National hill climb 2017 – results

It looks to have been a great national hill climb championship up in the North East. Both Dan Evans ASSOS Equipe UK and Joscelin Lowden (Lewes Wanderers CC) making worthy champions.

It’s not quite the same watching results drip through on Twitter – compared to actually racing and being there. Sitting this year out reminded me of what the championship means.

Champions

• Men: Dan Evans ASSOS Equipe UK 03:54.3
• Women: Joscelin Lowden (Lewes Wanderers CC) 4:53.4
• Junior Junior Male: George Kimber (CS Dynamo)  4:13.9
• Female: Corinne Side (Racing Chance Foundation)    5:19.0
• Male Team: B38-Underpin Racing (K. Savage, P. Clark, Andy Nichols)  12:31.7
• Female Team: Racing Chance Foundation (Corinne Side, Tamsin Vicary, Heather Bamforth) 18:08.5

Dan has been a very consistent hill climb performer of the past few years. On hills above two minutes, he has rarely been beaten. It’s an impressive open campaign and becomes the first man to take a second championship since Dan Fleeman in 2010. They say hill climbs is a young man’s sport, but a little like myself, Dan came to the sport relatively late. All I can say 36 is a very good age to become national hill climb championship (I was 36 in 2013). Can Dan win again? Well, it doesn’t get any easier as you approach the big 40.

2nd place Adam Kenway (Raleigh GC) put up a spirited title defensive; perhaps next year will be more to his liking. Proving that hill climbs is still a young man’s game, Kieran Savage (Team B38) must be pleased to get third spot, whilst still an espoir. I always feel a certain empathy for people who just finish outside the podium. Jo Clark has consistently finished in the top 5, but is collecting a few near misses. This year just one or two seconds was the difference. Interestingly Clark was the only rider to beat Evans in an open event (on the Rake) – another rider who will be looking forward to the short climb up Shelsey Walsh. With strong competition, there were many very good hill climbers within 10-15 seconds of a podium place. Honourable mention to first Vet man Niall Paterson Velo Club Cumbria. Next year, I might be able to provide some competition in the old man category.

In the women’s event, no former champion meant the event was open, but the quality of the field was as strong as ever. I don’t think the women’s podium has been so close – with just 2 seconds separating the top three. It was good to see Hayley Simmonds enter the event and get so close. She is a world class rider and time triallist, but, at the end of a long road season, the rigours of four minute British hill climb make it a real challenge compared to what she is used to riding. Mary Wilkinson (Yorkshire Road Club) produced a superb ride to finish 2nd. After a good open season, Joscelin Lowden (Lewes Wanderers CC) won her first title. In this CTT report, Lowden sums up the attraction of the hill climb championship.

“Some people question why I would come all the way up here to ride for five minutes and I start to think ‘Am I mad?’ but it’s so much more than just riding on a hill.

“It is everybody else here that makes it special for us riders: the supporters cheering us on, the course commentators, everything just makes it such a fun event and to win makes it extra special,”

The photos of the event suggest a great atmosphere. I know Ben Lane and the members of G.S.Metro love the hill climb season, so it’s good to see the passion translate into a great event.

It’s also not just about the podium contenders – nearly 240 riders got the chance to ride a special event – with closed roads and enthusiastic spectators. I imagine it’s no small fear organising and time-keeping for that many riders in a major championship.

Reporting from the event, Larry Hickmott of Velo UK writes:

“The North East supporters were certainly in great form with costumes and it would not be a hill climb without a shameless bloke in a mankini!” (Report 2017 at Velo UK)

Great to see the enthusiasm of spectators, but I’m not sure ‘shameless blokes in mankinis’ was ever meant to be an integral part of the hill climb championship!

It was good to hear the  guest of honour was Jeff Wright. He was national champion once and finished 2nd place on six occasions. Many of Wright’s course records still remain, Norwood Edge 4.42 will forever be etched on my mind.

As far as I know, next year is Shelsey Walsh. It will be the first championship down South for ages! If we get a full field of 240 in the far north east, next year will almost certainly attract a lot more. A central location and iconic venue will surely attract a big field. There will  be new names and the return of some two minute specialists who sat out this year (e.g. Isaac Mundy, 2nd in 2016).

Who will win next year? It’s very open.

Links

• List of winners – men
• List of winners – women
• CTT event report
• Cycling Weekly report
• Nat HC page by G.S Metro

If you have any photo albums, videos leave the link as a comment below.

