The GTR - Return to Life p/b Streamline team of John Routledge and Terry Wilkinson finished over a minute faster than their rivals in the Blaydon CC 19-mile two-up team time trial, while Lucy Glover (Shibden HopeTech Apex) and Joanna Rea (Team Kirkley Cycles) were the quickest female pairing.

The event doubled up as the Northumberland & Durham Cycling Association Team Time Trial Championships with Routledge and Wilkinson taking the top award completing the course in a time of 42 minutes and 18 seconds.

The M19 saw riders start and finish near Stannington before completing a 19-mile loop around the Northumberland countryside.

The course consisted mostly of unclassified roads heading out through St Mary’s Park and Tranwell towards Morpeth.

Competitors had a brief leg on the B6524 before heading back south on unclassified roads Ponteland.

The final leg included a kick up Berwick Hill before the final stretch running adjacent to the A1.

Heavy overnight rain resulted in lots of standing water around the course and mud from farm machinery was left on sections of the road.

Routledge and Wilkinson recoded an average speed of over 26.95 miles per hour on their way to victory, despite the rural nature of the roads.

James Shaw and Hugo Storey (Muckle Cycle Club) led the battle behind on road bikes posting a time of 43-41 which was 27 seconds quicker than the Allen Valley Velo pair of Nick Badcock and Tim Burdon.

There were two father and son pairings which included the quickest junior and juvenile male riders. Keith and Owen Haggerty (junior) (North Tyneside Riders) posted a time of 50-07, while Ronnie and Zac Batey (juvenile) (Reifen Racing) stopped the clock in 52-44.

In the women’s event the composite team of Rea and junior rider Glover posted a winning time of 47-33 which was good enough for 13th place overall.

The quickest veteran pair of Venda Louise Pollock (Alnwick & District Tri) and Justine Norman (Velo Culture) were second in 53-28 finishing 28th overall.

The third and final female team was the Sun City Tri pair of Vicky Cuthbertson and Carol Stutchbury who clocked 1-02-53.

The quickest mixed gender pairing was veterans Teri Bayliss and Lee Ridden (Reifen Racing) who posted a time of 49-47.