Despite far from ideal conditions, Rachael Elliott (Drag2Zero) broke her own national competition record for 30 miles in the Leo RC 30-mile time trial on the E2 course near Newmarket in Cambridgeshire on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Matthew Smith (Team Bottrill-HSS Hire) clocked 56.04 to win the overall event which saw heavy rain, but with several riders reporting favourable tailwinds the times were unexpectedly fast.

Smith’s time was just 25 seconds away from breaking Michael Hutchinson’s six-year-old mens’ 30-mile competition record.

Elliott’s time of 1:00.34 sliced almost three minutes of her own two-year-old record, bringing the hour mark tantalisingly close for the future.

The 39-year-old from Newbury in Berkshire, who secured silver in this year’s National 25-Mile Championship, placed 13th overall in a field of 90 finishers, giving her the win on the day in the women’s category by more than nine minutes from Wisbech Wheelers’ veteran Becky Murley.

Smith was pushed all the way by Jason Bouttell (Team Velovelocity) who took second with 56-23, while Stephen Irwin (North Lancs RC) was third, another 29 seconds back.

Among the non-finishers was Smith’s Team Bottrill colleague Stuart Travis, who went off course but reported he was on track for a mid 56-minute time.

With a personal best over 10 miles of 18.03, Smith has posted some fast times in the 2017 season, across a range of distances.

He was fourth in the National 10-mile Championship, and sixth in the National 25.

He was victorious in the CC Breckland 15 back in July, and was also victorious in the VTTA 10 in June, held on similar roads to the Leo RC 30 near Newmarket. He posted an impressive time of 18.17 in that event.

Heavy traffic and the forecast bad weather put many riders off, while National 12-hour champion and national record holder Alice Lethbridge pulled out because of illness, and was one of 56 riders who chose not to ride.

Elliott’s record-breaking victory comes after a season packed with strong rides. Recent victories have included the UTAG RT 10 last week where she was fastest female with a 20-26, as well as being fastest woman with 51-57, giving her eighth overall in the VTTA (Notts and East Midlands) 25.

And she clocked 19.40 in the Team Swift 10 on the South Cave course in East Yorkshire back in August, where she edged out former national competition record holder Anna Turvey by just two seconds.

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

Results:

