Taylor climbs to clear victory in Huddersfield Star Wheelers event
Jude Taylor (Cycles in Motion) won the Huddersfield Star Wheelers hill climb by almost 19 seconds in the men’s event while the women’s race saw Gemma Hobson (URDT) and Hannah Tweddell (Cycles in Motion) share the honours.
Taylor, who finished 11th in the National Hill Climb Championships last season, has been in emphatic form so far this season winning a host of events.
Last season the 24-year-old finished fourth in the Huddersfield Star Wheelers hill climb, clocking a time of four minutes and 33 seconds. He improved his time by 19 seconds this time, clocking a winning time of 4.14, which was far quicker than his nearest rival.
The Jackson Bridge climb is one-mile long with an average gradient of 10.6 per cent which goes up in ramps with a maximum gradient of 20 per cent. The course record was set by Jeff Wright in 1994 when he clocked 3.49.
Despite missing out on the course record Taylor added the victory to his West Pennine RC win last weekend.
He was chased home by Jacob Vezey (Harrogate Nova CC) who took second in 4.33 while Ben Harmer (Wold Top The Edge RT) finished third a further six seconds behind.
The women’s race couldn’t have been closer as Hobson and Tweddell both clocked a winning time of six minutes, nine seconds and six tenths.
Veteran rider Hobson, from West Sussex, finished second in the Kingston Wheelers climb last month and went one better on this occasion.
However, she was joined in top spot by 31-year-old Tweddell with nothing to separate the pair.
After finishing third last season in a time of 6.16, Tweddell went seven seconds faster this year for joint first place.
Chasing the top two in third place was juvenile rider Imogen Wolff (Holmfirth CC) who finished third woman overall in 6.26.
* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.
* A full gallery of images from this event by Kimroy Photography is available here