Jenny Simmonds and Matt Burden were fastest female and male riders respectively at the Sportzmad 10-mile time trial near Port Talbot on Saturday.

Riding for 73 Degrees CC-WestSide Coaching, 41-year-old Bristol-based Burden clocked 19-19 for the R10/17 course near Resolven, giving him the win by just six seconds from Stephen Vanes (Successcycling.co.uk), while Simon Barrett (Worcester St Johns CC) was third, another 32 seconds back.

Simmonds, the 47-year-old who rides for Look Mum no Hands!, covered the course in exactly 23 minutes, which gave her the win in the women’s category by 27 seconds from Emma Angove (73 Degrees Cycling), while Michelle Fishbourne (Team Backstedt) was third, 55 seconds slower than Simmonds.

The course takes riders along the A40, starting to the east of Llanellen and proceeding east to Raglan, where they turn back and finish at almost exactly the same spot.

It was Burden’s third win on record this season, and comes after he has been a non-starter on this course twice already in 2018.

Back in June he was victorious in the Severn RC 10, while his previous win this season came in the Bristol South CC 10 in May.

A rider who can tackle most distances, Burden is next due to be in open TT action next Sunday having entered the Western TTA 100-mile event.

Simmonds has ridden several time trials this season, and secured some good results. As well as this Sportzmad event she was victorious in the North Hampshire Road Club 25 in July, and has featured on the podium at the Ross on Wye 10, the Birmingham Midland 10, the Western TTA 30 and Chippenham and District Wheelers 10.

And her pursuit of fast times looks set to continue, as she is due to ride the Realteam.co.uk 25 on the fast Rhigos course 24 hours after this SPortzmad event, as well as the Sussex CA 10 next Saturday.

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