Nichols takes course record on Pea Royd Lane
Rebecca Richardson was fastest woman as Andy Nichols set a new course record on last year’s National Championship course in the Stocksbridge CC hill-climb in South Yorkshire on Saturday.
Nichols (B38/Cycles in Motion) asserted himself as a top contender for the upcoming National Hill-Climb Championships in three weeks with an impressive victory in Stocksbridge.
Andrew Feather last set the record in last season’s national title run in 2-18.8 but Nichols - the 29-year-old from Sheffield – shaved another second from that time to clock 2-17.5.
The win is Nichols’ second in hill-climbing this year and adds his name to a strong field that will be looking to dethrone Feather at the end of the month.
Kieran Wynne-Cattanach – a team-mate of Nichols – finished second in 2-29.1.
Like his team-mate, Wynne-Cattanach has two victories this year but will be hoping to improve on this performance should he have a shot at the nationals.
Team B38/Cycles in Motion locked out the podium places as Rick Bailey took third place.
Bailey’s time of 2-37.2 elevated him to his first top-three finish of the season.
In the women’s category, Rebecca Richardson (Brother.UK Fusion RT) topped the timesheets by over 30 seconds. Richardson clocked 3-05.7 as she finished fourteenth overall.
Her win also meant that she has now won six consecutive events she has started, which also happen to be all of her races this season.
Yasmin Marks (Beeston CC) finished second in 3-36.0 while Haddi Conant (Datalynx-Paranesis Cycling) was third.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Jack Cudworth.
* A full gallery of images from this event is available here