Dan and Jessica Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK) were the fastest male and female riders as Fibrax-Wrexham Road Club staged their hill-climb on the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen in Wales on Sunday.

Welsh champion Dan Evans clocked 8:54.9 to take the win by less than two seconds from 2016 Welsh Champion Ed Laverack (JLT Condor), while Andy Cunningham (All Terrain Cycles) took third, another 19 seconds back.

And Dan’s wife Jessica Evans took the women’s prize for the Horseshoe Pass, clocking 12:07.7 to win by 22 seconds from Helen Aldred (Liverpool Phoenix CC), with Susan Paterson (Honister 92) third.

Until this year’s event, Dan Evans had been the only person to go under nine minutes for the scenic but brutal climb, which stretches for two miles 585 yards.

Despite taking the win, damp roads meant that he couldn’t challenge his own course record of 8.52, and with Laverack becoming only the second person to go under nine minutes, Evans had to push hard all the way.

Mr and Mrs Evans were both completing a weekend double at Llangollen, having ridden and won the Urban Hill Climb in London the previous day.

In other categories, Team Bottrill-HSS Hire took the team prize with George Evans, Graham Kemp and Mark Bottrill just holding off the Liverpool Century RC trio.

This victory means that Dan Evans is unbeaten so far this season as he prepares for the National Hill Climb Championships at the end of the month, and he will ride the Otley CC two-stage and Lancashire Road Club climb of The Rake next weekend as he continues his preparation for the title race.

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

* Photos by sportpictures.cymru

Results:

1. Dan Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK)   8:54.9

2. Ed Laverack (JLT Condor) 8:56.7

3. Andy Cunningham (All Terrain Cycles)     9:15.7

4. George Evans (Team Bottrill)         9:20.6

5. Phil Williams (Liverpool Phoenix CC)       9:40.2

6. Niall Paterson (VC Cumbria)          9:44.9

7. Graham Kemp (Team Bottrill)        10:07.9

8. Thomas Brazier (Team Elite)          10:10.3

9. Sam Clark (Buxton CC)     10:11.9

10. Robert Rogers (Birkenhead North End CC)        10:15.8

Women:

1. Jessica Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK)           12:07.7

2. Helen Aldred (Liverpool Phoenix CC)       12:29.5

3. Susan Paterson (Honister 92)          12:32.9

4. Kate Giddings (Liverpool Century RC)     13:53.0

5. Sally Cunliffe (VC Melyd) 14:17.5

6. Jenny York (Mid-Shropshire Wh)  14:49.3