The Etwall courses offer the promise of a fast time - but this is time trialling, and the fickle weather gods need to smile benignly on the skinsuited fraternity.
Instead, they opted for hail and a bitter arctic wind.
It could have been worse, the forecast suggested snow. Times were unavoidably sluggish. Ryan Ballard, riding for Team Bottrill was just one to highlight the difference, pointing out that on his last visit he had “gone 80 seconds quicker with worse wheels and the same power.”
The battle for the podium places was fiercely contested by the handful of riders to get under 21 minutes. Lee Tunnicliffe (Lutterworth Cycle Centre RT) finished on top of the tree with a 20.34, edging out the first of the Team Bottrill riders, Aaron Ward, by a measly three seconds.
Jacob Tipper (Pedal Heaven) and David Williams (Velotik RT) couldn’t be separated by the timekeeper’s watch and shared the third step with 20.41. At the HQ a similar refrain echoed around the battle-hardened competitors, with Jon Cottingham (Rugby Racing Club) summing it up; “I got beaten up by the wind, sadly. I thought I’d had a nightmare ride until I saw some of the other times. Still, always fun to race”.
Karen Ledger, riding for Langsett Cycles RT, was first lady home in 22.59, putting thirty seconds into her teammate, Alex Deck.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.
Results:
Men:
1 Lee Tunnicliffe Lutterworth Cycle Centre RT 20:34
2 Aaron Ward Team Bottrill 00:20.37
=3 Jacob Tipper Pedal Heaven 20.41
=3 David Williams Velotik Racing Team 20.41
Women:
1 Karen Ledger Langsett Cycles RT 00:22.59
2 Alex Deck Langsett Cycles RT 00:23.34
3 Chris Melia Born to Bike Bridgtown Cycles 00:23.40