Jamie Johnson and Fiona Burnie both powered to new course records in the Allen Valley Velo 24.8-mile time trial in Northumberland on Sunday.
Barnesbury CC rider Johnson, 24, is battling back to fitness after having been knocked off his bike last season. But after three months off the bike and six months without any training, he is back in form with a vengeance.
And Burnie, the GS Metro 33-year-old, adds another course record to a growing list as she proves to be the woman to beat in the North East.
Johnson clocked 1-08-06 to slice 13 seconds from the old record, and his time was 29 seconds quicker than runner-up Marcus Cram (Blaydon CC), while third spot went to Nick Badcock (Allen Valley Velo), another minute and a half off the pace.
And Burnie’s time of 1-16-16 was more than three minutes quicker than the old women’s course record of 1-19-41.
Blaydon CC were the team winners with the victorious trio being Marcus Cram, Lee Ager who was sixth overall, and Eoin Gormley. Second-placed Marcus Cram was the fastest rider on a road bike.
Johnson, who was fourth in last year’s event on the same course, went more than five minutes quicker this year. Among his other results this season as he recovers from his crash are tenth in the North Tyneside Riders 27 and sixth in the Blaydon CC 18.
Burnie was fastest female in the Richmond CC 24 three weeks ago, as well as the Tyneside Vagabonds 40.3, the Derwentside CC 38.6 and the Teesdale 38.6.
Spare a though for event photographer Jack Earl, whose car was wiped out by another vehicle just 80 yards from where he sat. But he still carried on snapping photographs!
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