John Routledge and Terry Wilkinson lived up to their status as pre-race favourites with victory in the open category at the Blaydon CC two-up 18.1-mile team time trial in Northumberland on Saturday morning, with Phoebe Skinner and Kacey Eyeington finishing as fastest female pairing.

As reigning District champions, GTR – Return to Life p/b Steamline pair Routledge and Wilkinson, on road bikes, were last off and set an unmatched 38-31 for victory, ahead of Adam Pinder and Daniel Kane (Muckle Cycle Club) who were runners-up in 38-59.

A time of 40-23 helped Darlington Cycle Club’s Keith Murray and Ellis Murray to the final spot on the podium.

On their victory, Routledge said: “The Blaydon CC team time trial is one of my favourite races of the season. Terry and I won it last year and were keen to try and repeat that this year.

“Conditions were good, it was tough on the middle section of the course fighting the wind but it made for a fast last few miles to the finish where we pushed on.

“The course was shorter than last year so we had no idea if the time was any good until we saw the results!”

In the women’s event road bike pair Skinner and Eyeington (Reiffen Racing) secured a dominant win in 51-45, comfortably ahead of second-placed Anna Halstead and Angela McGurk (Blaydon CC) who set 53-07, with Sun City Tri’s Carol Stutchbury and Vicky Cuthbertson third in 1:00-15.

In the mixed category the quickest time trial bike pair was Darren Robson and Lois Jarvis of Muckle CC, while Teri Baylis and Lee Ridden (Reifen Racing) claimed the prize for quickest road bike, and fastest juniors were Edith Shaw and Mollie Watson despite a serious mechanical issue on the course.

Riders enjoyed a dry and relatively warm morning in Northumberland with 44 of the 45 registered teams starting and only one failing to finish due to a mechanical.

This event, run on the slightly shortened M19S course, starts west of Stannington and heads towards Tranwell Village via Bets Lane, through Tranwell and left onto the B6524 until turning towards Gubeon, past Kirkley Hall and on towards Ponteland then left at Berwick Hill Road, up Berwick Hill and northeast past Horton Grange to finish on Blagdon Estate.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by James Ayles.

Results:

Open:

1. John Routledge and Terry Wilkinson (GTR – Return to Life p/b Streamline)       38.31

2. Adam Pinder and Daniel Kane (Muckle Cycle Club)        38.59

3. Keith Murray and Ellis Murray (Darlington Cycle Club)  40.23

4. Zach Haigh and Adam Smith (Team Kirkley Cycles)        40.32

5. Stephen Boxall (Houghton CC) and Garry Greenaway (Vanelli-Project Go)        40.35

6. Frank Moore and Joshua Hodgson (GS Metro)      40.41

7. Thomas Prentice and Alexander Storey (GS Metro)          41.21

8. Carl Donaldson and Benjamin Amaira (GS Metro)            41.33

9. Hedley Fletcher and Stephen Magrath (Blaydon CC)        41.34

10. Philip Kennell and Christopher Beaty (GS Metro)           42.14

Female:

1. Phoebe Skinner and Kacey Eyeington (Reifen Racing)     51.45

2. Anna Halstead and Angela McGurk (Blaydon CC)           53.07

3. Carol Stutchbury and Vicky Cuthbertson (Sun City Tri)    1:00.15

4. Edith Shaw (Tyneside Vagabonds CC) and Molly Watson (Manilla Cycling)       1:20.18