The main contenders for the National Hill-Climb Championships at the end of the month are spread across the country this weekend as they finalise their preparations for the title race in North Wales.

None of the favourites are riding twice this weekend, and some aren’t riding a hill-climb at all as they aim to head into the Nationals fresh and ready.

Defending champion Tom Bell (High North Performance) tackles the Matlock CC climb of Riber in Derbyshire on Sunday morning, but isn’t riding the same club’s afternoon event on Bank Road.

Former national champion Adam Kenway (Team Brother UK) is similarly only riding the Riber climb. Team PB Performance rider Jude Taylor has chosen to ride both, as has Frances Owen (Wahoo Endurance Zone p/b Le Col) who is listed as favourite for the female prizes according to national ranking system Spindata.

The women’s reigning national champion, Bithja Jones (Pankhurst Cycles) completes has preparations for the title race with a ride in the Oxford University CC climb of Keeper’s Hill Lane in Oxfordshire, a 1.77-kilometre effort in Wytham Woods.

Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) rides the Muckle CC climb of Prospect Hill in Northumberland on Sunday, with Spindata reckoning that it’ll be close in the men’s category with Jack Hartley (Team Sheffield) and Nick Munro (RAF CA) slated to be right up there alongside David Huck (Barrow Central Wheelers) and VC Cumbria’s Martin Mikkelsen-Barron.

After winning on The Rake last weekend, Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Team Lifting Gear Products) tackles Nick O Pendle this Sunday, a tough 1350-yard climb near Sabden.

Wheelbase CabTech rider Andy Cunningham will challenge him for the win, while in the women’s event Welsh champion Rebecca Richardson (Team Brother UK) is likely to take the win.

Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) completes his pre-championship preparations with a ride in Saturday’s FTP Racing climb of Clarken Coombe near Bristol, a 2.29-kilometre effort which has also attracted Ben Millar (Primera TeamJobs) and Archie Cross (Bristol RC) as well as the promoting club’s Madeleine Heywood.

In time trialling the Veterans TTA North are organising a closed circuit event on the Croft motor racing circuit near Darlington on Sunday afternoon.

At just over two miles in length, the circuit will be covered five times to make up the 10-mile distance. There is also a category covering road bikes, as well as VTTA Handicap categories.

Other late-season time trials this weekend include the Brighton Mitre CC 25-mile event in West Sussex, as ell as the Chelmer CC’s Grand Prix des Gentlemen two-up 15-miler in Essex.

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