News & Features

Many of the country’s top time trial riders are heading to Buckinghamshire on Saturday afternoon for the popular Hemel Hempstead CC 10-mile event near Aston Clinton.

The event is over-subscribed as riders chase personal bests – with some even in with a chance of breaking national records, depending on weather conditions and personal form.

The reigning national 10-mile champion, Kate Allen (Team Bottrill) will make only her second appearance of the season so far in an open time trial.

But making her first appearance of the season is 2019 national champ Joss Lowden (HUUB-WattShop), while other riders chasing the podium include Laura Davies (Jadan Vive le Velo) as well as Sally Turner (HUUB-WattShop).

The open event is also stacked with quality. 15-year-old Leon Atkins is tipped by national rankings provider Spindata to do an 18-04, which would be just three seconds off his own national competition record time set last year on the same course.

Two riders are expected to go under the 18-minute mark by Spindata - James Jenkins (Hart Performance Coaching) and Jake Sargent (Team Bottrill) – while others to watch out for include Will Lowden (Cambridge University CC).

Elsewhere there are a host of District Championship events across the country.

Dundee Thistle are hosting the Scottish District 100-Mile Championships near Forfar, where Joanna Patterson (Pro Endurance Coaching) and Dougie Watson (GTR-Return to Life) are expected to be on the top step of the podium, barring incident.

It’s the Northumberland and Durham CA 25-Mile Championships hosted by Sunderland Clarion on Sunday near Ponteland, where Josh Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) is expected to be the quickest, should he choose to ride.

Hamish Armitt (Barrow Central Wheelers) and Lewis Wake (Team Kirkley Cycles) are also ones to watch, along with Wake’s team-mate Joanne Rea in the women’s event.

Tavistock Wheelers are staging the South West District Sporting Championships over a 25-mile course near the Devon town with Steve Lampier (Kernow Racing Team) expected to hold off Lloyd Copp (Okehampton CC) and James Pearcy (Mid-Devon CC) for the win.

It’s the Manchester and District TTA 50-Mile Championships on Saturday, which combines the Manchester and District Ladies’ CA Championship too.

Thirteen women have entered and the fastest looks set to be Total Tri Training’s Anna Birrell, with Alice Taylor (Congleton CC-My Windsock) also in the mix. The open event has Tom Thornely (FTP Race Team) and Alex Royle (Manchester BC) along the fast riders.

AeroCoach are hosting a 15-mile event near Welland in Worcestershire which is the District Road Bike Championships.

Poole Wheelers are hosting a 10-mile time trial on Sunday as a memorial event for Gary Dighton, the former national 100-mile champion, British Best All-Rounder and 1992 Olympian.

Elsewhere on Saturday it’s the VTTA North Lancs and Lakes 50-mile event near Braithwaite in Cumbria, as well as the Farnborough and Camberley CC 25 on the Bentley bypass course in Hampshire.

In Norfolk it’s the King’s Lynn CC 25 near Fincham as well as the Godric CC 10 near Harleston, while VC Bristol are hosting a 10-mile event near Rangeworthy in Gloucestershire.

Sunday’s other events include the Eastern Counties CA 100-miler near Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire, as well as the East Sussex CA 50 near East Hoathly, and Reading CC are teaming up with North Hampshire Road Club to host a 10-mile event near Aldermaston in Berkshire.

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