Circuit of the New Forest

Louisa Cooper and Andrew Rivett proved quickest at the Circuit of the New Forest, a 33-mile event organised by New Forest CC in Hampshire on Sunday morning.

PDQ Cycle Coaching rider Cooper covered the testing course in 1-30-49 to finish as fastest and only female finisher, while VC St Raphael rider Rivett clocked 1-14-33 to take the overall win by just five seconds from team-mate Malcolm Cox, with third going to Alexander Fortune (Army Cycling) who was another 36 seconds back.

“I was super pleased with coming back to defend last year’s win,” said Rivett afterwards. I’ve had a difficult couple of months as I fractured my elbow in March.

“This event from New Forest CC is an absolute classic time trial in a national park. I was especially pleased with the club first and second.

“Malcolm is making a big comeback to the sport, I managed to beat him by just five seconds. Amazingly he did the exact time that he won the event with 25 years ago!

“I’m not 100 per cent feeling my TT grove yet, so I focused on riding the profile of the course with hard bits hard, and hanging on for the rest. I’m pleased it paid off!”

And fastest female Louisa Cooper added: “It’s a testing course that I really enjoy, especially on a road bike. I was unsure of my legs after racing a crit yesterday (which I won) but I felt good from the start, improving on my time from last year by two minutes.

“Many thanks to the organisers and marshals for putting the event on.”

In other categories fastest on a road bike was Howard Bayley (a3crg) in 1-18-34, just 46 seconds better than Jonathan Vickers (Blazing Saddles) with Charlie Godfrey (Oxford University CC) third.

As well as second on a road bike Vickers was fastest espoir with 1-19-20, while George Terry was the best youth rider, the Poole Wheelers CC member clocking an impressive 1-35-42.

The event uses the P333 course which starts in New Milton and heads on an anti-clockwise loop through Lymington, up to Beaulieu, over to Lyndhurst, then back south on the A35 to the finish outside New Milton.

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