News & Features

Team Bottrill took a clean sweep of women’s British Best All-Rounder (BBAR) titles with Kate Allan and Kim Barfoot-Brace winning the short and traditional distance crowns respectively and helping towards the team title.

Adam Duggleby (ADDFORM Vive Le Velo) won the inaugural men’s short distance, while Andy Critchlow (Paceline RT) added his name to the illustrious list of traditional distance winners.

Meanwhile, the junior competitions were won by Finlay Tarling (Willebrord Wil Vooruit) and Abbey Thompson (Stonham Barns Park – SYRT)

This season saw a traditional distance of 50 and 100-mile along with a 12-hour added to the women’s BBAR competition.

Barfoot-Brace, from Bath, won the National 12-hour and recorded an average speed of 24.3 miles per hour across the distances to win the inaugural BBAR title.

“I’m really happy, my season couldn’t have gone better,” said Barfoot-Brace.

“My number one goal was winning the 12-hour and also managing to win the inaugural long BBAR off the back of that.

“As soon as I knew about the long BBAR I thought that I had to do it. I was very conscious about squeezing in a fast 50 and 100.

“The national events weren’t on super-fast courses. It was quite a challenge as for a period it felt like I was racing every weekend and travelling around the country.

“I was determined to get in some decent times. I was definitely targeting it with some of the races I was doing.

“To have the win confirmed is amazing, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve achieved everything that I’ve set out to from a time trialling perspective.

“Next year I will wholeheartedly be focusing on the 12 hour and ride everything apart from the 24-hour. I appreciate that the longer something is the more competitive I get, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t give some of the other stuff a crack.

“I will be trying to improve on some of my performances. I’ll definitely look at retaining my BBAR title and improve on my average speed.”

Team Bottrill team-mate Allan retained her title for a second year over the short distance over 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles.

Allan won national titles over 10 and 25 miles before smashing the women’s course record in the Tyneside Vagabonds 100 on a sporting course – setting an average speed across the distances of 28.7 miles per hour.

Allan and Barfoot-Brace also combined with Emily Martin to win the team award over the short distance with a combined average speed of 27.86 miles per hour.

The men’s BBAR titles were fought down to the wire with little to separate the leading riders of the course of the season.

Paceline RT rider Critchlow clinched the traditional distance event over 50 and 100 miles along with the 12-hour.

FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team won the traditional distance team award for a second time in three years with Tom Thornely, Tim McEvoy and Lee Williams combining with an average speed of 26.8 miles per hour.

Winning the individual title for the first time Critchlow recorded an average speed of 27.9 miles per hour.

“I only really started focusing on it after I did a 1-35-36 and broke the course record at the ECCA 50 in May,” said Critchlow.

“If you can record a fast 50 then it puts you in a really good position in both BBARs the long and short one.

“I didn’t do a bad time in the 100 so I knew I was still in the ballpark and thought I had to go for it so I entered the 12-hour.

“That was unchartered territory for me, I’d never done a 12-hour before, but knew I needed to beat Chris Gibbard as he had a very fast 100 time.

“I had an idea that I needed to beat him by between two and two-and-a-half miles, which was what I beat him by. It was very hard.

“I’d like to prove to people that it wasn’t a fluke next year. I’ve had a really good year and I’d like to back it up.

“It’s such a prestigious trophy. It’s a tremendous honour and I’d love to be able to do that again.”

This year also saw the introduction of a short distance BBAR for men over 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles.

After winning the traditional distance in 2017, Duggleby was the first rider to win the short distance award with an average speed of 31.3 miles per hour over the four distances.

Duggleby also led ADDFORM Vive Le Velo to win the inaugural short distance team award alongside John and David Brearley with the trio combining for an average speed of 29.5 miles per hour.

The junior competitions were competed over 10 and 25 miles with Tarling the quickest boy with an average speed of 31.4 miles per hour.

Tarling recorded an open personal best to win the Icknield RC 10 in 18-15 and recorded 48-06 in the Hereford & District Wheelers CC 25.

Meanwhile, Thompson won the junior girls’ competition for a second season with an average speed of 24.08 miles per hour.

The juvenile rider recorded an open personal best of 22-49 in the Wigan Wheelers 10 before placing second in the junior girls’ category at the National 25-mile Championship.

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