Nick Fennell (Thanet RC) battled to victory in the VTTA Kent 10-mile time trial near Hamstreet, while Hannah Graveney (Liv AWOL) was able to get the victory in the women’s event.

Fennell, aged 28, made it back-to-back victories as he clocked in at 19:19 to finish on top. He fought off competition from Thanet RC team-mate Lewis Tompsett who finished second with a time of 19:50. Tom Rowing (Abellio-SFA RT) was the final rider on the podium, clocking in at 20:01.

Fennell won the VTTA Kent 50 Championships last weekend and has had an impressive season, finishing in the top five of every open event that he has participated in. This win was his fourth of the season, the third over a 10-mile distance.

Top veteran on standard was Mark Hill (VeloRefined Rule 5) with 20-58 actual time for a plus of 6-09, while Stephen Wilkinson was second in that category.

Best team on age standard was Thanet Road Club with Paul Burrows and Simon Henderson, while Paul Burrows was fastest veteran on scratch, eighth overall.

It was the first open event in over a month for Tompsett who last competed at the Hemel Hempstead CC 10, where he finished 24th but set a personal best of 19:27 for the distance. This time out he was able to get himself right up at the top.

Rowing had been yet to podium this year, but that changed on this event as he took the final space. He will be hoping to carry that form into his next event which is scheduled to be the National 12-Hour Championship.

In the women’s event it was 21-year-old Hannah Graveney that took the top spot, clocking in at 24:33.

Second was juvenile Abbey Thompson (Suffolk Youth RT) with a time of 24:56, and the final spot on the podium went to Grace Dent (SFA CC) who finished the course in 25:08.

Graveney had been out of competitive action since 2019, so she will be happy with the result after such a long lay-off. Of the seven open events she has participated in, six of them have been over the 10-mile distance, so she is likely to be competing in another soon, though she has nothing scheduled as of yet.

12-year-old Thompson set a new personal best, beating her previous best of 26:11 by over a whole minute. She just missed out on a podium last week, coming fourth in a 26.2-mile event, but she will be looking to carry this event’s form into her next event which is scheduled to be another 10-mile event near Herne Bay.

Dent had previously participated in three events this year, the highest place finish of those being second in the Bexley 10 last month, so this secures back-to-back podiums for the 31-year-old.

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

Results:
 

Men:

1. Nick Fennell Thanet RC 19:19

2. Lewis Tompsett Thanet RC 19:50

3. Tom Rowing Abellio-SFA RT 20:01

4. Joe Benians Lewes Wanderers CC 20:33

5. Nathan Russell TrainSharp 20:38

6. Theo Tadros TrainSharp 20:44

Women:

1. Hannah Graveney Liv AWOL 24:33

2. Abbey Thompson Suffolk Youth RT 24:56

3. Grace Dent SFA CC 25:08

4. Debbie Percival Kent Velo Girls/Boys 25:57

5. Lesley Newman Ashford Wheelers 25:30

6. Liz Sim Medway Tri 31:06