Best-selling author William Fotheringham has teamed up with Cycling Time Trials to offer selected women’s time trial championship finishers in 2021 the chance to win copies of William’s biography of Britain’s greatest ever woman time triallist, Beryl Burton. Published in late 2019, The Greatest: the Times and Life of Beryl Burton was written with the help of Beryl’s daughter Denise, and other members of the time trialling fraternity including the late Mike McNamara.

Five signed copies of The Greatest will be given away after each of the following CTT women’s championships: the ‘100’ on July 4, the ‘25’ on August 8, the ‘50’ on August 29, and the ‘10’ on September 11. The books will be given to the five riders who finish closest – either slower or faster - to the time Burton set in winning the respective championship for the final time. In addition, five more will be given at the end of the season to the five riders finishing closest – again slower or faster – to the speed Burton set in winning her last BAR in 1983.

“I’ve been wanting to offer some copies of the book to Beryl Burton’s successors today for some time,” said Fotheringham, “but last year it seemed a bit complicated to do anything because we were in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea is that rather than give copies to the fastest finishers in each event, we can spread the prizes around, and also offer up a direct comparison with the times that Burton was setting, without aerodynamic aids of course. For example, Burton’s 1983 BAR speed would have earned her 10th place in 2019. It just seems like a fun way of commemorating Britain’s greatest time triallist.”

Burton last won the ‘25’ and ‘50’ in 1986, with times of 1-1-43 and 2-03-47 respectively. Her last victories in the ‘10’ and ‘100’ came in 1981, with times of 23-17 and 4-13-17. Her average for her 25th and last BAR in 1983 was 25.219mph.

In addition, CTT members will be able to claim a 15% discount on copies of The Greatest bought through Fotheringham’s website www.williamfotheringham.com between July 4 and October 31, when the national hill-climb championship will close the 2021 season.