Pos   Name  Team  Cat   Time

1     Matthew SMITH     Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      S     56:04

2     Jason BOUTTELL    Team Velovelocity S     56:23

3     Stephen IRWIN     North Lancashire Road Club    V     56:52

4     Pat WRIGHT  Paceline RT S     57:24

5     Jonathan WEARS    SSLL Racing Team  S     57:36

6     Kevin TYE   VeloRefined.com Aerosmiths    V     58:19

7     James RIX   Crawley Wheelers  V     58:43

8     Keith LEA   Paceline RT V     59:21

9     Joe GORMAN  Stevenage CC      S     59:23

10    Keith AINSWORTH   Sheffrec CC V     59:45

11    Rob PEARS   Bath Cycling Club V     1:00:12

12    Jamie WILKINS     Veloton     S     1:00:15

13    Rachael ELLIOTT   DRAG2ZERO   W     1:00:34 (Competition Record)

14    Rob YOUNG   Team Vision Racing      V     1:00:50

15    Henrik PERSSON    Kingston Wheelers CC    S     1:01:10

16    Mark ELLIS  Team Milton Keynes      V     1:01:25

17    Michiel VAAL      Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      V     1:01:28

18    Andy STUART Velo Club St Raphael    V     1:01:33

19    Mick HODSON Bedfordshire Road RT    V     1:02:01

20    Robert WATSON     Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      V     1:02:07

21    David RUMM  Southborough & Dist. Whs      V     1:02:08

22    Iain BOARDMAN     Dulwich Paragon CC      V     1:02:12

23    Malcolm ROSE      Oxonian CC  V     1:02:22

24    Keith DORLING     Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      V     1:02:28

25    Chris POTTER      CC Ashwell  S     1:02:35

26    Joe LE SAGE Rutland Cycling Club    V     1:02:43

27    Ian GREENSTREET   Newbury RC  V     1:02:49

28    Sean HUNT   Lincoln Wheelers CC     V     1:03:17

29    Andrew GRANT      Cambridge CC      V     1:03:26

30    Thomas PFEIFFER   Dulwich Paragon CC      V     1:03:38

31    Andy LACK   Paceline RT V     1:03:42

32    Matt STEEL  Shaftesbury CC    V     1:03:51

33    Jonathan PONTIN   Addiscombe CC     S     1:03:56

34    Alastair SEMPLE   Stafford RC V     1:04:01

35 =  Geoff REYNOLDS    Hemel Hempstead CC      V     1:04:17

35 =  Andrew ASKWITH    Bridlington CC    V     1:04:17

37    Damon DAY   CC Sudbury  V     1:04:22

38    Paul FRENCH Bedfordshire Road RT    V     1:04:29

39    Andy NEWHAM Lincoln Wheelers CC     V     1:04:32

40    Kevin BAUMBER     Shaftesbury CC    V     1:04:35

41    Michael MARTIN    CC Ashwell  V     1:05:11

42    James RUSH  CC Sudbury  V     1:05:16

43    Chris SCAWN Plymouth Corinthian CC  V     1:05:21

44    John BRADBURY     CC Sudbury  V     1:05:34

45    Richard SHELDRAKE Lincoln Wheelers CC     V     1:05:38

46    Steve CAVE  Wolsey RC   V     1:05:39

47    Martin WINTER     Twickenham CC     V     1:05:45

48    John LACEY  Hemel Hempstead CC      V     1:05:58

49    Chris TYE   Plomesgate CC     V     1:05:59

50    Colin LIZIERI     Cambridge CC      V     1:06:02

51    Ian WROBLEWSKI    Lutterworth Cycle Centre RT   V     1:06:10

52    Alan CRANE  Chronos RT  V     1:06:15

53    Richard TULLY     Elite Cycling     V     1:06:32

54    Roger SEWELL      Hounslow & District Whs V     1:07:14

55    Phil BARNES Team Swift  V     1:07:16

56    Alister CAMPBELL  Eagle Road Club   S     1:07:18

57    Chris NUDDS CC Breckland      V     1:07:30

58    Roger PORTER      Verulam CC  V     1:07:44

59    Peter TIBBITTS    Ford CC     V     1:07:56

60    Nick HANSON Seacroft Whs      V     1:08:06

61    Ian MARKHAM Chronos RT  V     1:08:12

62    Chris HALL  Born to Bike - Bridgtown Cycles     V     1:08:21

63    Stuart PLOWS      Kettering CC      S     1:08:22

64    John MANLOW Ely & District CC V     1:08:31

65    Chris DYASON (58s LS)   Cambridge CC      V     1:09:32

66    Barrie WHITTAKER  Lyme Racing Club  V     1:09:37

67    Becky MURLEY      Wisbech Whs WV    1:09:39

68    Carl MURLEY Wisbech Whs V     1:09:54

69    Ray RETTER  North Devon Wheelers    V     1:10:08

70    Mandy BUNN  CC Sudbury  WV    1:10:10

71    Graham PEPPERDINE VTTA (East Anglia Group)      V     1:10:24

72    Cliff VOLLER      Newbury RC  V     1:10:55

73    Phillip JENKINS   Bedfordshire Road CC    V     1:10:56

74    Jeremy SAYNOR     PMR @ Toachim House     V     1:11:16

75 =  Sue RUST    Kettering CC      WV    1:11:19

75 =  Bob QUARTON Wolsey RC   V     1:11:19

77    Stewart KIRK      CC Sudbury  V     1:11:52

78    Tracy ROWLINSON   Lyme Racing Club  WV    1:12:56

79    David GUY   OV Cycling Club   V     1:13:26

80    Mark FAIRHEAD     CC Breckland      V     1:13:28

81    Janet FAIRCLOUGH  St Helens CRC     WV    1:13:56

82    Peter WALTON      Hertfordshire Whs V     1:14:36

83    Jon FROST   Redmon CC   V     1:14:48

84    David ECCLES      Redmon CC   V     1:16:49

85    Murray KIRTON     A5 Rangers CC     V     1:18:26

86    Sharon CLIFFORD   WCS Racing Team   WV    1:20:30

87    Brian MARTIN      Ciclos Uno  V     1:20:35

88    Sonya HURT  Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      WV    1:22:50

89    Peter HORSNELL    Chelmer CC  V     1:26:01

90    Allan RENYARD (16.52 LS)      Guernsey Velo Club      V     1:39:29

      Michael FRY Glendene CC V     D.N.F.

      Stuart TRAVIS     Team Bottrill / HSS Hire      S     D.N.F.