Carol Bridge and Andy Davies came out on top in the Cardiff 100 Miles RCC 9.8-mile time trial on New Year’s Day in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Bridge, the 34-year-old who rides for the Rhondda Triathlon Club, covered the RS/9 course near St Brides Major in 25-40 to win the women’s category by just two seconds from 15-year-old Aimee Lane (Wyre Forest CRC), while a couple of minutes further back in third spot was Claire Bird (Pontypool RCC).

In the men’s event Davies, the 37-year-old Cardiff JIF rider, clocked 21-48 to win overall by eight seconds from Cwmcarn Paragon RC rival Chris Smith, while James Grandfield (Pedalcover Insurance) took third with 22-11.

Times general were good on the day, helped along by unseasonably warm weather with temperatures into double figures and only a light westerly wind to contend with.

The RS/9 course takes riders from a start about one mile south east of St Brides Major along the B4265 south east through Wick and on to Llantwit Major where they turn just outside the town and retrace.

In the same event 12 months earlier Davies had teamed up with JIF colleague Andy Hoskins to place second in the two-up event. He then went on to have a good season with several top five finishes and five more podium finishes.

Alongside Hoskins again he was third in the Port Talbot Wheelers two-up 25 in March, and then the duo were second in the VTTA South Wales two-up 10 in May. Riding solo, Davies was third in both the Realteam.co.uk 10 and Sportzmad 15, and in August he was again third in the Cwmcarn Paragon RC 25.

Bridge only rode selected time trials in 2018 as she balanced her other sporting ambitions, but she did record some solid performances. She was fifth fastest woman in the Welsh Hill-Climb Championships in October, while she was third in the Bynea CC 30-mile time trial back in April as well as fourth in the Sportzmad 10 in August.

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