Bath Cycling Club 24

Robert Francis (Pronto Bikes) was fastest male at the Bath CC 24-mile time trial in Somerset on Sunday, while quickest woman was the promoting club’s Bairbre Doyle.

Francis was the only rider to go under the hour mark in the Western TTA Hardriders Series event, clocking 57-21 to finish 2-57 ahead of runner-up Tony Chapman (Frome and District Wheelers), while Karl Norris (360VRT took third over the 24-mile U32r course near Frome.

33-year-old Doyle, from Bath, covered the course in 1-09-36 to win the women’s category by 1-17 from Nicki Carr (FTP RC), while Jennifer Lemen (PDQ Cycle Coaching) was another 3-14 behind in third spot.

24-year-old Francis has already ridden two open time trials this season, but placed second in both the Gillingham and District Wheelers 18.4 on March 5 and the Swindon Road Club/Swindon Wheelers 27.5 last weekend.

The last time he rode in this Bath CC 24-mile event on the U32r was in 2018, where he placed 30th and clocked 1-06-09 – almost nine minutes slower than his winning time today, showing a great improvement over the last four seasons.

Starting on the outskirts of Longleat Safari Park, the course takes riders on Frome Road up to the outskirts of the town before turning back down through Maiden Bradley and over the A303 to Mere. They then head up north east through Kingston Deverill and on to Longbridge Deverill, before turning west to the finish near Maiden Bradley.

Francis is next hoping to be in action at the Bath CC 10 on April 2 where he will be targeting a second consecutive win.

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