Orwell Velo

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  • Date: 01-May-21
  • Time: 14:00
  • Distance: 20 Miles
  • Course: BS33
  • Closing Date: 20-Apr-21 23:59
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Victory for Chapman and O’Brien in Orwell Velo 20

  • Published: 02 May 21
  • Written By: Snowdon Sports
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Lloyd Chapman and Hannah O’Brien did the double for Loose Cannon’s Conditioning, winning both the men’s and women’s prizes and helping them to the team prize too at the Orwell Velo 20-mile time trial in Suffolk on Saturday.

Chapman, the 31-year-old from Martlesham, clocked 42-40 to take the win by 11 seconds from Timothy Torrie (TBW23 Stuart Hall Cycling), with Mark Richards (DAP CC) third, just four seconds further back.

And 44-year-old O’Brien took the women’s prize with 50-01 which was 1-24 quicker than team-mate and fellow veteran Verity Smith, while Gilliam Leech (Peaks Sports Racing) was third fastest female.

Conditions were not good for the event near Debenham on the BS33 course. Roads were damp with hail, a stiff breeze and headwind on the Ashfield to Occold section. Combined with temperatures of just nine degrees the times achieved were still impressive.

Chapman secured the Renny Stirling Memorial Trophy for his victory, and he also benefitted from the team win by Loose Cannon’s Conditioning with O’Brien joining him in the victorious trio alongside Robert Staines who clocked 45-27 for sixth overall.

Joshua Aiken and Gary Freeman were in the money too, having won the two-up prize with a time of 44-37, less than a minute ahead of runners-up and team-mates Chris Crabtree and James Sherwood. All four of them were on road bikes too!

The anti-clockwise loop course begins near Winston. Riders head up to Debenham but turn left through Winston Green and head round through Ashfield cum Thorpe and up to Occold before turning back south to a finish point just north of Debenham.

This was Chapman’s first open time trial victory of the season, having placed second in both the CC Breckland 10 and Stowmarket & District CC 20 who was on the same course as the Orwell Velo event.

He plans to ride the VC Baracchi 10 on Bank Holiday Monday, and also the Lea Valley CC 10 next Saturday.

And for O’Brien this was her second win of the season following victory in the CC Breckland 10 a fortnight ago. She is next hoping to be in action at the VC Norwich 10 on May 16.

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