Taking place over two days the RTTC National 10 Mile Championship takes place this weekend with junior, women’s and men’s titles up for grabs.

With all three of last year’s defending champions absent new names will be taking the prestigious title in Dorset.

Starting the weekend of championship events is the junior category riders on Saturday afternoon when Mattie Dodd (Team Backstedt Bike Performance) is due to start last boy.

Dodd is yet to ride a national open time trial event this season but finished third in Hemel Hempstead CC 10 in a personal best time of 18-35 in June.

He starts a minute ahead of National Circuit Champion for the age group Joshua Tarling (Flanders Color Galloo Team) who finished third in the same event last season.

Tarling also won two golds at the Junior Track European Championship recently in the team pursuit and omnium and will be targeting another national title.

Jamie Whitcher (Bournemouth Cycleworks - Vitec Fire - Ford Civil – Trek) could have the advantage of local knowledge of the course but has only ridden one open event this season.

Meanwhile, Jeremy MacLean (Solihull CC) finished runner-up in the National 25 Mile Championship last month and will be hoping to go one better this time out.

Eva Callinan (Liv AWOL) starts as last girl having clocked 21-21 in the ..a3crg Ten earlier this season.

She faces competition from Amber Junker Brameld (VC De Londres) and juvenile Sophie Heighton (Ferryhill Whs) amongst others.

The event sees riders head out south from Wool along the B3071 which rises towards Burngate before heading east downwards towards East Lulworth on the B3070 and passing Lulworth Castle.

Competitors continue on the B3070 in a north easterly direction through the Lulworth Range before turning onto Holme Lane and continuing onto Bindon Lane for the finish.

Joanna Patterson leads The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz charge in the women’s event on Saturday afternoon.

Patterson has won the National 100 and 50 Mile Championship events already this season and starts as scratch rider having clocked 19-31 in the East Anglian VTTA 10 earlier this season.

Providing tough opposition will be National 25 Mile Champion Hayley Simmonds (CAMS Racing) who has a season’s best 10 time of 20-30 but on a road bike.

Once again The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz will be hoping to dominate the women’s podium with Alex Clay and Jennifer George also targeting victory.

The pair head a strong field full of challengers including Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero), Megan Dickerson (Škoda DSI Cycling Academy), Anna Morris (AeroLab Ward WheelZ) and a host of other riders.

Sunday will see a field of 113 riders line up targeting the honour of being crowned men’s national champion.

Scratch rider Christopher Fennell (The Independent Pedaler – Nopinz) will be targeting his fourth national title of the season.

The 26-year-old has already won the National 100, 50 and Circuit Championships this season and will be looking to add another title to his collection.

Fennell’s only defeat came in the National 25 to John Archibald (Eolo Kometa) however he and the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling contenders are all missing due to road racing action.

Michael Gill (Saint Piran) finished fourth on his last outing in the National 25 but has recorded a time of 17-55 in the Chronos RT 10 back in July.

Meanwhile, William Perrett (AeroLab Ward WheelZ) could be hitting form at the right time having won the Ratae Road Club 10 last weekend in 18-53.

Amongst the other challengers is veteran Christopher McNamara (Nuun-Sigma Sport-London RT) who won his 10th open time trial event of the season last month in the Epsom 10 clocking 19-14.

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