Time trialling aces Harry Tanfield and Alice Lethbridge governed the field in unsympathetic conditions to win the Port Talbot Wheelers 25-mile time trial on Sunday morning.

Commonwealth Games time trial silver medallist Tanfield had hoped to have broken his personal best in open time trialling at least on the infamously quick R25/3h course near Rhigos but blustery conditions subdued his efforts.

The Cleveland Wheelers rider posted a time of 46-18, but headwind on the going out proved to be the wrong direction for most including Tanfield.

Double 100-mile and 12-hour National Champion Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) had the same problems as her male counterpart.

Lethbridge was no slouch and posted a time of 53-19, 20th best of all time but organisers admitted the conditions were far from suitable for any record breaking rides.

“It was overcast and it had rained earlier in the day – the times tell you it wasn’t the fastest of days out there, Harry (Tanfield) has done a 45 here before and if it had stayed dry he might have eclipsed that,” said organiser Les Thomas.

“It wasn’t a particularly a good day because of the wind – the really fast riders don’t usually like a tailwind on the way back because they get a good 14-mile stretch of help if the tailwind is in the other direction,” he continued.

Chris Boddy (Didcot Phoenix CC) was the closest to winner Tanfield but fell 1-44 short in 48-02. Boddy featured in last week’s National 10-mile Championship where he finished fourth.

Wiley veteran Richard Bideau sealed his 14th podium of the year, a record that includes five wins with a time of 48-07.

Bideau pipped Robert Moore (Nuun-Sigma Sport London RT) by a mere second to capture the last step of the prize winners.

Laura Bartlett (a3crg) was second behind Lethbridge in the women’s category; she finished with a time of 55-21, holding off Joscelin Lowden (Storey Racing) by 13 seconds in 55-34.

In other categories, Jacob Knight (Zero BC Development) and Morgan Lloyd (Towy Riders) were fastest junior and juvenile with times of 54-44 and 57-39 respectively.

74-year-old Terry Icke (Poole Wheelers) took the veteran on standard prize as he finished +19-22.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Jack Cudworth.

Results:

1. Harry Tanfield (Cleveland Wheelers CC)  46.18

2. Chris Boddy (Didcot Phoenix CC)            48.02

3. Richard Bideau (Pendle Forest CC)           48.07

4. Robert Moore (Nuun-Sigma Sport-London RT)    48.08

5. Daniel Northover (Finsbury Park CC)        48.27

6. Chris Gibbard (Bynea CC) 49.02

7. Darren Maironis (Velotik RT)         49.14

8. David James Williams (Velotik RT)           49.21

=9. John Howard (Team Echelon)      49.22

=9. Steve Irwin (North Lancashire RC)         49.22

Women:

1. Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero)        53.19

2. Laura Bartlett (a3crg)         55.21

3. Joscelin Lowden (Storey Racing)   55.34

Junior: Jacob Knight (Zero BC Development)           54.44

Juvenile: Morgan Lloyd (Towy Riders)          57.39

Veteran on Std: Terry Icke (Poole Wheelers) +19.22

Team: Team Echelon