News & Features

The best young riders from across the country come together this Sunday to battle for honours at the National Youth Championships in South Yorkshire.

Having shown their promise with top performances at regional heats across the country throughout the season, this is their big chance to see how they measure up on the national stage.

National rankings system Spindata suggests that it could be a close run thing for the boys’ title, with juvenile Finlay Tarling (Flanders Color Galloo Team) expected to clock around 20-23 for the 10-mile course at Hatfield Woodhouse near Doncaster, while Patrick Casey (Team Lifting Gear Products) is last rider off and expected to post a time of around 20-45.

Behind them, Seb Grindley (North Cheshire Clarion) and Harris Hall (Velo Culture) will be vying for a podium place too.

Maindy Flyers CC rider Mabli Phillips is down as the fastest female on paper with an expected time of around 23-55, while further down the field are Thanet RC’s Ferne Peirce and Evelyn Field (Liverpool Century CA).

At the other end of the age spectrum it’s the VTTA National 25-Mile Championships in Cambridgeshire, with the top veterans doing batting on the F2a/25 course near Cambourne.

In terms of fastest Chris McNamara (Nuun-Sigma Sport and Matthew Smith (Drag2zero) are expected to be best, while Angela Carpenter (a3crg) is widely expected to add to her collection of national honours with victory in both open and on standard categories for women.

And there will be many other medals earned in the various age group and on standard awards.

VC St Raphael are hosting a 27-mile classic time trial using much the same course near Goodwood in West Sussex as the 1982 World Championships and featuring events for riders on road bikes as well as time trial bikes.

Supported by Nopinz, the event looks set to become an annual classic and has attracted some top riders.

In the time trial bike event Jennifer George (The Independent Pedaler-Nopinz) is the top female according to Spindata, with Storey Racing’s Lucy Gadd and Emma O’Toole (Nopinz Motip RT) down to ride, while Jordan Giles (Primera TeamJobs) and Pat Wright (Paceline RT) are down to ride.

And the road bike category sees Sam Wadsley (Primera TeamJobs) and Michael Wykes (Blazing Saddles) down to ride, as well as Matthew Smith (Team TMC) and Joe Parker (RC Ravenna).

The hill-climb season is upon us, and there are plenty of events across the country this weekend.

Buxton CC host their mile-long climb of Goyt Road in Derbyshire on Saturday, with Leon Wright (Race Hub) and Alex Raynard (Velo Bavarian) among the ones to watch.

Sunday sees Reading CC host their annual event on Streatley Hill in Berkshire, a short 0.475-mile climb which has attracted a quality field including reigning national champion Bithja Jones (Pankhurst Cycles) and all-rounder Alice Lethbridge (Kingston Wheelers), while in the men’s event Harry McFarlane (GFTL) and Josh Aiken (Orwell Velo) are ones to watch.

After riding the Buxton CC event on Saturday Alex Raynard is one of several riders who will move on to the Bolsover and District CC climb in the grounds of Hardwick Hall, a 615-metre climb of which Spindata has Gregg Booker (SUMMAT CC) down as a top contender along with Tom Parsons (Team Jewson-MI Racing).

Elsewhere, Sid Valley CC host a 1.7km climb on Peak Hill in Sidmouth, Border City Wheelers have a longer 5.3-mile climb of Hartside Moor, North Tyneside Riders are climbing Winter’s Gibbet near Elsdon, and AIMS Cycling host an event on Kildale near Great Ayton.

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