The first weekend of March sees what, for many, is the start of their time trialling season with 23 events scheduled to take place… weather permitting!

The classic Circuit of Pendle is due to take place on Sunday, and a field of 82 riders are down to tackle the 28-mile event staged by the North Lancashire Road Club near Whalley.

Among a healthy entry are two professional riders from JLT Condor in James Gullen and Ian Bibby, while 2016 National 25, 50 and 100-mile champion Ryan Perry (Drag2zero) is also down to tackle the early season event.

Based in Lancaster, 28-year-old Gullen has put in some impressive time trial performances over the years with a 10-mile personal best of 16-59 as well as a 25-mile PB of 45-33, so should be looking to challenge for the win in Sunday’s event goes ahead.

Perry comes into the event in good form, having won the Clayton Spring Classic Handicap road race last weekend.

And in the women’s category, the pick of the riders appears to be all-rounder Anna Weaver (NJC-Biemme-Echelon) who has a 25-mile PB of 55.23.

Elsewhere, Weaver’s team-mate at NJC-Biemme-Echelon, Nicola Juniper is among the entries for the Hainault Road Club hilly 50-kilometre event based on Navestock Side in Essex.

Almost 100 riders have entered the popular event, with the fast men looking like Colin Ward (Essex Roads CC), as well as former Team Raleigh professional road rider Russell Hampton, who was third in the 2012 National Road Race Championship.

In Cheshire, there is a full field of 120 riders entered for the Stretford Wheelers Gordon Pickering Memorial 10-mile event near Monks Heath.

A total of 24 women are down to ride, with three riders from Team Breeze including Megan Barker, Jessica Roberts and Becky Raybould. Others who could challenge include Corinne Side (Racing Chance Foundation) as well as Storey Racing’s Hannah Dines.

Veteran Darren Maironis (Velotik Racing Team) is the last man off.

Elsewhere the Maidenhead and District CC have a 29.5-mile time trial near Frieth in Buckinghamshire on Sunday morning, while St Austell Wheelers have a sporting 20.7-mile event near Truro the same day.

Saturday’s events are perhaps in most danger of being cancelled because of the weather, with the Border City Wheelers 25 already having been called off.