THE beautiful British weather left many riders targeting the British Best All-Rounder competition frustrated, with the BDCA 100-mile event in Derbyshire being one of several events cancelled last weekend.

 

A classy field of riders had signed up for the BDCA event including national champions and record holders, but they were all left without a ride after rain made the course dangerous.

 

There were some riders who saw action and improved their BBAR times, with the Welsh CA 100 and CC Breckland 12-hour going ahead on Sunday, and there were some impressive performances in both of those events.

 

Conrad Moss (Mid-Devon CC) was fastest in the Welsh CA 100. He clocked 3:37.40, winning by six minutes from Daniel Colman (Pembrokeshire Velo), while Onit Cycles’ rider Joe Beech was third. Fastest woman was Kari Jones (Ride Bike Wales) with 4:32.18.

 

In Norfolk, Stephen Williamson (a3crg) was the winner of the CC Breckland 12-hour, covering 293.333 miles which was just over three miles more than runner-up Mark Turnbull (Torq Performance). Carl Donaldson (GS Metro) was close behind in third.

 

A quality field for the women’s event saw Jill Wilkinson (Chester RC) take the win with 272.496 miles, just 1.5 miles more than Bronwen Ewing (Rye and District Wheelers). The pair were 11th and 12th respectively in the overall event.

 

Elsewhere, Chris Smart (GTR) and Liz Powell (Mike Vaughan Cycles) were the fastest man and woman in both the Emergency Services 10- and 25-mile Championships last weekend.

 

The 10-mile event at Lidlington, Bedfordshire, on Saturday saw Smart – representing the Scottish Fire Service – win the men’s event with a time of 19.46, 11 seconds faster than Richard Jennings (Army CU). Powell clocked 22.01 to win the women’s title.

 

And they repeated the feat the following day in the 25-mile title race at Launton, Oxfordshire, where Smart clocked 52.06 to win by just two seconds from Simon Beldon (SSLL RT), while Powell covered the course in 59.10.

 

In Cambridgeshire, Team Bottrill’s Matthew Smith notched up a good win in the Team Velovelocity 25-mile event at Newmarket. He covered the E2/25 course in a rapid 48.25 to win by 20 seconds from Andy Jackson (SSLL Racing Team), while Brett Harwood (Terry Wright Cycles) also went under 50 minutes with 49.53.

 

SSLL took the win in the women’s category, with Sophie Household’s time of 55.50 being 1-20 faster than the next best woman.

 

The hill-climb season is upon us, and in Northumberland reigning national junior hill-climb champion Kieran Savage (Team B38) stormed to victory in both stages of the North Tyneside Riders event on Saturday.

 

He was a second quicker than his nearest rival on the Winter’s Gibbet climb, then won by a similar margin on the Bilsmoor climb later the same day.

 

It proved to be a day to remember for Team B38 with them taking all of the top four spots in the overall standings.

 

In Yorkshire, Manchester Wheelers’ Richard Marsden set a new course record as he powered to victory in the Birdwell Wheelers hill-climb, staged on the OHC13 course, Wentworth Castle Drive in Stainborough, South Yorkshire.

 

The 670-yard climb took Marsden just one minute 3.6 seconds and gave him the win over last year’s winner Shaun Dolby of the promoting Birdwell Wheelers, who clocked 1-4.7 to finish just 1.1 seconds back.

 

And the Buxton CC hill-climb on Long Hill at Whaley Bridge was won by Adam Kenway (Matlock CC) by 17 seconds from Leon Wright (PB Cycle Coaching RT).