Former national champion Tom Bell opened his 2023 season with victory in the men’s event at the Cheltenham & County Cycling Club’s Bushcombe hill climb in Gloucestershire, while reigning women’s champion Illi Gardner took top prize in the female category.

Having finished as runner-up to close rival Andrew Feather at the 2022 National Championship, High North Performance rider Bell has started this campaign with success in his maiden outing.

He finished in 4-09.3 ahead of runner-up Gabe Dellar (Stolen Goat Race Team) while a time of 4-26.4 helped Joe Rees, riding for Kalap Motip to third place – just three tenths of a second faster than David Fellows (Solihull CC) in fourth place.

In the women’s event, Gardner claimed a fourth win from four hill climbs this season, having previously triumphed at Bridgwater Cycling Club on September 16 and Minehead Cycling Club (Porlock Hill) and Minehead Cycling Club (Porlock Toll Road) both on September 17.

The Wahoo Le Col rider clocked 4-48.4 to assert dominance ahead of Cowley Condors CC rider Maria Holdcroft, who finished in 6-01.0, with the final podium spot going to Maddie Angwin (Cambridge University CC) in 6-28.

On her victory, Gardner said: “Bushcombe was a really well supported event with a great atmosphere making the 25% gradients slightly less brutal.  I wasn’t thrilled with my own ride but thoroughly enjoyed the closed-road event.”

This hill climb event, held on course UH73, starts on the lower section of Bushcombe Lane heads uphill for three quarters of a mile to finish at the top of Bushcombe Lane.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by James Ayles.

Results:

Men:

1. Tom Bell (High North Performance)          4.09.3

2. Gabe Dellar (Stolen Goat Race Team)       4.17.7

3. Joe Rees (Kalas Motip)       4.26.4

4. David Fellows (Solihull CC)          4.26.9

5. Matthew Skeats (University of Bristol Cycling Club)       4.28.3

6. Joshua Hall (Royal Dean Forest Cycle Club)         4.29.3

Women:

1. Illia Gardner (Wahoo Le Col)         4.48.4

2. Maria Holdcroft (Cowley Condors CC)     6.01.0

3. Maddie Angwin (Cambridge University CC)        6.28

4. Heidi Roscoe (Cheltenham & County Cycling Club)        7.17

5. Georginia Frances Morgan (Cheltenham & County Cycling Club)           7.49

6. Louise Lawrence-Rhodes (Cheltenham & County Cycling Club) 14.01