Michelle Fairclough was quickest woman while Dan Evans won the men’s category in the Manchester & District TTA 10-mile open event near Goostrey, Cheshire on Saturday.

Dan Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK) returned to open event action after a fifth place in the National Hill-Climb Championships in October with a win in the first of three Manchester & District TTA hosted events he has entered in March.

Evans clocked a winning time of 20-30 to take the win by a margin of 11 seconds over Alexander Royle (Manchester Bicycle Club).

The win equals Evans’ number of wins in non-hill-climb events recorded last season, with many of his wins coming in the steeper events late in the year.

After being disqualified in his first event of the 2020 season, Alexander Royle bounced back with a second-place finish behind Evans in a time of 20-41.

Royle stood atop the podium 11 times in 2019 and seems to be heading in the right direction to try match that tally this time around.

Alastair Ribbands (Manchester Wheelers) featured in his second event of the season, riding to his first podium after a seventh place finish a week ago.

Ribbands finished third in 21-23.

In the women’s category, Michelle Fairclough (Salford CC) made it two wins in as many events to open her 2020 season account.

Fairclough was dominant in her win, elevating to the top of the podium by a margin of over four minutes, clocking a time of 27-13.

Maureen Williams (3C Test Team) was next best in the category with a time of 31-34.

In other categories, Joel Ackers (Innovation Racing) was fastest junior in 22-38; Alan Chorley (Seamons CC) took the fastest veterans prize and finishing fifth overall in 21-36 and also was quickest veteran on standard with a standard time of +5-04.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Jack Cudworth.

* A gallery of images from this event by Kimroy Photography is available here

Results:

1. Dan Evans (ASSOS Equipe UK)   20.30

2. Alexander Royle (Manchester Bicycle Club)         20.41

3. Alastair Ribbands (Manchester Wheelers) 21.23

4. Danny Glyn Roberts (Clwb Beico Egni Energy CC)         21.26

5. Alan Chorley (Seamons CC)          21.36

6. Adam Darby (Velotik Racing Team)          21.48

=7. Adrian Hughes (Seamons CC)     22.14

=7. Matthew Roberts (Clwb Beico Egni Energy CC)            22.14

9. Tristan Pilling (Team SB Hub)      22.16

10. Sam Taylor (Weaver Valley CC) 22.20

Women:

1. Michelle Fairclough (Salford CC)  27.13

2. Maureen Williams (3C Test Team)            31.34