Smallwood and Shaw climb to victories in Port Talbot Wheelers 10
Ioan Smallwood (Cardiff Ajax CC) retained his title in the Port Talbot Wheelers 10 by riding 45 seconds faster than last year, while team-mate and junior rider Elena Shaw clinched the women’s event.
Despite the sporting nature of the R10/23 course which has a climb up to the turn Smallwood set a commendable winning time of 20 minutes and 40 seconds.
The R10/23 is far from flat but the sheltered nature of the course, which runs out and back along the B4242 between Pentreclwydau and Aberdulais, helped riders shelter from the wind.
However, they couldn’t hide from locally known ‘Rock and Fountain’ climb up to the turn before descending for home and a false flat finish.
Smallwood, who won the Welsh CA hilly last weekend over 21 miles, thrived once again on the lumpy course.
Christopher Gibbard (Bynea CC), who finished second to Smallwood last week and in last year’s event, had to settle for the runners-up spot again on this occasion finishing in 21.18 - an average of over 28 miles per hour.
Gibbard’s team-mate Stephen Evans rounded off the podium finishing in 22.35.
The women’s event was a much closer affair with Shaw pushed all the way by Hollie Labunsky (Port Talbot Wheelers) but eventually won by nine seconds in a winning time of 27.34.
It was Shaw’s first open win of the season after moving up into the junior category this season.
Taking third place in the women’s event was veteran Shirley Howell (Port Talbot Wheelers) in a time of 32.32.
Fastest veteran on standard was another Port Talbot Wheelers rider Rod Hicks who finished with a +4.22 while fastest junior boy was Euan Hawkins (Maindy Flyers) in 25.07.
Bynea CC were the fastest team of three with Gibbard, Evans and seventh place David Brice having a cumulative time of 1:07.40.
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