Evans edges to East Lancs RC hill-climb win
Just to the east of Rochdale the early morning mist over Blackstone Edge cleared to provide riders with warm and favourable conditions.
It is three years since the East Lancs Road Club took over this early season slot in the hill climb calendar, changing the format to a two-stage climb. Following last year’s event run on two new climbs of Huddersfield Road, Newhey and Buckstones Road Shaw, this year’s editions saw the riders return to Blackstone Edge and Blackstone Edge Old Road.
Stage one saw the second running of an open hill climb on the 0.4 Blackstone Edge old road, short but sharp and a very different climb from the main road. Last year’s winner, Adam Kenway took the honours with a 1.33.2, pipping Dan Evans by 1.1 seconds returning a 1.34.3. Third-placed rider was Aidan Holgate of North Lancs Road Club a mere 1/10th of a second behind Evans in a 1:33.4.
Stage two took the riders back on to main Blackstone Edge road, a climb of just over two miles. The car park at race HQ was bathed in warm sunshine and discussion over the lunchtime break at race HQ turned to how this would translate on the hill an if Mark Lovatt’s 7 minute 36 second course record would be broken.
The first batch of times sent to Race HQ revealed Keiran Savage had shaved one second from the record with a 7:35 dead. A mere 16 minutes later and Adam Kenway had shaved a further nine seconds of the record to return a 7 minutes 26.2 seconds.
The attention turned to Dan Evans, with riders hovering round the scoreboard to witness the record tumbling for a third time with 7 minutes 10.2 seconds to secure first placed rider on stage two and taking the course record prize for the main climb.
Alex Trippier of East Lancs Road Club was first junior, with an aggregate 10:33.4. Thomas Cornwall of DFL-In Gear, secured fastest juvenile with a 10:35.4 a mere two seconds behind Trippier. David Watt (Team Elite-Paul Bethell Electrical) took the honours in the Vets comp with a 10:55.1 aggregate.
The women’s competition saw the host club taking first and second places, with a 11.22.1. Fellow club mate, 11-year-old Nicole Decamp taking second place in her first ever open time trial with a 18:57.1.
Manchester Bicycle Club took the honours in the three-way team for the team prize between the promoting club and local club ABC Centreville. Chris Dyke, Jack Gilbert and Joseph Dobson returning a combined total of 3:43.2.
Photograph shows (left to right) Keiran Savage, Dan Evans, Adam Kenway. Photo and Report: Andy Regan.
Results:
Stage one:
Rider Club Stage 1
1 Adam Kenway Matlock CC 01:33.2
2 Dan Evans Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 01:34.3
3 Aidan Holgate North Lancs RC 01:34.4
4 Richard Marsden Manchester Wheelers 01:37.6
5 Kieran Savage Team B38/Underpin Racing 01:40.6
6 Joe Norledge Bristol South Cycling Club 01:41.0
7 Jack Gilbert Manchester Bicycle Club 01:41.9
8 Chris Dyke Manchester Bicycle Club 01:42.8
9 Henry Cash Holmfirth C C 01:43.7
10 Louis Szymanski ABC Centreville 01:49.3
11 Alex Jones Champion System/VCUK 01:49.8
12 Kieran Manchester Saddleworth Clarion CC 01:51.7
13 Ben Whitehead ABC Centreville 01:54.3
14 Alex Trippier East Lancashire RC 01:54.7
15 Chris Green East Lancashire RC 01:55.2
16 Matthew Craig Albarosa CC 01:55.4
17 Sam Walley East Lancashire RC 01:56.5
18 Mark Tickle Leigh Premier Road Club 01:56.6
19 David Watt Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 01:56.8
20 Paul Smith Huddersfield Star Whs 01:57.3
21 Jon Wild Veloviewer 02:02.7
22 Joseph Dobson Manchester Bicycle Club 02:03.7
23 Daniel Shackleton ABC Centreville 02:03.8
24 Thomas Cornwell DFL In-Gear 02:04.2
25 Andy Gorton East Lancashire RC 02:05.6
26 Josh Decamps East Lancashire RC 02:06.7
27 Cameron Fitton East Lancashire RC 02:08.6
28 Joseph Cooke East Lancashire RC 02:10.6
29 Jack Millar East Lancashire RC 02:14.3
30 Daniel Tichbi Salford Cycling Club 02:20.7
31 Noah Codling East Lancashire RC 02:27.8
32 Ian Jackson East Lancashire RC 02:29.2
33 Georgina Cape East Lancashire RC 02:34.2
34 Patrick Cooke East Lancashire RC 02:37.5
35 Nicholas Holmes ABC Centreville 02:43.6
36 Nicole Decamps East Lancashire RC 03:20.4
