Blackburn and Ribbands win in Cragg Vale climb
Joanna Blackburn secured the first of two wins on Sunday at the Yorkshire Road Club climb on Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire, while Alastair Ribbands was fastest man up the tough climb.
Blackburn, the 38-year-old Team Bottrill rider from Sheffield, went on to win Sunday evening’s Sitwell CC climb, but began her day in style, covering the 4.8-mile climb of Cragg Vale in a new course record time of 17-17.1.
That gave her the win by just over 25 seconds from Rebecca Richardson (Team Brother UK), while Laura Tring (ABC Centreville) was third woman.
Manchester Wheelers’ 38-year-old Alastair Ribbands was fastest man in 16-02.9, which was just over five seconds quicker than his nearest rival. Espoir Alex Raynard (Team Lifting Gear) was second, while Laurence Fryer-Taylor (OVB) was another five seconds back in third.
It was Ribbands’ second win of the weekend having won the Warrington Road Club 50-mile time trial the previous day. And he now has three wins in a row following victory in the Withington Wheelers 25 the weekend before.
Blackburn’s course record time gave her fifth spot overall, while the course record time was no doubt helped by a tail wind finish to the course near Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire.
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