Neil Lauder (PMR) got his 2019 season off to a great start, securing victory at Southborough and District Wheelers’ 10-mile time trial in Kent on New Year’s Day.

And there was a tie in the women’s category, with Folkestone Velo Club’s Charmaine Pullen and Liv AWOL rider Hannah Graveney both clocking 24-56.

Lauder, the 36-year-old from Ashford, clocked 20-11 to take the win by 18 seconds from the university of Bath CC’s Dan Martin, while Oliver Robinson (Team Wiggins) was third, 11 seconds further back.

Pullen, 49 and from Canterbury, shared the spoils of victory in the women’s category with Hannah Graveney (Liv AWOL), the 18-year-old talent who has much experience of road racing which includes the National Road Race Championships, the Tour Series, the London Nocturne, and parts of the national series including the tough Tour of the Reservoir.

2018 proved to be a good year for Pullen, with at least eight open time trial victories to her name. She was fastest female in the Medway Velo 50 in August, but also tasted victory in the Kent CA 10 and VTTA Kent 10 in July, the Thanet Road Club 10 and 25 in June, the De Laune CC 25 and Sydenham Wheelers 25 in May and the West Kent Road Club’s 10-mile event back in April.

Lauder’s victory was his first of 2019 – but surely won’t be his last judging by his form through 2018.

Among his wins last season were the DIW Wheelers four-up 9.6 at Brands Hatch, the Kent CA 100 in June, the Kent CA three-up 25-mile event in May, the Eastern Counties CA 10-mile Championship and Southborough and District Wheelers 10 in May as well as the Catford CC 10 in April.

This year’s Southborough and District Wheelers New Year’s Day 10 took place in mild temperatures and calm conditions, making for a pleasant day and some good times for the first day of the year.

Fastest veteran was Nick Wilson of Rye and District Wheelers, whose time of 21-21 gave him sixth overall, but with a plus of 5-48 he won the vets on standard category by 13 seconds from Pete Elms (Colour Tech RT).

Winning team was PMR with Lauder being joined by Mike Piper and Tom Morton in the victorious trio.

While Graveney was the fastest 18-year-old, the quickest 16/17-year-old was Fabien Large (NOPINZ) with 23-55 who was riding a road bike and therefore fastest in that category too.

And Southborough and District Wheelers’ own Bruce Walsh completed the course on a Penny Farthing in an impressive 33-24.

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