Despite strong winds causing problems for many riders, Tim Chilvers (Maldon and District CC) went around a minute quicker than he did on the same course four weeks ago as he powered to victory in the Southend Wheelers 50-mile time trial in Essex on Sunday.

Meanwhile the fastest woman was Louise Robinson (Essex Roads CC) with 2-14-11, the 42-year-old winning by around nine minutes from Jenny Page (Southend Wheelers), while another rider from the promoting club, Jen Harvey was third.

32-year-old Chilvers clocked 1-52-59, a new personal best time and around one minute quicker than the time he set in his own club’s 50-mile event on the same course in early June.

It was win number three for the season according to his record, with his previous victories in 2019 coming in the Victoria CC two-up 10.2 last month as well as the Easterley RC 25 back in April.

Chilvers is next due to be in open time trial action in two weeks at the Colchester Rovers 47-mile event, while he is also entered in the Shaftesbury CC 50 on the fast Six Mile Bottom course in Cambridgeshire the following week.

His time was around two and a half minutes quicker than runner-up Chris Smith (Eat Plants not Pigs CC), while 20 seconds behind him was Jack Mills (Maldon & District CC).

Out of 42 entries there were three non-starters, and the riders who did take part experienced a strong headwind on the way back, with personal bests few and far between.

However, the hot temperatures experienced elsewhere in the country were not so noticeable in the Southend Wheelers event, with the coastal location giving riders a welcome breeze off the North Sea.

Robinson’s victory was the latest of several this season so far. She was fastest female in the Hertfordshire Wheelers 10 and Maldon & District CC 10 earlier in June, as well as taking victory in the Easterley CC 25 and Maldon and District CC hilly 18 in April and March respectively.

Elsewhere in the result, CC Sudbury’s John Bradbury had to settle for fourth spot once again as he did last year, and while Iain Boardman (Dulwich Paragon CC) was fifth, sixth spot went to Ian Braybrook (Basildon CC) who was more than a minute quicker than he was in last year’s event when he placed 14th.

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

Results:

1. Tim Chilvers (Maldon & Dist CC) 1:52.59

2. Chris Smith (Eat Plants not Pigs CC)         1:55.31

3. Jack Mills (Maldon & Dist CC)      1:55.51

4. John Bradbury (CC Sudbury)         1:56.46

5. Iain Boardman (Dulwich Paragon CC)      1:59.38

6. Ian Braybrook (Basildon CC)         2:02.19

7. Simon Daw (Datalynx Parenesis)   2:04.05

8. Greg Smith (Finsbury Park CC)     2:04.34

9. David Carey (Southend Wheelers) 2:05.07

10. Gray Turnock (Finsbury Park CC)            2:05.27

Women:

1. Louise Robinson (Essex Roads CC)           2:14.11

2. Jenny Page (Southend Wheelers)   2:25.30

3. Jen Harvey (Southend Wheelers)   2:29.04