News & Features

One of the most popular and challenging events on the calendar, the Buxton CC-Sett Valley Cycles mountain time trial takes place on Good Friday and is round two of the CTT Classic Series.

The testing circuit around hilly lanes of the South Pennine moors in Staffordshire has attracted a large field with a majority opting for road bikes over time trial bikes.

Most riders will tackle two laps and 22 miles, while the open category on time trial bikes will cover three laps and 33 miles.

Round one winner Jessica Rhodes-Jones (AeroCoach) returns for round two, but she will face stiff competition with Doltcini O’Shea team-mates Kelly Murphy and Hayley Simmonds having entered.

Solihull CC’s David Fellows is expected to take a comfortable victory in the men’s road bike category, with Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance), Xavier Disley (AeroCoach) Karl Norris (360VRT) and Adam Kenway (Team HUUB) all expected to be pushing for the podium.

HUUB-WattShop legend John Archibald is expected to prove quickest on a time trial bike in the three-lap event, while Patrick Casey (Team Grenke Auto Eder) looks set to take the win in the juniors’ 22-mile event.

Aside from the Classic Series event, Good Friday is stacked with quality time trials across the country.

Crawley Wheelers are hosting a sporting 41.6-mile event near Handcross in Surrey, with a close battle for victory assured.

Spindata has Cris Coxon (Brighton Mitre CC) down as the likely winner, but Pat Wright (Paceline RT) is a man in great form with two wins from two events so far this season. And Mark Smith (Crawley Wheelers) won’t be far behind, along with Tim McEvoy (FTP Fulfil the Potential RT).

In the women’s event, Penge Cycle Club rider Rebecca Goodwin is tipped for the win by Spindata.

Elsewhere 15-year-old talent Leon Atkins (258 Protégé) is tipped to be fastest at the Welwyn Wheelers 50-kilometre event in Hertfordshire.

Fastest at last weekend’s Hemel Hempstead CC 16, Elspeth Grace (Cambridge CC) will battle with Mathilde Pauls (FTP Fulfil the Potential RT) for the women’s prize.

North Lancashire Road Club are organising a 10-mile event on the Garstang course in Lancashire on Easter Saturday, with a two-horse battle expected between Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) and Simon Wilson (HUUB WattShop).

The women’s category also looks set to be close between Deborah Moss (Springfield Financial) and Louise Scupham (Jadan Vive le Velo).

The a3crg 25-mile event on Easter Sunday has attracted a good field. The winner of round one of the CTT Classic Series Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks) will be going for victory in the event near Greatham in Hampshire, but he will have stiff competition from Paul Burton (Paceline RT) as well as Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC).

Team Bottrill’s Kim Barfoot-Brace is expected to be fastest female, but don’t rule out Lisa Davis (Drag2zero).

Crewe Clarion Wheelers’ 16.5-mile event on Sunday has Grant Bigham (HUUB WattShop) and Alastair Ribbands (Congleton CC) down to compete for the win, and Emily Martin (Team Bottrill) should beat a lot of the riders in the open category as well as finish as fastest female.

Finally, Easter Monday’s events include the Brighton Mitre CC 27.3, the North Devon Velo sporting 22 and the Leicestershire RC 27.2.

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