Paul Burton (Paceline RT) and Elen Shepard (BellaVelo CC) got their seasons off to winning starts on their road bikes in the Redhill CC sporting event over 18 miles.

In wet and cold conditions Burton finished almost two minutes quicker than his nearest challenger setting a winning time of 40 minutes and 36 seconds.

The Redhill CC event had a delayed start of 30 minutes due to wet and almost freezing conditions along with hedge cuttings on a section of the course and lots of surface water.

Once under way just one rider suffered a puncture on the hilly course which had surface water on some corners.

Burton, 42 and from East Horsley, recorded nine open victories last year and opened his 2024 account in impressive style.

Fellow veteran Cris Coxon (Brighton Mitre CC) was second overall and runner-up in the road bike category (42-32), while Tim Lewis (Paceline RT) was third road bike in 44-14.

“It was superb fun,” said Burton. “It was a classic February sporting course, it was cold and wet.

“I was really happy with my ride. It was my opening weekend, it has been a long time since October and a tough winter. I was where I was hoping I might be, it went really well and I’m happy.

“I went quicker than my time trial bike best on that course, it was good. I really enjoy doing road bike time trials and it’s a really good initiative by Cycling Time Trials to have a separate category so it’s a level playing field.

“I’m doing early season events on my road bike as it’s not much fun slinging a time trial bike around wet and narrow lanes, I’ll get my time trial bike out in May.”

The open time trial category was won by under-23 rider Theo Tadros (trainSharp) whose time of 43-34 placed him third overall.

Second time trial bike finisher was Steve Dewis (Redhill CC) in 48-54, while junior rider August Ora (VC Londres) was third in the category (50-28).

Competing in her first open time trial Shepard was the only female rider to break the hour mark recording a winning time of 59-31 on her road bike.

Fellow road bike competitors Sue Ritchie (Redhill CC) finished second in 1-03-57, while Teresa Goddard (Kingston Wheelers CC) placed third (1-04-50).

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

Results:
Road bikes:
1 Paul Burton (Paceline RT)   40.36
2 Cris Coxon (Brighton Mitre CC)     42.32
3 Tim Lewis (Paceline RT)     44.14
4 Adam Page (Paceline RT)    45.57
5 Ben Elliot (Redhill CC)       46.02
6 Matt Phipps-Taylor (Paceline RT)   46.46

Time trial bikes:
1 Theo Tadros (trainSharp)     43.34
2 Steve Dewis (Redhill CC)   48.54
3 August Ora (VC Londres)   50.28

Junior: August Ora (VC Londres)      50.28

Women:
Road bikes:
1 Elen Shepard (BellaVelo CC)          59.31
2 Sue Ritchie (Redhill CC)     1:03.57
3 Teresa Goddard (Kingston Wheelers CC)   1:04.50