Simon McNamara and Angela Radden-Rutt were fastest male and female riders respectively as Sussex CA staged a 15-mile time trial in West Sussex on Saturday.

McNamara, the 43-year-old South Downs BIkes rider from Henfield in West Sussex, clocked 32-02 for the G15/93 near Steyning, giving him the win by 43 seconds from last year’s winner Mark Smith (Crawley Wheelers), while third was Blazing Saddles rider Howard Bayley, 1-09 off McNamara’s pace.

And in the women’s category, victory went to Angela Radden-Rutt (The Cycleroom) with a time of 40-37, which gave her victory over Karen McGrath (Worthing Excelsior CC) by46 seconds, while Victoria Miller (Brighton Mitre CC) was third, another couple of minutes back.

The event took place on a pleasant but cloudy morning, in temperatures of 14 degrees with a slight south-westerly breeze stirring.

A record entry of 52 riders took part in the annual edition of this event which started with just 20 riders in 2015.

McNamara’s time was the same as his 2016 winning effort when conditions were better, and he also led the winning team with Andy Tedd and Kevin Plummer who both made the top seven, 3-16 ahead of the Crawley Wheelers trio of Mark Smith, Paul Batten and Iain Duncan.

There were outstanding rides by Steve Dennis (East Grinstead CC) who was fourth with 33-29 which also won him the 50-54 category. And local man Chris Lord (Brighton Excelsior CC) clocked 36-23 to win the 65-69 age category be the first veteran on target time with +8.39, beating visitor Keith Dorling (Team Bottrill) at +8.37.

And for a third consecutive year Mark Vowells (CC Bexley) set a new veterans national record for 15 miles on a trike with 39-41.

The course takes riders on an anti-clockwise loop, heading up the B2135 through Ashurst and Partridge Green, before turning on to the A24 and coming back down through Dial Post and Ashington, turning at Washington to reach the finish just prior to the start point.

The win was McNamara’s fourth open victory in a row, and his fifth so far in a 2018 season which is shaping up to be a good one.

He was victorious in the Brighton Mitre CC 10, Bec CC 10 and Sussex CA 15 and 10 in May, while his first win of the season came in the Redhill CC sporting 18-mile time trial back in February.

38-year-old women’s winner Angela Radden-Rutt was securing her second open victory of the season, following on from her win in the Crawley Wheelers 41.6-mile event back in March. Since then she finished third in the Addiscombe CC 25 in April, and fourth in the Sussex CA 10 last month.

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

Results:

Men:

1. Simon McNamara (South Downs Bikes)    32.02

2. Mark Smith (Crawley Wh) 32.45

3. Howard Bayley (Blazing Saddles) 33.11

4. Steve Dennis (East Grinstead CC) 33.29

5. Andy Tedd (South Downs Bikes)  34.12

6. Keith Dorling (Team Bottrill)         34.29

7. Kevin Plummer (South Downs Bikes)        34.33

8. Philip Murrell (Finsbury Park CC)  35.26

9. Paul Batten (Crawley Wheelers)     35.29

10. Tom Houghton (Brighton Excelsior CC)  35.38

Women:

1. Angela Radden-Rutt (The Cycleroom)      40.37

2. Karen McGrath (Worthing Excelsior CC)  41.23

3. Victoria Miller (Brighton Mitre CC)           43.44

Veterans:

40-44: Simon McNamara

45-49: Philip Murrell

50-54: Steve Dennis

55-59: Keith Dorling

60-64: Anthony Brown (Horsham Cycling)   37.33

65-69: Chris Lord (Brighton Excelsior CC)   36.23

60-64: Allan Oram (Worthing Excelsior CC) 41.39

75-79: Alan Robinson (Central Sussex CC)   42.46