver Stockwell (Flamme Rouge CT) amongst others.

Full startsheets from these and other events 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. BG