Chris Newberry (Redhill CC) and Gemma Hobson (Sussex Nomads CC) were fastest male and female riders respectively as Sussex CA staged a hill-climb on Steyning Bostal on Saturday.
Newberry, 30 and from Caterham in Surrey, clocked 4:07.7 for the 1,704-yard climb to take the win by 0.7 seconds from Andrew Kirby (Univ of Bristol CC), while Nick Martin (East Grinstead CC) was some way off in third with 4:26.9.
And in the women’s category, 38-year-old Hobson clocked 5:40.5 to take the win in that category by 3.5 seconds from Eastbourne Rovers CC rival Olivia Webb.
It was Newberry’s third appearance in an open event this season, and his first win after having secured sixth in the Exeter Wheelers’ climb the weekend before as well as seventh in Redhill CC’s 14.1-mile time trial back in July.
Newberry is aiming to rack up several more good hill-climb performances this season, having entered the Bec CC climb next weekend, as well as the East Sussex CA climb the following weekend and the Alltrax event, before finally tackling the national championships.
Hobson’s win was her first appearance in an open event this season, while her time in this year’s Sussex CA hill-climb was almost 35 seconds quicker than on the same course 12 months previously when she placed second.
Having been the fastest female in the Sussex CA event, Hobson will be gunning for more glory as she tackles next weekend’s Brighton Mitre CC and Bec CC hill-climbs, and then after riding the Holme Valley Wheelers climb on the 14th, she is aiming for a ride in the National Championships on October 29.
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