Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) and Madeline Heywood (Team Watto) showed their early hill climbing season form by taking victories in the Sheffrec CC HC on Woodfall Lane.

Also known as the Bradfield Hill Climb the event returned after a year away due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Nichols, aged 31, from nearby Sheffield, finished second in the same event in 2019 but went one better this time out clocking two minutes and 2.5 seconds.

The OHC/15 saw riders competing on the 700 metres in length climb between Low Bradfield and High Bradfield.

With an average gradient of 12.6% the climb gets steeper as it works its way through the trees before peaking at 19.5% at the steepest section entering High Bradfield.

A road closure was in place to allow spectators to cheer on the riders during the Friday evening event.

Nichols finished fifth in last year’s National Hill Climb Championship and this season has four wins to his name.

Former National Hill Climb Champion Adam Kenway (Team Brother UK) was eight seconds back clocking 2-11 while Richard Lucas (Mapperley CC) was a further four seconds back.

“I haven’t really done any hill climb training yet so it was a case of seeing what happens,” said Nichols.

“It was good to have the event back and having a crowd there felt a bit unusual as it was my first race for a while with a proper crowd at the top.

“The way of the course means you have to be close to the limit from the bottom as if not you can lose 10 seconds that is hard to recover from.”

Quickest veteran on scratch was Andrew Laidler (Sitwell Cycling Club) in 2-31 ahead of Robert Copeland (Sheffrec CC) in second (2-42) while Charlie Openshaw (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) took third in the age category (2-48).

Joshua Williams (JRC Shutt Ridley RT) was fastest junior in 2-49 while Isaac Oliver (North Midland Youth Squad) was quickest juvenile clocking 2-44.

Heywood finished seventh in last year’s women’s National Hill Climb Championship and got her season off to a winning start.

The 28-year-old was taking on the Yorkshire event for the first time and posted a winning time of two minutes and 56.4 seconds.

Joanna Blackburn (Team Bottrill) won both the Sitwell CC and Yorkshire RC hill climbs last weekend but had to settle for second this time out finishing three seconds back in 2-59.

Anna Brittain (7 Hills Cycling Club) completed the women’s podium positions clocking 3-07.

Maddi Smith (Bolsover and District CC) was quickest veteran woman in 3-51 beating team-mate Sonia Insley into second (4-12) while Harriet Eisner (Sheffield Triathlon Club) was third in the age category (6-50).

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