News & Features

Honours will be on the line when the country’s quickest veterans meet at the VTTA 10 Mile Championship this Saturday, heading a weekend full of events.

A total of 99 riders will be competing for the men’s and women’s prizes on the O10/1 between Hatfield Woodhouse and Blaxton near Doncaster in Yorkshire.

Local boy Keith Ainsworth (Sheffrec CC) will start as scratch man and has knowledge of the course having clocked 21-17 in the Rutland 10 last month.

Ainsworth, aged 62, will face competition from the likes of Richard Oakes (Team Ohten Aveas) who beat him to victory in the VTTA National 25 Mile Championships two weeks earlier.

Anthony Brown (George Fox Cycling Solutions) could also mount a challenge for the men’s title with the 62-year-old making the long trip from East Anglia having clocked 20-18 earlier this month.

The women’s event will once again be headed by Angela Carpenter (...a3crg) who has been in commanding form so far this season.

The 52-year-old, from Wessex, has won the VTTA National 15, 25 and 30 Mile Championships already this season and will be looking to continue her winning form in the age category championships.

Carpenter starts late in the field and may know the times of her fellow competitors before the start of her ride.

Deb Hutson-Lumb (Nova Raiders), Joanna Cebrat (Bury Clarion CC) and Jo Corbett (Sherwood CC) will be amongst her competition.

The formidable tandem pairing of Ian Greenstreet and Rachael Elliott (Newbury Velo) will also be in action.

Hill climb season is well underway and the Sodbury Cycle Sport event begins the weekend of events early on Saturday morning.

National Hill Climb Champion Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.Com) will start as last man on the 1.34-mile long climb with an average gradient of 6.6%.

Morgan Curle (Rogue Racing) won the Somerset RC HC and could provide a challenge.

Amongst the women’s field is Charlotte Davies (FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing) who will take on the likes of Emily Slavin (Avid Sport) and junior Laura Curle (Rogue Racing) amongst others.

After placing second in the National 10 last weekend Joanna Patterson (The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz) opens her hill climb campaign on the Bute Wheelers event on the Serpentine as part of the three-stage Rothesay weekend in Scotland.

Amongst her challengers for women’s honours will be Christina Murray (Army Cycling) and Gemma Penman (Vanelli-Project GO).

Veteran Chris Smart (GTR - Return To Life) has been on good form and finished third in the same event in 2019 and is amongst a big men’s field.

Riders will then compete in the two-up time trial on Saturday afternoon over 20 miles including a tough climb after 14 miles.

Sunday sees a traditional out and back 10-mile time trial with a climb at the start and end of the event.

National Women’s Hill Climb Champion Bithja Jones (Pankhurst Cycles) has taken two course records in as many events so far this season and is scratch rider in Saturday’s Kingston Wheelers event on Leith Hill near Dorking.

She will face tough opposition in the form of Madeline Heywood (Team Watto) who won the Sheffrec CC HC last month.

Juvenile Finley Hawker (VC de Londres) has impressed with a second place in the Reading Cycling Club event.

He will feature along with Richard Cartland (HuntBikeWheels.Com) and Theo Tadros (trainSharp) in the men’s event.

The following day both national champions Feather and Jones are on the same start sheet when they compete in the Watford Velo Sport event on Whiteleaf.

Illi Gardner (CAMS Racing) has started her hill climb campaign in good form and starts in Sunday’s Minehead CC event on Polock.

She will face opposition from Jessica Rhodes-Jones (Aerocoach) on the 4.2-mile closed road event.

Former National Hill Climb Champion Ed Laverack (Backpedal) won the Border City Whls event last weekend and goes in the men’s event.

Tom Bell (High North Performance) and Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) will go head-to-head in the Geared Up And CN Cycles RT event near Stocksbridge on Sunday morning.

The women’s event will see another intriguing battle with Mary Wilkinson (Yorkshire Road Club), Rebecca Richardson (Team Brother UK) and Joanna Blackburn (Team Bottrill) all due to battle for honours.

Nichols will be hoping to make it a double for the day when he starts as last man in the Birdwell Wheelers event in the afternoon.

In the women’s event Wilkinson, Richardson and Blackburn will resume their battle from the morning event.

In time trial action a field of 100 riders will be hoping for good conditions for fast times in the Sherwood CC 10 near Nottingham on Saturday.

Fresh from riding the Tour of Britain last week Oliver Peckover (SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling) rides his first open time trial since June and starts as last man.

He might have everything his own way with junior Joshua Giddings (HMT Hospitals Giant Cycling Team) amongst a strong field of competitors.

The women’s field includes Amy Pritchard (Giant Camden Team Liv) and Denise Burrows (
AeroCoach) along with others.

Veteran Christopher McNamara (Nuun-Sigma Sport-London RT) has been on fine form this season and start as last of a 120-rider field in the Paceline 10 on Saturday afternoon.

The women’s field will be an intriguing contest with 16 riders headed by Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero).

Just five seconds separated her from Jennifer George (The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz) and while Anneleen Bosma (Bianchi Dama) was just a further six seconds back and all three meet again.

Also heading back to open time trial action after riding the Tour of Britain is veteran Simon Wilson (
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling) who starts as scratch man in the Springfield financial 10 on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Erica Booth (Lancashire RC) starts as last woman along the fast L1015 in Cumbria.

Professional road rider Ryan Mullen (Trek – Segafredo) set a course record on his way to victory on his only other open outing this season and starts as last man in the Fibrax Wrexham RC (hilly).

The event sees riders competing over a tough 32 miles starting near Llangollen and Alison Dockney (Market Drayton Cycling Club) starts as last woman.

Fellow World Tour professional Alex Dowsett (Israel Startup Nation) will also be looking to set a market in the ECCA 25 on Sunday on the A11 near Thetford.

Emma Dodds (Epsom CC) will be the last woman starter in that event but will face tough opposition from Emily Martin (Weaver Valley CC),

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