Peter Harrison broke the P885/50 course record as National 12 champion and competition record holder Alice Lethbridge took the women’s prize in the Blazing Saddles 50 on Sunday morning.

Harrison (AS Test Team) was one of the three men to break the previous best on the undulating course in the heart of the South Downs National Park.

The old record stood at 1-38-55 but the 36-year-old Bourne End resident put an abrupt and emphatic end to that as he smashed it by 2-26, blazing his way to a 1-36-29.

The AS Test Team rider’s last outing was in last week’s Hemel Hempstead CC 10-mile time trial where he finished eighth.

The contest was far from a clear-cut victory and the last rider out on the day, Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC) pushed Harrison to the very end.

Maybank fell agonisingly short of sharing the win and new course record by a mere second as he clocked in with a time of 1-36-30.

A veteran of 46 years, Maybank sustained a fine 2018 taking his tenth podium finish this year.

A week after winning the National 12-hour Championship, women’s ace Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) continued her 2018 onslaught with yet another victory.

The 33-year-old’s time of 1-46-59 helped her record her 12th win in 13 starts for the season, the only race not won being a close second in the last round of the Knight Composites Classics Series.

Back in the men’s category, the previous record fell first for Charles Mitchell (…a3crg) after starting well before Harrison and Maybank.

Mitchell broke the record by an already impressive 45 seconds but despite this, his 1-38-10 couldn’t withstand the test of time with the aforementioned top two topping this later that morning.

The third place does however see Mitchell continue his fine form which has seen him finish no lower than fourth.

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

Results:

1. Peter Harrison (AS Test Team)       1:36.29

2. Liam Maybank (Twickenham CC)             1:36.30

3. Charlie Mitchell (…a3crg)  1:38.10

Women: Alice Lethbridge (Drag2Zero)         1:46.59