Current national 30-mile competition record holder Rachael Elliott teamed up with Ian Greenstreet as she begun a comeback to cycling at the Cardiff 100 Miles RCC 15-mile event in Gwent on Saturday.

Elliott, from Newbury in Berkshire, suffered a stroke last year which left her with seriously impaired vision. But the determined 41-year-old is back on a bike, this time as the tandem stoker for Greenstreet.

The pair clocked 33-45 to win the tandem category by 1-21 from Bristol South CC duo Joanna Knight and Andrew Legge, despite riding a borrowed touring machine with clip-on aerobars, rear wheel covers and a front tri spoke.

Knight and Legge rode well, but fell around 30 seconds short of beating the club’s mixed tandem 15-mile record, which is currently held by team-mates Mark Bradley and Kim Smale, who this time placed third with 37-36.

Cwmcarn Paragon’s Chris Smith, the 30-year-old from Gwent, clocked 33-05 to set the fastest time of the day, 41 seconds faster than runner-up Paul Hayward (Pontypool RCC, while Steve Cottington (Bath CC) was another nine seconds back in third spot.

The win was Smith’s first of the year, although he has appeared on a podium already in 2019 as the runner-up in Cardiff 100 Miles RCC’s 9.9-mile event on New Year’s Day.

And in the road bike event victory went to Jake Tay (Severn Road Club) with 42-16, almost seven minutes quicker than runner-up Ian Pontin (Newport Phoenix CC).

The R15/3a course takes riders from a start to the east of Llanennen alongside the A40, up to the dual carriageway and down to a turn at Raglan, where they then head onto minor roads for the journey back north west to the finish.

A strong westerly wind was manageable as most of the course is oriented east-west, except for the western-most couple of miles of the circuit, where a cross wind made things tricky for some. Conditions were sunny dry and fairly warm.

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Results:

Posn    firstname         lastname          club     cat       Time

1          Chris    Smith   Cwmcarn Paragon Road Club            S          33:05

2          Paul     Hayward         Pontypool Road Cycling Club            V         33:46

3          Steven Cottington       Bath Cycling Club      V         33:54

4          Alex    Touche            Pontypool Road Cycling Club            S          34:38

5          Daniel  Kempe Bristol South Cycling Club     V         35:39

6          Ryan    O'Rourke         Cwmcarn Paragon Road Club            S          36:15

7          John     Aspell  PDQ Cycle Coaching V         36:41

8          Sion     Gibby  Abergavenny RC        V         39:21

9          Phil      Guy     North Shropshire Wheelers     V         40:06

10        Jeffrey Rees    Gower Riders Cycling Club   V         40:18

11        Geoff  Edgerton         North Shropshire Wheelers     V         46:06

            Deborah          Sheridan          Warwickshire Road Club        WV     DNSa

            Chris    Goulden          Merthyr CC     V         DNS

            Lawrence        Cronk  SWYD Tri Club          S          DNS

            Allen   Janes    Bristol South Cycling Club     V         DNF

            Kevin  Thomas            Pontypool Road Cycling Club            V         DNS

            John J  Murphy           Gloucester City Cycling Club V         DNS

            Derek  Morgan            Gannet CC      V         DNS

            TANDEMS                                        

1          Rachael           Elliott  Newbury RC   WV     33:45

1          Ian       Greenstreet      AeroCoach      V         33:45

2          Joanna Knight Bristol South Cycling Club     WV     35:06

2          Andrew           Legge  Bristol South Cycling Club     V         35:06

3          Mark    Bradley           Bristol South Cycling Club     V         37:36

3          Kim     Smale  Bristol South Cycling Club     WV     37:36

            ROAD BIKES                                              

1          Jake     Tay      Severn Road Club       V         42:16

2          Ian       Pontin  Newport Phoenix CC V         49:11

            Eamonn           Sheridan          Warwickshire Road Club        V         DNSa

            Tom     Ellis     Bikestrong-KTM         S          DNS