Road bikes are the machine of choice for most competitors taking part in the Kingston Wheelers Sporting 14-mile event this Sunday.

A stellar field is set to compete in the Gil Jessop Memorial event, the event being held for the 30th time.

Starting and finishing outside Ripley near Woking, the sporting course has something for all abilities of riders.

Using both rural and main roads riders complete two laps of a 6.7-mile course which is described as having ‘ups and downs, fast and slow sections, junctions and tight bends’.

A big early season field of 87 riders are down on the starting sheet, of which 71 competitors are down to ride on their road bikes.

Veteran Paul Burton (Paceline RT) finished runner-up in last year’s National Road Bike Championship and starts as last man on a road machine.

Last season Burton also opened his campaign at the Kingston Wheelers Sporting 14 and posted a winning time of 30-22 on his time trial machine.

Burton starts as scratch man but faces tough competition in the road bike category from Paceline RT team-mate Tim Lewis and the likes of Theo Tadros (trainSharp).

Organisers Kingston Wheelers are giving equal prize money for the overall open and road bike open categories for women as well.

There is also an additional prize for any rider able to break the open or female course records.

Both records were set three years ago with Zeb Kyffin having the open record of 28-41 and Jennifer George the women’s (33-09).

The women’s category will see a mixture of machines used with Vicky Lee (Total Tri Training) amongst the time trial competitors and team-mate Jennifer Fernando in the road bike category.

Spindata predicts that Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC) will be the quickest time trial bike competitor with the veteran looking to improve on his fourth placed finish last season.

Host club rider Judah Rand (Kingston Wheelers CC) is predicted to provide a challenge along with Henrik Persson (FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team).

The Severn RC event on Sunday morning takes place on a 12.5-mile course in Gloucestershire due to roadworks.

The U17 course is currently unavailable due to roadworks on the Berkeley Loop, resulting in a revised course solely using the A38 being used with the same start and finish points.

Scratch rider Jake Sargent (Team Bottrill) is tipped by Spindata to start his winning tally for 2024 after taking 13 victories last season.

Spindata predicts that Sargent will finish in 24-15 on the shortened course with team-mate Robert Francis predicted to be his nearest challenger.

Veteran Karl Norris (360VRT) and Matthew Cox (FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team) are predicted to be amongst the other challengers.

The road bike category also includes a competitive field with Andrew Metherell (Velo Club Bristol) and Nick Giles (Pocomotion Road Club) amongst the challengers.

Josie Harcourt (FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team) won two events last season and opens her season in the women’s road bike category.

The two-up team time trial has attracted team from University of Bath CC, Pocomotion Road Club, The Ark Cycles and Cycle Stars.

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