News & Features

Young stars of the future are due to be in action this weekend at the Cambridge CC 25-mile event, while elsewhere the hill-climbing scene is getting into full swing.

Youth ace Leon Atkins (258 Protégé) is on the start sheet for the event near Cambourne with the national youth competition record in his crosshairs, while current junior 25-mile record holder Dylan Sage (Evolution Racing Academy) will be looking to beat his current record time of 45-38 set last month.

Another top rider, Finlay Tarling (Team Bottrill) was down to ride but is unfortunately a non-starter.

Spindata predicts Atkins will win the event with a time around 46-40 which will set a new record.

Time will tell and conditions will be crucial, but also keep an eye out for National 10, 25, 50 and 100 champion Kate Allan (Team Bottrill) who has been in superb form all season.

Elsewhere in the field 52-year-old veteran Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC) comes into the event having smashed national age group records in the Eastern Counties CA 10 last weekend and could similarly break 25-mile records in Cambridgeshire.

In Cumbria it’s the North Lancashire TTA 50-Mile Championship near Keswick with Simon Wilson (HUUB WattShop) and Joanna Cebrat (360cycling) expected to take the honours.

Kingston Bagpuize in Oxfordshire is the venue for the Oxonian CC 50-mile event on Sunday morning, while it’s also the Lea Valley CC Crescent 30 which is the District Championship event.

West Cheshire TTCA and VTTA Surrey/Sussex are both holding 25-mile events, with the West Cheshire event being on the D25 Prees course and the G25/89 in use for the East Sussex event near Maresfield.

Icknield Road Club are hosting a charity 10-mile event on the fast F11/10 course near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire on Saturday, where Kate Allan (Team Bottrill) could be looking to lower the personal best time she set in last weekend’s Eastern Counties CA event. She could also prove fastest out of all riders in the open and women’s events.

Also on Saturday it’s the Harrogate Nova CC 10 in North Yorkshire and the DAP CC 10 in Norfolk, as well as a two-up 20-mile event on the Isle of Bute which is one of a number of events over the weekend on the Scottish island.

In hill climbing reigning national champion Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) is targeting a weekend double with rides at the Cheshire Maverick CC climb of Bakestonedale Road near Pott Shrigley on Saturday and the Yorkshire Road Club climb of Cragg Vale on Sunday.

Spindata suggests he may win both events, but Ilkley CC’s Andy Cunningham will have something to say about that as he tackles the same double header. He beat Feather in last weekend’s Border City Wheelers climb, albeit over a longer distance.

In the women’s event, Olivia French (Stolen Goat RT) also tackles both those events.

Also on Sunday it’s the Minehead CC climbs of Porlock Hill and Porlock Toll Road in Somerset with former national champion Ed Laverack (Backpedal) expected to do well in those events.

And Birdwell Wheelers have a hill-climb on Green Moor near Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, with Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Team Lifting Gear Products) and Dan Taylor (Leicester Forest CC) tipped to battle for the win.

Wynne-Cattanach opens his weekend with a ride at the Protech Velo climb of Paradise Bank near Shadforth in County Durham, where he will be tested by local riders including Marcus Cram (Muckle CC) and Nick Munro (Outlands).

In-form Madeleine Bell (Musselburgh RCC) and Bronwen Jenkinson (Saint Piran) will be close in the battle for female honours.

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