Callum Belfield East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mary Wilkinson Yorkshire Road Club DNS (A)
Andy Cunningham All Terrain Cycles DNS (A)
Karen Bailey East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mark Read Manchester Wheelers DNS (A)
William Poole East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Stage two:
Rider Club Stage 2
1 Dan Evans Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 07:10.2
2 Adam Kenway Matlock CC 07:26.2
3 Kieran Savage Team B38/Underpin Racing 07:35.0
4 Chris Dyke Manchester Bicycle Club 07:44.6
5 Louis Szymanski ABC Centreville 07:50.9
6 Joe Norledge Bristol South Cycling Club 08:06.1
7 Kieran Manchester Saddleworth Clarion CC 08:12.2
8 Alex Jones Champion System/VCUK 08:15.7
9 Chris Green East Lancashire RC 08:28.0
10 Thomas Cornwell DFL In-Gear 08:31.2
11 Jack Gilbert Manchester Bicycle Club 08:34.5
12 Mark Tickle Leigh Premier Road Club 08:35.2
13 Richard Marsden Manchester Wheelers 08:37.8
14 Alex Trippier East Lancashire RC 08:38.7
15 Matthew Craig Albarosa CC 08:42.8
16 Joseph Dobson Manchester Bicycle Club 08:55.7
17 Sam Walley East Lancashire RC 08:56.1
18 David Watt Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 08:58.3
19 Aidan Holgate North Lancs RC 09:03.8
20 Paul Smith Huddersfield Star Whs 09:13.9
21 Jon Wild Veloviewer 09:18.4
22 Ben Whitehead ABC Centreville 09:23.7
23 Josh Decamps East Lancashire RC 09:49.5
24 Andy Gorton East Lancashire RC 09:51.1
25 Daniel Shackleton ABC Centreville 09:55.1
26 Jack Millar East Lancashire RC 10:10.2
27 Cameron Fitton East Lancashire RC 10:31.1
28 Joseph Cooke East Lancashire RC 10:39.9
29 Ian Jackson East Lancashire RC 11:03.8
30 Georgina Cape East Lancashire RC 11:22.1
31 Noah Codling East Lancashire RC 11:32.2
32 Nicholas Holmes ABC Centreville 11:41.6
33 Patrick Cooke East Lancashire RC 12:24.7
34 Daniel Tichbi Salford Cycling Club 12:39.8
35 Nicole Decamps East Lancashire RC 15:36.7
Henry Cash Holmfirth C C DNF
Callum Belfield East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mary Wilkinson Yorkshire Road Club DNS (A)
Andy Cunningham All Terrain Cycles DNS (A)
Karen Bailey East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mark Read Manchester Wheelers DNS (A)
William Poole East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Overall:
Rider Club Aggregate
1 Dan Evans Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 08:44.5
2 Adam Kenway Matlock CC 08:59.4
3 Kieran Savage Team B38/Underpin Racing 09:15.6
4 Chris Dyke Manchester Bicycle Club 09:27.4
5 Louis Szymanski ABC Centreville 09:40.2
6 Joe Norledge Bristol South Cycling Club 09:47.1
7 Kieran Manchester Saddleworth Clarion CC 10:03.9
8 Alex Jones Champion System/VCUK 10:05.5
9 Richard Marsden Manchester Wheelers 10:15.4
10 Jack Gilbert Manchester Bicycle Club 10:16.4
11 Chris Green East Lancashire RC 10:23.2
12 Mark Tickle Leigh Premier Road Club 10:31.8
13 Alex Trippier East Lancashire RC 10:33.4
14 Thomas Cornwell DFL In-Gear 10:35.4
15 Aidan Holgate North Lancs RC 10:38.2
16 Matthew Craig Albarosa CC 10:38.2
17 Sam Walley East Lancashire RC 10:52.6
18 David Watt Team Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 10:55.1
19 Joseph Dobson Manchester Bicycle Club 10:59.4
20 Paul Smith Huddersfield Star Whs 11:11.2
21 Ben Whitehead ABC Centreville 11:18.0
22 Jon Wild Veloviewer 11:21.1
23 Josh Decamps East Lancashire RC 11:56.2
24 Andy Gorton East Lancashire RC 11:56.7
25 Daniel Shackleton ABC Centreville 11:58.9
26 Jack Millar East Lancashire RC 12:24.5
27 Cameron Fitton East Lancashire RC 12:39.7
28 Joseph Cooke East Lancashire RC 12:50.5
29 Ian Jackson East Lancashire RC 13:33.0
30 Georgina Cape East Lancashire RC 13:56.3
31 Noah Codling East Lancashire RC 14:00.0
32 Nicholas Holmes ABC Centreville 14:25.2
33 Daniel Tichbi Salford Cycling Club 15:00.5
34 Patrick Cooke East Lancashire RC 15:02.2
35 Nicole Decamps East Lancashire RC 18:57.1
Henry Cash Holmfirth C C DNF
Callum Belfield East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mary Wilkinson Yorkshire Road Club DNS (A)
Andy Cunningham All Terrain Cycles DNS (A)
Karen Bailey East Lancashire RC DNS (A)
Mark Read Manchester Wheelers DNS (A)
William Poole East Lancashire RC DNS (A)