News & Features

Two former national hill-climb champions come head to head this weekend, with reigning champ Andrew Feather and 2019 victor Ed Laverack both tackling the Bushcombe Lane climb near Cheltenham.

The event, organised by Cheltenham and County CC, uses the 0.76-mile climb and should see a two-way battle between Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) and Laverack (Backpedal).

Oxford University CC’s Katrina Tse and Emily Lockwood (Chippenham and District Wheelers) are among the top female riders taking part as the hill-climb scene warms up ahead of next month’s National Championships.

Following Saturday’s climb near Cheltenham, Feather heads down to Devon the following day for the Exeter Wheelers’ climb of Stoke Hill, where he could be challenged by George Kimber (Embark Spirit BSS).

Tse also rides the Exeter event, while Claire Pile (05/03) could challenge her for the women’s victory.

The venue for last year’s National Championships, The Struggle in Cumbria is the place for an event on Sunday organised by Lakes RC and Barrow Central Wheelers.

Abi Plowman (Alba Development RT) and Madeleine Bell (Musselburgh RCC) are among the top female riders taking part, while the open event looks likely to be taken by Andy Cunningham (Ilkley CC).

It’s a busy day in Yorkshire on Saturday, with three hill climb events taking place in the county.

Team Lifting Gear Products are hosting a morning event on Pea Royd Lane in Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, while they then move to Bradfield for the afternoon event on Mill Lee Road.

Plowman rides the morning event before heading over to The Struggle the next day, while others to watch in the women’s category include Rachel Galler (Fulfil the Potential RT).

Andy Nichols flies the flag for the promoting club Team Lifting Gear, as does Nick Latimer.

The Halifax Imperial Wheelers have an event on Stocks Lane near Luddenden in West Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon. The climb of just over one mile has attracted Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Team Lifting Gear Products) and Andy Cunningham, while Olivia French (Stolen Goat RT) is likely to take another win in the women’s event.

Sunday’s other events include the Allen Valley Velo climb up Thornley Gate, a 2.5-mile climb.

Iain Duffield (Venture Racing) is tipped to do well but will be pushed all the way by a field including Marcus Cram).

Blaydon CC have a strong contingent of riders in the women’s event including Sarah Wilkinson, Elspeth Chetto, Louise Burnie and Angela McGurk.

It’s also the Stockton Wheelers’ climb up Tan Hill, at 10.88 miles one of the longest climbs on the calendar.

Bethany Brooksbank (Trek Sheffield) looks likely to be fastest female, while the open event has Richard Lilleker (Cleveland Wheelers) and Brian Ward (Protech Velo) on the startsheet.

In time trialling there’s a good field for the Paceline RT 25 in Hampshire, with multiple national champion Kate Allan (Team Bottrill) down to ride, while it will be interesting to see how Izzy Sharp (Lidl-Trek) measures up.

Fresh from his win in the Poole Wheelers Craig Weston Memorial 10 last weekend, Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks) is tipped by Spindata to take the win, with Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC) and Chris Mcnamara (Sigma Sports RT) not far behind.

Other events include the Scottish VTTA Speed Trophy 15 near Stirling, as well as the Saint Piran 30-mile event on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.

After both winning their categories at last weekend’s Loose Cannon’s Conditioning 10-mile event, husband and wife Matt and Hannah O’Brien (Loose Cannon’s Conditioning) return to action in Saturday’s Kings Lynn CC 10.

Also on Saturday it’s the Kettering CC 10 in Northamptonshire and the East Anglian VTTA 25 near Cambourne.

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