Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) used his hill climbing skills to take victory by 46 seconds in the second round of the Merlin Cycles Classic Series.

Nichols, aged 32, covered three laps (33 miles) of The Buxton Mountain Time Trial course in a winning time of one hour, 24 minutes and 33 seconds.

The event saw riders complete an 11-mile lap starting at Longnor before heading out north-westerly before joining the A53 back south past the village of Flash and climbing alongside the Black Brook Nature Reserve before heading through Hardings Booth back to Longnor to complete the lap.

Conditions were good with what started as a cool morning warming up as the event went on to warm by midday.

Riders also had to battle a headwind section on the A53 back south past Flash.

Nichols finished third in the National Hill Climb Championships last season and showed his ability once again to take victory and the first prize of a five-day stay in Riccione, Italy.

David Fellows (Solihull CC) won last year’s event in a time of 1-30-31 and despite going over five minutes quicker on this occasion he had to settle for second in 1-25-19 just 46 seconds back.

In a close battle for the podium positions James Lowden (WattShop) finished third a further 35 seconds back (1-25-44).

“I’m from a road racing background so only set my time trial bike set up at the start of the week,” said Nichols.

“There were a few bits on the course where I could have done better but it went as well as I could have hoped.

“I did the E-Sports World Championships in February and have been training hard for that and do quite a few sporting time trials.

“I know David (Fellows) and we are good mates so I knew he was going well. He was ahead on the last lap but there is never much between us.”

In the road bike category over two laps (22 miles) Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance) clocked a time of 56-31 for victory.

Taylor had refined his form with a fifth place at the Rossendale RC hilly 50 earlier this month and recorded an average speed of over 23.3 miles per hour on his way to victory.

Adam Kenway (Team Brother UK) led the chase behind taking second in 57-26 while Gerard Henry (University of Warwick) completed the podium positions.

After winning the opening round of the Merlin Cycles Classic Series in the veteran’s category Paul Pardoe (Peterborough CC) completed his perfect record in the category taking the win.

Pardoe clocked an average speed of over 22.8 miles per hour on his way to setting a winning time of 57-48.

Nicholas Latimer (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) led the chase behind finishing second veteran in 58-54 while Sam Clark (Buxton CC/Sett Valley Cycles) was third (59-43).

In the para-cyclists category Ben Watson (Para-T) took his first victory of the series in a time of 1-00-56 which was just 24 seconds ahead of David Murphy (Liverpool Mercury CC) (1-01-20) while Martin Hailstone (Chapeau! Vive Le Velo) finished third (1-11-54),

Patrick Casey (Team Lifting Gear Products/Cycles In Motion) completed a good day for his time by winning the junior category in 56-53.

Maxwell Hereward (Green Jersey CC) finished second in 58-56 while Bryn Lawrence (Tactic Sport UK Race Team) completed the podium positions (59-24).

In the boys’ juvenile road bike category Jacob Bradbury (Manchester Wheelers) took the victory in a time of 1-14-52.

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

* A gallery of images from this event is available here