The second edition of the innovative Essex Time Trial Championship again attracted a large, quality

-packed field throughout the road and TT bike categories. With recently retired World Tour pro Alex Dowsett on the start sheet, local riders had extra motivation to test their legs on the county’s fastest course, the E91/10b, near Chelmsford.  

The event was organised by former 50-mile TT national record holder Paul Hart and the lure of a champion’s jersey for the five categories, drew around 80 entries.

Just three Juniors contested their class, but the prospect of who would come out on top was no less exciting. As it was, last year’s runner-up, 17-year-old Morgan Saunders clocked 22:18 to put himself clear of his Hart Performance Coaching (HPC) team-mate and 2022 champion James Wicks, who recorded 22:59. In his first season of racing, Charles Langford (Southend Wheelers) posted an impressive 23:01 and at just 14 years old has marked himself as another youngster to watch.

In the Female road bike category Chelmer CC’s Paulina Mozal’s 26:39 was 57 seconds faster than her nearest challenger Ruth Stapleton (Harlow CC), with Caroline Wyke completing the podium.

While the women’s class was surprisingly down on numbers, the man’s equivalent had drawn a strong entry of almost 30 competitors. Had a team prize been available, Harlow CC would surely have won with 11 members on the start list.

Colin Ward (Essex Roads CC) is rightly regarded as something of a ‘legend’ in Essex and lived up to his status by ripping round the course in a time of 21:06, shading Paul Hart (HPC) by 15 seconds. Furthermore, Ward’s time would have put him fourth in the TT bike class. Proving that he too is no slouch, Matthew Saward (Athlon CC) took 3rd with a time of 21:48, eleven seconds ahead of Shaftesbury CC’s Michael Stimson, on 21:59.

In the Female TT bike class, Louise Robinson (Essex Roads CC) again proved to be the class of the field and retained her title as Essex champion with 23:20 – beating her 2022 winning time of 23:32.

Similarly, Karen Aylen (Maldon & District CC) had to accept second best with a time of 24:28. Lauren Harding stepped onto the podium in her first appearance at the event, courtesy of a creditable 25:28, pipping last year’s third-placed rider Jan Harvey by 22 seconds.

A broad mix of talent and experience ran throughout the dense Men’s TT field. This was exemplified by the last four riders off; Simon Alexander (Richardson’s Trek DAS), Sam Thienel (Elysium Kalas RT), Tim Torrie (trainSharp) and Alex Dowsett (NoPinz). The quartet would also finish in that order, with each – bar last man away Dowsett - ceding time at the first split to the rider starting behind them. Alexander was down nine seconds on Thienel, who in turn was 25 seconds in deficit to Torrie, with Dowsett taking a 20 second advantage by the first time-check.

Torrie fought back after the turn and as the headwind, grippy surface and painful short climb two miles before the finish began to take their toll, Dowsett’s lead had extended by eight seconds. It was enough to secure another title and victory to an already glittering palmares. Thienel rued his aggressive outward leg, but his 20:43 put him on the podium, with last year’s third place rider Alexander finishing fourth.

After the prize presentation and the award of his Essex champion’s jersey from Paul Hart, Dowsett said: “In the early years, when I was a Junior, this is the stuff I dreamed of winning. Then I did the pro thing but I still like TTing and I must say hats off to Paul Hart for creating this event.

“It was the little things, like the signs on the course (EG: giving distance to the finish and amusing messages such as ‘Pain is the French for bread’), the projector showing the timings on a large screen back in the village hall and the way he was trying to encourage people. We need more Paul Harts.”

And fastest female Louise Robinson said: “I wasn’t sure I would be able to defend my title as I had an accident (non bike related) a couple of weeks ago which led to possible fractured ribs and scaphoid. I decided I would race as I was feeling more comfortable and the pain was manageable on the bike.

“My legs felt good but it was hard pushing top end power because of my ribs hurting. I was delighted to be able to take the win and beat my own course record.”

Reflecting on the event, organiser Paul Hart said: “I’m chuffed. We’re beginning to build something. The Essex TT Championship has already established itself as a popular event and shows that we have a real depth of talent here.

“Looking ahead, I would dearly like to see more youngsters enter future versions. So, if you’ve got a teenage boy or girl who loves cycling and would like to give time trialling a go, I’d love to welcome them and help them have a fantastic experience.”