News & Features

A full field of 120 riders plus reserves is preparing to ride this weekend’s big event, the Finsbury Park CC 25-miler in Cambridgeshire.

An impressive total of 19 female riders are down to tackle the F2a/25 near Cambourne, with national 50-mile champion Kate Allan (Team Bottrill) and national 100-mile champion Joanna Patterson (Wahoo Endurance Zone p/b Le Col) leading the way.

National ranking system provider Spindata predicts Allan to clock about 50-59 for the course, with Patterson being tipped to do a 51-43 based on recent results.

But you can’t write either of them off, having faced each other in a few close battles so far this season. Allan beat Patterson into second at the National 50-Mile Championships, while Patterson got the better of Allan at the National 100-Mile Championships.

Meanwhile, top veteran Angela Carpenter (a3crg) will be pushing for a podium place too.

The men’s field is topped by Oliver Peckover (Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling), with Ian Hope (Team Ohten Aveas) and Howard Bayley (Blazing Saddles) expected to do well too.

Elsewhere it’s the Welsh 10-Mile Championships on Sunday near Raglan, with a close battle expected between Anthony Jones (VMCC powered by Y Beic) and Owen Burgess (UF Rowe & King) in the senior men’s event.

Spindata is predicting Jones to win by just one second with 19-31 and 19-32 their estimated times.

Meanwhile, junior Josh Tarling (Flanders Color Galloo Team) has a personal best almost a minute quicker than the times expected of Burgess and Jones and ride an impressive 18-57 on the same course in 2021. And younger brother Finlay Tarling could shake things up too, with a personal best 18-57 and a time of 19-45 posted on the same Raglan course last year. Watch this space!

In East Sussex Chris McNamara (Nuun-Sigma Sport) is expected to take victory at the East Sussex CA 100-mile time trial on Sunday morning, with Pat Wright (Paceline RT) and Andrew Rivett (VC St Raphael0 also in the mix for a podium finish.

And the women’s event predictions have Lisa Davis (Drag2zero) and Pip Jenkins (1904 RT) down to do well, along with Kate Thomas (Lewes Wanderers CC).

In Gloucestershire it’s the Bristol South CC 50-mile event, with reigning national 100-mile champion Jake Sargent (FTP Race Team) expected to take a relative easy victory.

Spindata has him down to finish about 11 minutes quicker than his nearest challenger in Tony Chapman (Frome and Dist Wh), while the women’s category looks set to be contended by Joanne Jago (Performance Cycles), Caroline Nottage (Army Cycling) and Liz Batt (Buxton CC).

In Cumbria Border City Wheelers are staging a 10-mile event near Keswick on Saturday, with their 25-mile event on Sunday also being the North Lancashire TTA Championships.

Liam Beaty (Hawick CC) and Doug Watson (GTR-Return to Life) are separated by just three seconds according to Spindata, while quickest of the women in Sunday’s event is Deborah Moss (Springfield Financial).

In Yorkshire on Sunday the VTTA are staging a 10-mile event near Dishforth, with Marcel Schubert (Darlington CC) predicted to top the lot while Darren Yarwood (Chapeau! Vive le Velo) and Stuart Wells (Lindsey Roads CC) battling behind for second.

Top pick for the women’s category is Selby CC’s Beth Grogan who is tipped to ride a 23-50, while Team Sportslab veteran Karen Taylor and Army Cycling’s Sue McFarlane separated by just three seconds according to Spindata.

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