News & Features

VETERANS from across the country will be competing for honours when they gather in Yorkshire for the VTTA National 30 Mile Championships on Saturday afternoon, starting a weekend of events.

After winning the VTTA National 15 and 50-mile events already this season Angela Carpenter (...a3crg) will be looking to add another title to her collection.

Carpenter, aged 52, recorded a 33-13 time equating to a +11.21 to win the VTTA National 15 before clocking 1-46-34 which gave her a standard of +46.20 to win the VTTA National 50 in June.

Competition for Carpenter in the women’s event will come in the form of Deborah Moss (Team Merlin) and Joanna Cebrat (Bury Clarion CC) amongst others.

Keith Ainsworth (Sheffrec CC) will be looking to add another veteran’s title to his collection on the V241 near Boroughbridge.

The 62-year-old finished second in the VTTA National 50 but will be targeting honours once again on familiar roads in Yorkshire.

Racing in his home Yorkshire division Darren Yarwood (Chapeau! Vive Le Velo) will be amongst those also targeting victory after he won the Cleveland Coureurs/VTTA North 25 last weekend clocking 50-00.

Other challengers include Richard Oakes (Team Ohten Aveas) and Mark Wolstenholme (Swift Racing) who have impressed in recent weeks.

Also taking place on Saturday afternoon in Cheshire is the Warrington Road Club 50 taking place on the J4/9 course over three and a half laps of a 14-mile course.

Alastair Ribbands (Manchester Wheelers) will be looking for a second win of the season despite recording seven podium positions.

Naomi Wright (Manchester Triathlon Club) will start last woman but will have to beat Jenny Hill (Army Cycling) and Molly Savill (Albarosa CC) amongst others.

Meanwhile in Shropshire, George Evans (Team Bottrill) will be looking to record a third win of the season in the Fibrax Wrexham RC 10 between Tern Hill and Shawbirch.

However, he will have to see off stiff competition from Sean Mullen (Port Sunlight Wheelers) and veteran Victor Chetta (Pirate Juice CC) amongst others.

First rider off is Leah Dixon (Wales Racing Academy) who won the Rugby Racing Club 10 on her last outing in 20-09.

Meanwhile, in Cumbria a Saturday evening 10 will take place on the L1015 with the Wigan Whs CC 10.

Liam Beaty (Hawick Cycling Club) starts as last man in a field which includes Keith Murray (Drag2Zero) and Alex Pritchard (AeroLab Ward WheelZ) who clocked 19-04 in the Melton Olympic 10 in April.

After winning her last two events Jennifer George (The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz) will be looking to continue her run in Sunday morning’s …A3crg Flying 15 along the A3 near Petersfield.

The host club have a trio of riders in Eva Zsigoova, Lucy Mitchell and Kirsty McSeveney also targeting women’s honours.

Veteran Simon McNamara (HuntBikeWheels.Com) finished second in last week’s Bec CC 25 and will be targeting a first victory of the season in the men’s event.

In the North East, Marcel Schubert (Darlington Cycling Club) and Joanne Rea (Team Kirkley Cycles) will be looking to add to their winning tallies for the season in the Barnesbury 10 which has attracted a big field of 88 riders.

Further north in Scotland veteran Douglas Watson (GTR - Return To Life) will be looking to return to winning ways.

Watson finished second in last week’s St Christopher CC/SVTTA 25 and will start as scratch man.

The women’s event is set to see a showdown between National 100 Mile Champion Joanna Patterson (The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz) and National 24 Hour Champion Christina Murray (Army Cycling).

This weekend also sees the start of the hill climb campaign for some riders with two events taking place on Sunday with riders having the chance to ride both events.

Firstly the Yorkshire Road Club event takes place on the Cragg Vale Hill Climb over 4.8 miles.

Rebecca Richardson (Team Brother UK) begins her hill climb campaign in the women’s event but will have to see off competition from Sandra Burrows (Vive Le Velo), Beth Grogan (Selby CC) and Joanna Blackburn (Team Bottrill) in the women’s event.

Alastair Ribbands (Manchester Wheelers) is amongst the riders in the men’s event while Laurence Fryer-Taylor (OVB) starts as scratch rider.

Meanwhile, Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) starts as last man in Sunday evening’s Sitwell Cycling Club event on the Ulley Lane Hill Climb.

Nichols got his hill climb campaign off to a winning start in the 7 Hill CC event last month.

Blackburn is due to ride the women’s event and could record a double victory on the day.

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