Course record holder O’Neill wins again in Oxfordshire
Suzy Patience and Jack O’Neill powered to victory in the Banbury Star CC 23-mile time trial in Oxfordshire on Sunday.
Jack O’Neill found himself in a familiar position for a Banbury Star Wheelers hosted event, taking a relatively clear victory in the hardriders event.
O’Neill, who broke the course record on the K4/23 course back in 2017 with a time of 51-38, couldn’t match that time on this occasion, likely due to inclement weather affecting many of the weekend’s events.
A time of 53-19 was more than enough to take his first open win on record since the aforementioned event in 2017.
This time out, the gap was under a minute rather than two minutes plus, to Richard Jennings (Army Cycling) who completed the course in 54-08.
Kenilworth Wheelers rider Paul Atkins secured his best finish since last April while finishing third in 54-31.
Home club rider Suzy Patience needed not to live up to her name and did so accordingly, powering to a 24-second victory over Emma Bexson – a feat she tasted three times in 2018.
Patience stopped the clock in 1-03-07 with Bexson (Stratford CC) coming home in 1-03-31. Naomi De Pennington (Banbury Star CC) was third in 1-05-48.
Top junior rider on the day was Blaine Carpenter (Shutt Ridley RT) with a time of 55-51 which saw the youngster finish fourth overall.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Jack Cudworth.