Zeb Kyffin and Gemma Frost were the winners as Muckle CC hosted their first ever hill-climb on Sunday morning.

It was also the first official race using the 0.9-mile MH21 course at Prospect Hill and despite the continued windy conditions across the weekend, there was a good turnout of support for the 108 starters, with fancy dress costumes including a dinosaur and nuns.

It was Kyffin who did indeed rediscover a winning habit after consecutive second place finishes in October, stopping the clock for a 5.6-second victory in 3:45.1.

Nineteen-year-old Kyffin, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, has had a great first year at under 23 level, with successes in both time trials and hill climbs to his name.

“I couldn’t have asked for much better, despite the conditions only a few dropped out so it was the biggest hill-climb field in the North East and a really good result for me,” he said afterwards.

Second place went to Patrick Clark (Team B38-Underpin) whose time of 3:50.7 was six tenths faster than Kyffin’s team-mate Tim Wilcock who completed the podium.

As well as being the first name on the trophy, there was further success for Kyffin who along with Wilcock and Thomas Prentice scooped the team prize, Prentice himself making it a

double as the day’s quickest junior.

Gemma Frost has been in good form over the last month and that continued with a strong showing on Sunday to take the women’s title.

She stopped the clock in 5:05.1, topping the standings by exactly 11 seconds over her nearest challenger.

Riding for host club Muckle CC, Frost will go to next weekend’s national championships in confident mood, this victory along with successes at Houghton CC, Blaydon CC two-stage and Sunderland Clarion two-stage making it four wins in five outings.

There was a tighter battle for second and third, Susan Paterson (Honister 92) going inside the time of Joanne Rea (Blaydon CC) by just three seconds to finish runner-up.

Elsewhere, sixth place Niall Paterson (Velo Club Cumbria) was just outside the four minute mark, but 4:01.1 was certainly good enough to secure the fastest veteran prize, whilst seventh place Colin Atkinson (Muckle CC) and Sunderland Clarion’s Tom Guy were quickest in the veteran 50+ and 60+ categories respectively.

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

* Photographs courtesy of Jack Earl.

Results:

Men:

1. Zeb Kyffin (GS Metro)      3:45.1

2. Patrick Clark (Team B38-Underpin)           3:50.7

3. Tim Wilcock (GS Metro)    3:51.3

4. Matthew Smith (Muckle CC)         3:51.6

5. Nick Spencer (Blumilk.Com)          3:56.6

6. Niall Paterson (Velo Club Cumbria)           4:01.1

7. Colin Atkinson (Muckle CC)          4:02.4

8. Lewis Timmins (Muckle CC)          4:04.1

9. Jonathan Bayley (Gosforth RC)     4:04.2

10. Alex Reid (Kingston Wheelers CC)         4:04.9

Women:

1. Gemma Frost (Muckle CC)            5:05.1

2. Susan Paterson (Honister 92)          5:16.1

3. Joanne Rea (Blaydon CC)  5:19.1

4. Hannah Farran (EDCO Continental)          5:33.2

5. Gemma Hutchins (Blaydon CC)    5:46.7

6. Jihanna Allard (University of Sheffield CC)          5:58.7

7. Jen McMahon (Muckle CC)           5:59.7

8. Nicola Olive (North Tyneside Riders CC) 6:34.4

9. Helen Parkin (Muckle CC) 6:46.2

10. Tina Howe (North Tyneside Riders CC)  7:02.8

Veteran: Niall Paterson

Junior: Thomas Prentice (GS Metro)  4:09.8

Team: GS Metro (Kyffin, Wilcock, Prentice)