Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team) marked a welcome return from injury by winning Bristol South CC’s hill climb at Burrington Combe on Sunday.

The 2013 National Hill Climb champion clocked 7.17.6 in cold conditions to put 12 seconds into his nearest rival Isaac Mundy (Oxford University CC), who finished the climb in 7.29.8.

Up and coming local rider Rob ‘The Pencil’ Borek (DRK Racing) clocked 7.53.3 for third.

Joanne Jago (Performance Cycles CC) clocked 9.21.6 to successfully defend her title against Fiona Redding (Radeon-Bike Science RT) who stopped the clock at 9.33.4.

A five-degree temperature and headwind on the upper reaches of the two mile climb in the Mendips made for reasonably slow times, but gone are the days when any sub eight-minute ride would be good enough for the win.

“I was quite pleased with the time because I’ve been injured this year. So I went a bit quicker than expected.” Pettinger said after his winning ride.

“I wasn’t so sure what kind of form I would have, because I haven’t done any efforts like this for a long time, so I just rode fairly conservatively, and I think I paced it fairly well.”

It’s the seventh win at the Bristol South CC event for Pettinger, who holds the course record at 6.51.0

“Last year I think I did 6.58. So this year is about 20 seconds slower. But I’ve ridden it so many times, I sort of almost go into auto-pilot.”

Jago also said the cold conditions were a factor; “It was slower than my best time up here, definitely, about 20 seconds off.”

“I found it hard today. I’m tired at the end of the season, I’ve done a lot of hill climbs now, and my legs were feeling it.”

Elsewhere on the results sheet, Gordon Markus (Severn RC) was first 40-47 Vet with 8.09.7, while Arctic-Tacx RT’s Stewart House was fastest 48-54 Vet, recording 8.22.4. Rob Nash (Bristol South CC) was fastest 55+ Vet with 9.23.8 and Wiebke Rietz (1st Chard Wheelers) was fastest Lady Vet with 9.55.9

George Jones (Velo Club St Raphael) won the Junior category with a time of 8.34.6 and Ben Wainwright (Tor 2000) clocked 9.07.6 for fastest Juvenile.

DRK Racing took the team prize, composed of third-placed Borek, ninth placed Charles Coleman and James Coleman.

Both Pettinger and Jago are riding next week’s National Hill Climb Championships, but admit they’re going more for the experience than as serious contenders, given the nature of the Matlock climb.

“I’m better on this sort of course,” said Jago, “Short and steep isn’t really for me, but we’ll give it a go.”

“I’ll just go there and enjoy the experience and not worry about trying to get on the podium, like the past 4 or 5 years,” said Pettinger  of his plans for the day. “I’m not really thinking so much about where I finish because it’s not really a hill for me.”

“It will be nice just to enjoy the event for a change. Well, apart from the two minutes of riding!”

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.

* More photographs are available here - http://www.richlewtonphotography.co.uk/Photos/2016/Bristol-South-CC-Burrington/

Results:

