National 25-mile junior champion Oliver Stockwell (Flamme Rouge CT) and Cambridge University CC’s Elspeth Grace were fastest male and female riders respectively at the North Road CC hardriders time trial in Hertfordshire on Sunday morning.

Stockwell, the 17-year-old who was also crowned National Junior Road Race Champion last year, clocked 51-33 to take the win by 46 seconds from previous event winner Lloyd Chapman (Loose Cannon’s Conditioning), with Rob Walker (Cambridge University CC) third.

Grace clocked 1-02-49 to win the women’s category by more than three minutes from veteran Amy Pritchard (Giant Camden Team Liv), and also teamed up with Rob Walker and Jack Kellam in the winning team.

The victory was a great warm-up for Stockwell as he heads to Belgium to ride Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne next weekend – but early in the event he had a strong challenger.

Arctic-Aircon RT rider Josh Crow-Stewart had been pressing him for the win until a puncture ended his hopes and he was a non-finisher.

With three of the scheduled six time trials falling victim to the weather last weekend, organisers left it late before making a call about the North Road CC event. And it paid off, with the forecast heavy rain instead being just persistent fine mist, although strong winds made for testing conditions which saw around a third of the field not start.

It was instead roadworks which affected the event, with a revised 22-mile course being used. They used the narrow and technical Bayford Lane instead of the more open descent of Brickendon Lane, but apart from that all the classic climbs in the technical first half of the course were included.

While Stockwell was fastest junior rider, second spot in that category went to James Lloyd of JRC-Shutt Ridley RT) with 57-02, while third fastest junior was Rafael Hackenbroch (Regents Park Rouleurs) in 1-03-14.

Gravesend CC’s Neil Harrigan was top veteran on standard with a plus of 10-01 and joint tenth on actualy time, while Finsbury Park CC’s Dominic Bray and Gregory Smith were second and third veterans on standard respectively.

The road bike category was won by James Jenkins (Richardsons-Trek RT) with 53-41 for fifth overall, while fastest female on a road bike was Nuala Robinson (North Road CC) in 1-08-25 for third overall.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.

Results:

1. Oliver Stockwell (Flamme Rouge CT)       51.33

2. Lloyd Chapman (Loose Cannon’s Conditioning)  52.19

3. Rob Walker (Cambridge Univ CC)            52.54

4. Jack Brown (ActiveEdge RT)         53.17

5. James Jenkins (Richardsons Trek RT)       53.41

6. John Mulvey (ActiveEdge RT)       54.46

7. Jack Kellam (Cambridge Univ CC)           55.07

8. James McKay (PB Performance)    55.53

9. Nicholas Candy (North Road CC)  55.59

=10. Neil Harrigan (Gravesend CC)   57.02

=10. James Lloyd (JRC Shutt Ridley RT)      57.02

Women:

1. Elspeth Grace (Cambridge Univ CC)         1:02.49

2. Amy Pritchard (Giant Camden Team Liv) 1:06.13

3. Nuala Robinson (North Road CC) 1:08.25

Veterans:

1. Neil Harrigan (Gravesend CC)       +10.01

2. Dominic Bray (Finsbury Park CC) +8.08

3. Gregory Smith (Finsbury Park CC)            +8.05

Juniors:

1. Oliver Stockwell (Flamme Rouge CT)       51.33

2. James Lloyd (JRC Shutt Ridley RT)          57.02

3. Rafael Hackenbroch (Regents Park Rouleurs)       1:03.14

Road Bikes: James Jenkins (Richardsons-Trek)         53.41

Women: Nuala Robinson (North Road CC)   1:08.25