Richard Bickley won on home soil as Karen Bailey took the women’s prize with both producing dominant displays in the Border City Wheelers 10-mile time trial near Tebay, Cumbria on Saturday.
Bickley (Border City Wheelers CC) ended a run of three open events without a win as he topped the timesheet by nearly a minute on what most riders described a hard day.
Hard out and back legs didn’t stop Bickley picking up his third consecutive win in the same event and ultimately his fourth win on record this season.
Bickley was the last man out and crossed the line in 20-08, beating Russ Richardson’s earlier time of 21-03 who subsequently finishing joint second.
Richardson (Teesdale RC) may have been unable to take top spot but riding on a new bike, he posted a season personal best and highest finish of the season so far in open events.
Much like Richardson and the man to share second place with him – Jason Bateman (Team Bottrill) – captured his best finish of the season and only his second podium place on record this season.
In the women’s category, Karen Bailey (East Lancashire RC) got the better of Claire Rushton in a small field due to motorway traffic causing a number of riders to be non-starters.
Bailey crossed the line in 24-40, resulting in her maiden win of the 2019 season and by over a minute.
Despite the impacted field, Bailey made the most of her chance and ended the day standing comfortably atop the podium.
In second place, Rushton (Kent Valley RC) sealed her best finish of the season with a time of 26-06 and will have to wait to emulate Bailey in capturing that first victory.
In other categories, Jack Rutland (Cycling Performance Squad) finished best junior with a time of 21-17 in fifth overall.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Jack Cudworth.