Pos   Name        Club  Time

1     Tejvan Pettinger  Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team      07:17.6

2     Isaac Mundy Oxford University CC    07:29.8

3     Robert Borek      DRK Racing  07:35.3

4     Andrew Kirby      University of Bristol Cycling Club  07:41.2

5     Charles Coleman   DRK Racing  07:48.4

6     David Janes Velo Club Walcot  07:55.4

7     Oliver Walker-Hayes     University of Bristol Cycling Club  07:59.2

8     Jonathan Heath    Brecon Wheelers   08:01.2

=8    Tavis Walker      T1 Diabetes.info  08:01.2

10    James Cartridge   73 Degrees Bicycles     08:01.6

11    Josh Gray   Tor 2000 (Kalas Sportswear, Whitelake, Scorpion C.S.) 08:03.9

12    Kevin Thomas      Chippenham & District Wheelers      08:06.8

13    Russell Peace     Dursley Road Club 08:09.2

14    Gordon Markus     Severn RC   08:09.7

15    Hugh Brashaw      University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC)      08:10.9

16    Joe Hawksworth    Bristol South Cycling Club    08:13.2

17    Josh Coyne  Okehampton CC     08:18.1

18    James Coleman     DRK Racing  08:18.1

19    Stewart House     Arctic Tacx RT    08:22.4

20    Mark Hudson Bristol South Cycling Club    08:28.4

21    Adam Whitehead    Bristol South Cycling Club    08:29.2

22    Daniel Burbridge  Bristol South Cycling Club    08:29.4

23    George Jones      Velo Club St Raphael    08:34.6

24    Jack Phillips     Salt and Sham Cycle Club      08:38.3

25    Josh Griffiths    Bristol South Cycling Club    08:42.0

26    Adam Whittaker    Salt and Sham Cycle Club      08:46.7

27    Daniel Pink Bigfoot CC  08:49.7

28    Harry Tucker      Sulis Scorpians YCA     08:54.1

29    Philip Troughton  Bristol South Cycling Club    08:55.4

30    Nicholas Després  Guernsey Velo Club      08:59.1

31    Leigh Pinchen     Northover VT / Rudy Project   08:59.6

32    Tom Sharp   Bristol Road Club 09:03.4

33    Jon James   Mendip Cycling Club     09:04.8

34    Steven Cottington Bath Cycling Club 09:05.3

35    Ben Wainwright    Tor 2000 (Kalas Sportswear, Whitelake, Scorpion C.S.) 09:07.6

36    Marc Allen  Swindon Road Club 09:08.0

37    Giles Corner      Clapham Chasers   09:10.0

38    Robert Adams      Bristol South Cycling Club    09:10.0

39    Andrew Turner     Bristol South Cycling Club    09:17.5

40    Ed Cox      Bristol South Cycling Club    09:17.6

41    Joanne Jago Performance Cycles CC   09:21.6

42    Rob Nash    Bristol South Cycling Club    09:23.8

43    Giles Prentice    Velo Club Walcot  09:28.8

44    Justin Gage Velo Club Walcot  09:32.5

45    Fiona Redding     Radeon-Bike Science RT  09:33.4

46    Gareth Jones      Velo Club St Raphael    09:39.9

47    Christopher Chapman     Bristol South Cycling Club    09:42.2

48    Andrew Diffey     Somer Valley Cycling Club     09:43.2

49    Tim Wilkey  DRK Racing  09:43.5

50    Luke Smith  Bristol South Cycling Club    09:49.8

51    Edward Trotman    Bristol South Cycling Club    09:50.3

52    Malcolm Chave     Okehampton CC     09:55.5

53    Wiebke Rietz      1st Chard Wheelers      09:55.9

54    Chris Adams Bristol South Cycling Club    09:59.8

55    Megan Dickerson   University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC)      10:01.1

56    Andrew McClean    Bristol South Cycling Club    10:04.9

57    Adrian Ridley     Bristol South Cycling Club    10:05.2

58    Ian Mountjoy      Bristol South Cycling Club    10:05.7

59    David Sprigg      Bristol South Cycling Club    10:18.1

60    Steve Clarke      Bristol South Cycling Club    10:26.4

61    Jon Steel   Bristol South Cycling Club    10:32.3

62    Gordon Scott      CC Weymouth 10:32.5

63    Russell Boon      Avonlea/Treasure RT     10:34.3

64    John Gregory      Somer Valley Cycling Club     10:35.4

65    Graham Smith      Severn RC   10:39.2

66    Christina Gyles   Bristol South Cycling Club    10:50.1

67    Paul Knight Mendip Cycling Club     10:56.5

68    Lewis Spindlove   Bristol South Cycling Club    11:03.4

69    Yan Keene   Bristol South Cycling Club    11:06.4

70    Alan Cooper Avonlea/Treasure RT     11:09.9

71    Ian White   Salt and Sham Cycle Club      11:16.7

72    Malcolm Lindsay   Bristol South Cycling Club    11:34.0

73    Richard Fuest     Minehead Cycling Club   12:01.8

74    Joanna Knight     Bristol South Cycling Club    12:03.6

75    Neil Frost  Bristol South Cycling Club    12:08.0

76    Dave Francis      Alltrax     12:26.3

77    David Braidley    Bristol South Cycling Club    13:15.7

78    Katherine Moore   Bristol Road Club 13:19.0

79    Tony Emery  Dursley Road Club 14:26.1

80    Peter Rogers      Tor 2000 (Kalas Sportswear, Whitelake, Scorpion C.S.) 15:48.9

81    John Bailey Bristol South Cycling Club    36:41.5