Feather and Coates take weekend double at Somerset hill-climb
National Champion Andrew Feather (Champion System UK) and Nicole Coates (Performance Cycles CC) both took two victories in as many days after winning the Somerset Road club hill-climb.
Both riders won at the Dursley Road Club event the previous day and made it two wins from two in the Somerset climb.
Feather, aged 34 and from Bath, won the same event last year in four minutes and 16 to set a course record, but went six seconds quicker to clearly win on this occasion.
The UHC23 hill climb near Bridgwater is 1.7 kilometres in length at a gradient of 7.5 per cent in the Quantock Hills.
Phil Stonelake (Bristol Road Club) had set the leading time of 4.19 until scratch rider Feather knocked nine seconds off his mark.
Third place on the day went to Josh Coyne (BPM Coaching) in 4.23.
“They were both good local events with quite a lot of familiar faces there,” said Feather. “On Saturday I beat my course record by three seconds in the Dursley RC event which was on a steeper climb.
“I did both events last year and the Somerset HC was on a bit of a shallower climb. This year the National Championships is on a longer climb so next week I will be riding the Great Dun Fell climb which is over 20 minutes long.”
Meanwhile in the women’s event Coates also took her second win of the weekend in a time of 5.40, eight seconds faster than Jess Railton (Bristol South CC).
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Results:
1. Andrew Feather (Champion System UK) 4.10
2. Phil Stonelake (Bristol Road Club) 4.19
3. Josh Coyne (BPM Coaching) 4.23
4. Robert Borek (Bristol South CC) 4.33
5. Tavis Walker (Rogue Racing) 4.36
Women:
1. Nicole Coates (Performance Cycles CC) 5.40
2. Jess Railton (Bristol South CC) 5.48