Junior national hill climb champion Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) took his first open victory of the season by winning the Team Lifting Gear Products event on Sir William Hill, while Alice Larkin (High Peak Cycles RT) won the women’s event.

Hudson will be hoping to retain his title next month and set an impressive benchmark time of 5-46 over the two-kilometre course.

The Sir William Hill Climb saw riders climb out of Grindleford in Derbyshire, with steepest sections of around 14% towards the bottom before becoming shallower towards the top. The climb has an average gradient of around 10%.

It was the first time the climb has been used for an open hill climb so winning times will be recorded as course records.

Spindata predicted a close battle between Hudson and senior hill climb specialist Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products).

However, Hudson posted an impressive time of 5-46 which was 43 seconds quicker than Nichols.

Finishing in runners-up position was Matthew Brown (Team Lifting Gear Products) in 6-19 ahead of his team-mate Nichols, a further 10 seconds back (6-29).

Hudson also led an impressive band of youngsters which saw four under-18s finish inside the top ten positions.

Finley Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) was the quickest youth rider with his time of 6-42 good enough for fifth position.

In the women’s event Larkin, aged 50, opened her hill climb account for 2024, covering the two-kilometre course in 8-37.

Larkin won two hill climb events last season and last tasted victory in a hill climb at the Drighlington Bicycle Club Hill Climb in October.

On this occasion she finished ahead of Yvonne Twelvetree (Sheffield Triathlon Club), who stopped the clock in 12-42.

“It was really tough,” said Larkin. “I hadn’t ridden the hill before so I wasn’t sure what the end looked like.

“Being one of the smaller female riders I went full out on the steep section at the beginning and then just kept it going and put my head down.

“It was misty at the top when it opened up. I couldn’t work out where the end was, I saw a group of people but realised the rider in front hadn’t finished so kept pushing.

“I should have recced the course, but it’s a really nice climb.”

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Results:

Open:

1 Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team)          5.46

2 Matthew Brown (Team Lifting Gear Products)       6.19

3 Andy Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products)           6.29

4 James Hayward (Woolwich CC)     6.31

5 Finley Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team)         6.42

6 Scott Hamblett (Gorilla Coffee Cycling Club)        6.54

7 Stephen Greenway (7 Hills Cycling Club)  6.58

8 Alfie Nott (Sheffield Youth Cycling Club)  6.59

9 Tristan Davies-Bennett (Barnsley Road Club)        7.00

10 Bradley Dawson (Sheffrec CC)     7.09

Junior: Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) 5.46

Youth: Finley Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) 6.42

Women:

1 Alice Larkin (High Peak Cycles RT)           8.37

2 Yvonne Twelvetree (Sheffield Triathlon Club)        12.42