Junior rider Finlay Tarling (Team Bottrill) set a new junior competition record on his way to winning the Ross-on-Wye and District CC 25, while Jessica Rhodes-Jones (AeroCoach) won the women’s event.

Tarling was competing in his second open time trial of the season and stopped the clock in a junior 25-mile competition record of 46 minutes and 14 seconds.

The 17-year-old took over a minute off the previous record 47-27 posted by Zach Bridges in 2018.

A large field of 78 riders were looking for fast times on the R25/7 starting downhill in Usk before heading out and back along the A449 and A40 to the turn at Monmouth.

Tarling also won the Bynea 10 earlier this season and the previous day’s Ross-on-Wye & Dist CC 10.

The event was called the Don Woodman Memorial and Tarling also clinched the overall weekend award after winning both events.

Team Bottrill completed a podium clean-sweep to take the team award, with Tarling joined in the podium positions by Jake Sargent in second (46-19) and Rob Francis in third (47-13).

Quickest veteran and scratch rider Christopher Gibbard (FTP ( Fulfil The Potential ) Race Team) had to settle for fourth overall in 48-53.

“It was really good,” said Tarling. “After the 10-mile time trial yesterday I felt that I didn’t have the best legs in the world.

“As it went on, I got into my ride and got into the grove of it. On that course it was quite nice to have the turn off onto the B-road which gives you checkpoints in your head to tick off so the ride went pretty quick actually.

“I was pretty close to the record last year and I’ve got a new bike and better legs this season.”

“To beat it by that much I was really happy. The Spindata beforehand had my time as a little bit slower than the time I got so conditions must have been pretty good, but I wasn’t expecting it.

“There was definitely a wind but it wasn’t really in a specific direction out or back, now and again you just felt a gust of it in your face.”

In the women’s event 34-year-old Rhodes-Jones took a clear victory posting a personal best time of 52-49.

Rhodes-Jones also won Wyre Forest CRC 10 and CTT Classic Series R1 and added a third open win of the season to her collection this time out.

The battle for second could not have been closer as Hayley Wells (Wrekinsport CC) finished second in 55-33 which was just a second quicker than Linda Dewhurst (RIDE REVOLUTION COACHING) (55-34).

“It was a lovely warm, sunny and low wind day,” said Rhodes-Jones.

“There was great organisation as always by Ross-on-Wye & District CC and the signage on the course was superb.

“It was my first time doing this course and first open 25 in quite a while, so I was very happy to win with around a minute taken off my previous personal best too.”

Tim Fletcher (Clevedon & District Road Club) was the only rider in the open road bike category and he stopped the clock in 54-55.

The women’s road bike category was competed by Bush Healthcare CRT team-mates as Clare Greenwood went quickest in 1-07-56, ahead of Susan Shook in second (1-08-08).

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

Results:

Open:

1 Finlay Tarling (Team Bottrill)          46.14

2 Jake Sargent (Team Bottrill)            46.19

3 Rob Francis (Team Bottrill) 47.13

4 Christopher Gibbard (Fulfil the Potential RT)        48.53

5 Dean Callister (Aerologic RT)        49.15

6 Tomos Hales (Wrekinsport CC)      50.34

7 B Xavier Disley (AeroCoach)         50.51

8 Alex Coles (Evolution Racing Academy)    51.15

9 Dan Kingston (Fulfil the Potential RT)       51.30

10 Andrew J Parnowski (Plymouth Corinthian CC)  51.32

Women:

1 Jessica Rhodes-Jones (AeroCoach) 52.49

2 Hayley Wells (Wrekinsport CC)      55.33

3 Linda Dewhurst (RIDE REVOLUTION COACHING)     55.34

4 Hannah Munday (Tri Training Harder)       56.54

5 Emma Wyatt (Hereford & Dist Whs CC)    57.01

6 Deb Hutson-Lumb (Wrekinsport CC)         57.44

7 Diana Egerton-Warburton (Team Enable - MI Racing)      57.47

8 Susan Semple (Legato Racing Team)          58.58

9 Bethan Ouseley (Pembrokeshire Velo)        59.00

10 Lisa Davies (VMCC powered by Y Beic) 1:00.03

Road bikes:

1 Tim Fletcher (Clevedon & District Road Club)      54.55

Women:

1 Clare Greenwood (Bush Healthcare CRT)  1:07.56

2 Susan Shook (Bush Healthcare CRT)         1:08.08

Tricycle: Wayne Baker (Team Echelon)         1:13.53