News & Features

Rebecca Richardson and Dan Evans were victorious at the Welsh CA Hill-Climb Championships near Abergavenny on Sunday, powering up the iconic Tumble climb as their preparations for the National Championships continue.

Richardson (Brother UK) clocked 16-25.8 to win by around 2-40 from Jessica Evans, Dan’s wife, who also rides for ASSOS Speed Club UK.

Meanwhile, Dan Evans covered the course in 13-06.4 to win by around ten seconds from junior Tomos Pattinson (Halesowen A&CC).

The 4.7-mile climb starts at Govilon and has a gradient of 15% in places.

In Lancashire, Mary Wilkinson (Yorkshire Road Club) continued her preparations for the National Championships with a course record performance on the Rake near Ramsbottom. The short, sharp climb has a maximum gradient of 22% and has been the site of several memorable national title races over the years.

Fastest overall was Tom Bell (High North Performance) who is a top contender for the men’s national title when the Championships is held on Winnat’s Pass, Derbyshire, in two weeks.

He clocked 2-18.5 to win by three seconds, with many riders suffering slippage caused by the wet surface.

In County Durham Hannah Farran and Nick Munro were victorious once again, this time claiming the main prizes at the Houghton CC climb of Quarrington Hill on Sunday.

RAF Cycling Association rider Munro, 35, was bagging his fourth hill climb win of the season so far, while Farran, the 27-year-old Team Boompods rider, now has a run of five wins in the last month after her win on Quarrington Hill.

Munro clocked 1-58.2 for the climb, the only rider to go under two minutes and enough to give him the win by seven seconds from John Bowman (Muckle CC). Farran’s time of 2-36.4 gave her the women’s prize by 6.7 seconds from Blaydon CC rival Sarah Wilkinson.

Further south Gabe Dellar (Southampton Univ RCC) and Christina Gustafson (Reading CC) were quickest male and female riders respectively at the Farnham Road Club climb of Brockham Hill Lane in Holybourne on Sunday.

20-year-old Dellar clocked 3-39.18 to take the win by around eight seconds from North Hampshire Road Club’s Luke Walton, while Gustafson clocked 6-22.77.

In East Sussex reigning national champion Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) sliced 20 seconds from the old course record, while Kate Palmer (1904 RT) was fastest woman at the Beachy Head CC climb of Butts Lane near Willingdon on Saturday.

Feather clocked 3-18.0 to take the win on the day by 30 seconds from Ashley Dennis (Things That), while Palmer’s time of 5-12.0 gave her the women’s prize by eight seconds from Olivia Webb (Eastbourne Rovers CC).

And in Somerset Carl Jolly (73 Degrees Bicycles-WestSide Coaching RT) took his first victory of the season in the Team Tor 2000 hill climb on Westclose Hill.

The 22-year-old completed the climb in a time of five minutes and 46 seconds, winning by 11 seconds from Morgan Curle (Rogue Racing).

Gala CC rider Joe Agnew took victory by a fraction of a second in the Edinburgh RC hill climb on the Fa’side Castle Climb, while Abi Plowman (Kendal Cycle Club) won the women’s event.

23-year-old Agnew won his first ever open time trial battling against tough conditions to post a time of four minutes and 49 seconds, just fractions of a second quicker than host club rider Cameron Ritchie.

Plowman’s time of 5-53.0 gave her the women’s win by almost a minute.

In the Mendips Bristol Road Club’s Phil Stonelake clocked 5-02.6 for the Smitham Hill climb to win by 13 seconds from Carl Jolly, while quickest female was Lucy Driver (Bridgwater CC) in 6-51.2.

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