News & Features

The National Closed Circuit Championships take place at the Croft motor circuit in North Yorkshire on Sunday, with hundreds of the best riders from across the country down to compete in a this 10-mile event organised by Cleveland Coureurs.

Defending champion Kate Allan leads a strong contingent of Team Bottrill riders who, according to national rankings provider Spindata, look set to dominate the podium with Allan being joined by Alex Clay and Emily Martin.

The men’s field is also stacked with quality, the pre-race favourite being national 50- and 100-mile champion Adam Duggleby (ADDFORM-Vive le Velo).

However, it looks set to be a close-run thing, with other riders to watch out for including Oliver Peckover (trainSharp) and Simon Wilson (HUUB-WattShop). Spindata suggests they will be separated by just six seconds, so it really could go either way.

The event includes the National Para-Cycling Closed Circuit Championships too, after a successful trial event last year. Former top road rider Ben Hetherington is local to the Teesside District, and is competing in this event after a long recovery from injuries sustained in a crash.

However, he will have his work cut out in beating Mark Valentine (Poole Wheelers), David Murphy (Liverpool Mercury CC) as well as Ben Payne (Maidenhead and District CC) who Spindata have down to be marginally faster.

There are also junior and juvenile categories from 8 to 18 years old, as well as veterans age awards in five-year brackets from 40-44 upwards.

The hill climbing season continues to build towards the national championships at the end of the month, and this weekend sees the Welsh Championship taking place on The Tumble near Govilon.

Tackling the 2.64-mile climb is reigning national women’s champion Illi Gardner (Wahoo Le Col) as well as Rebecca Richardson (Team Lifting Gear Products) who has won the women’s Welsh title three times before and is coming back to full fitness after breaking her back in a freak accident in April and missing most of the season.

Two-time winner of the Welsh Championships, Ed Laverack (Backpedal) is listed as pre-race favourite, but he will be pushed all the way by reigning champion Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Team Lifting Gear Products).

Elsewhere, reigning men’s national champion Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) tackles the Huddersfield Star Wheelers’ climb near Jackson Bridge on Saturday, then is also down to ride the Glossop Kinder Velo Snake Pass climb on Sunday morning as well as the West Pennine Road Club event on Blackstone Edge that afternoon.

Also riding on Jackson Bridge is Jadan-Vive le Velo’s Abi Plowman, who also goes on to tackle the Snake Pass climb on Sunday.

The 3.2-mile climb out of the town to the top of the pass has also attracted Olivia French (Stolen Goat RT) and Patrick Clark (Team Lifting Gear Products).

Several riders based in the North of England are making the trip down to ride the iconic Bec CC and Catford CC climbs on Sunday, with Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products) and Calum Brown (Wold Top The Edge) aiming for glory.

Leonie Harper (Parlay CC) is expected to be quickest female in both events.

Former national champion Tom Bell (High North Performance) joins Olivia French (Stolen Goat RT) at the Rutland CC climb of Mam Nick in Derbyshire on Saturday, while Illi Gardner (Wahoo Le Col) begins her weekend at the University of Bristol CC climb of Belmont Hill.

Also on Saturday it’s the Cestria CC Peth Bank climb, with Hannah Farran (Team Boompods) and Rachel Galler (Saint Piran) expected to be close in the women’s category.

Andy Cunningham (Wheelbase-CabTech) is pre-race favourite in the men’s event, with Alex Storey (GS Metro) and John Bowman (Muckle CC) not far behind.

In West Sussex Brighton Mitre CC have two events on Saturday, a short climb of Steyning Bostal in the morning, before tackling an extended climb almost three times as long in the afternoon.

Check back to the CTT website and social media feeds for reports on events as the weekend progresses!

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