Saturday sees the first of the RTTC Championships take place as the Bridlington CC promote the National Circuit title races at Burton Fleming, north-west of Bridlington.  Incorporated in the final leg of the Knight Composites Classic TT Series, the event sees many of the 2017 medal winners defending. 

Multi-2017 Champion Dan Bigham (Ribble Pro Cycling) defends and second and third placed Matthew Smith (Drag2Zero) and Stuart Travis (Team Bottrill-Vanguard) look to repeat last year’s successes. Among those looking to upset their apple cart are James Gullen (JLT Condor), Commonwealth Games Silver medallist John Archibald (Ribble Pro Cycling), Leon Wright (Race Hub) and Danny Grieves (GS Metro) to mention just a few. 

With 2017 Champion Hayley Simmonds engaged in a busy road racing campaign the way is open for a new Champion. Runner-up last season, Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) hopes to go one better this time out, although with World and Olympic Champion Katie Archibald (Wiggle High5) listed on the start sheet that may prove a problem. It will be remembered that Archibald recently suffered a broken collar-bone following a road race stack up.

Showing well in recent rounds of the Knight Composites Series, Jessica Rhodes-Jones (Beacon Roads CC), Kelly Murphy (C2 Racing), Victoria Smith (AeroCoach) and Jackie Field (CC Ashwell) will no doubt have their word to say. 

Junior Harry Buxton (Andy Moore Autocentres Racing) was second last year when Joe Laverick won, absent this time, so he has high hopes of reaching the top step of the podium. He faces strong opposition from Cavan Walker (Cycle Team Onform), 2017 Junior 25-mile and Closed Circuit Champion. On form Adam Jarps (Team Bottrill-Vanguard) may well complete the medal winners.

Four compete for the Paracyclist’s awards, David Murphy (Liverpool Mercury Dolan CC), Nicholas Fairfield (City RC Hull), Mark Staples (VC Veldrijden) and Graeme Church (Team Milton Keynes), they like the rest of the riders face two laps of a nine-mile circuit made up of ”mixed cambers, assorted gradients and some sharp corners”. 

Event head- quarters are at Burton Fleming Village Hall with event starting at 2pm. Bigham is last off at 15.51. Cycling Time Trials Chairman Sheila Hardy will be present at the awards presentations.

David Taylor
CTT Publicity officer