Results Men

1 Dan Evans ASSOS Equipe UK 03:54.3
2 Adam Kenway Team Raleigh GAC 03:59.5
3 Kieran Savage Team B38/Underpin Racing 04:03.1 Espoir
4 Joseph Clark CYCLING SHEFFIELD GIANT 04:04.9
5 Leon Wright Race Hub 04:05.3
6 Mike Morris NFTO Race Club 04:05.6
7 Andy Cunningham All Terrain Cycles 04:08.1
8 Zeb Kyffin GS Metro 04:09.9 Espoir
9 Kieran Wynne-Cattanach Maxxis 4 Racing Team 04:10.6 Espoir
10 Patrick Clark Team B38/Underpin Racing 04:11.2 Espoir
11 Richard Gildea Didcot Phoenix CC 04:11.5
12 Andrew Feather Bike Chain Ricci 04:13.0
13 Cameron Biddle Rivet Racing 04:13.1 Espoir
14 Tim Wilcock GS Metro 04:13.9 Espoir
15 James Hayward Woolwich CC 04:14.8
16 David Huck Barrow Central Wheelers 04:16.4
17 Andy Nichols Team B38/Underpin Racing 04:17.4
17 Joe Norledge Bristol South Cycling Club 04:17.4
19 Niall Paterson Velo Club Cumbria 04:20.3 Vet
20 Robert Williams bike4health 04:21.5
21 David Griffiths Pro Vision Cycle Clothing 04:23.1
22 Thomas Hanlon Harry Middleton CC 04:23.6
23 James Hill RST Racing Team 04:24.4 Espoir
24 Lewis Timmins Muckle Cycle Club 04:25.1
25 Matthew Smith Muckle Cycle Club 04:25.9
26 Daniel Watts Royal Air Force Cycling Association 04:27.5
27 Freddie Jagger York Cycleworks 04:27.8 Espoir
28 Eugene Cross Team KTM 04:27.9 Espoir
29 Chris Newberry Redhill CC 04:28.0
30 Josh Coyne Okehampton CC 04:30.2 Espoir
31 Jonathan Bridge Zappi Racing Team 04:30.3 Espoir
31 Jonathan Bayley Gosforth RC 04:30.3
31 Joshua Aiken Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich 04:30.3
34 Andrew Kirby University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC) 04:30.7
35 Oliver Hayward Rhino Velo Race Team 04:31.1 Espoir
35 David Ross LFGSS CC 04:31.1
37 Ross Fawcett Pedal Power Cycles Ipswich 04:31.3
38 Ryan Kenworthy LeisureLakesBikes.com 04:31.6 Espoir
39 Nick Spencer Blumilk.com 04:32.8
41 John Hunt Beacon Roads CC 04:33.7
42 Joe Hawksworth Bristol South Cycling Club 04:34.1
43 Michael Openshaw Cestria C.C. 04:34.8 Vet
44 Will Powell University of Sheffield Cycling Club 04:35.0 Espoir
45 John Bowman Muckle Cycle Club 04:35.2
46 Zak Walker Honister 92 04:35.3
46 Colin Sturgess Madison Genesis 04:35.3 Vet
47 Nick Martin East Grinstead CC 04:35.5 Espoir
49 Marcus Cram Castle Tri 04:36.0
50 Alistair Merry Dundee Thistle 04:36.4 Espoir
50 Colin Atkinson Muckle Cycle Club 04:36.9 Vet
51 Dave Hopper Newcastle Cheviot CC 04:36.9 Vet
53 Jacob Vezey Harrogate Nova CC 04:37.1
53 Sion Harlow VELOFLOW CC 04:37.1 Espoir
54 Ben Norbury Congleton CC 04:37.7
56 Laurie Lambeth Beacon Wheelers 04:38.0
56 Graham Kemp Team Bottrill / HSS Hire 04:38.2
58 Tony Fawcett Newcastle Cheviot CC 04:38.3
59 Reuben Bakker-Dyos BikeRadar 04:38.4
60 Tavis Walker DRK Racing 04:38.5
60 Angus Fisk Oxford University CC 04:38.8
62 David Pearson Oxford University CC 04:39.2 Espoir
63 Hugh Smith Woolwich CC 04:40.6
64 Joe Agnew Edinburgh Road Club 04:40.7 Espoir
64 Hamish Mcdougall Leicester Forest CC 04:41.4
66 Dominic Munnelly Newcastle Cheviot CC 04:41.8 Vet
67 Lee Carter Ribble Valley C&RC 04:41.9
67 Carl Donaldson GS Metro 04:42.8
69 Thomas Potter All Terrain Cycles 04:43.2 Espoir
70 Ted Cross University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC) 04:43.4 Espoir
70 Nick Badcock Allen Valley Velo 04:43.4
71 Daniel Nieto Wigmore CC 04:45.0 Espoir
73 Samuel Davies Muckle Cycle Club 04:46.4
73 Philip Jones Bella in Sella 04:46.5
75 James Ward Cambridge CC 04:46.6 Vet
76 Alex Reid Kingston Wheelers CC 04:47.2
76 Alex Platt Bike Chain Ricci 04:47.7 Espoir
78 Hugh Brashaw University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC) 04:47.8 Espoir
79 James King OVB 04:47.9
80 Lee Ager Blaydon CC 04:48.3
81 Matthew Brown University of Sheffield Cycling Club 04:49.7
82 Paul Nelson Ribble Valley C&RC 04:50.0
82 Jack Phillips Salt and Sham Cycle Club 04:50.0
84 Chris Edmondson Velotik Racing Team 04:50.1 Vet
84 Rick Bailey Team B38/Underpin Racing 04:50.5
86 Dion Jones Rhyl CC 04:50.7
87 Paul Armstrong Sheffrec CC 04:51.1
88 Oliver Walker-Hayes University of Bristol Cycling Club (UOBCC) 04:51.7 Espoir
89 Tom Haines East London Velo 04:53.1 Vet
90 Shaun Tyson Adept Precision RT 04:53.3 Vet
91 Eoin Gormley Blaydon CC 04:53.7
92 Mj Todd Derwentside CC 04:54.7
93 Toby Williams Liverpool Phoenix CC (Aintree) 04:55.2
93 Scott McCance Derwentside CC 04:55.8
94 Jon Wild Veloviewer 04:56.1 Vet
95 Paul Hague Gosforth RC 04:56.1 Vet
97 Francis Chesters Matlock CC 04:56.2
98 Tom Andrews University of Sheffield Cycling Club 04:56.4
99 Nicholas Després Guernsey Velo Club 04:57.6 Vet
100 Callum Dixon NFTO Race Club 04:57.8
101 Tom Fricker Farnham RC 04:58.1
102 Aaron Denver BodyTorq Racing 04:58.7 Espoir
103 Simon Froberg Dinnington Racing Club 04:59.0 Vet
104 Dominic Cordner Bike Chain Ricci 04:59.1
105 Ian Taylor Blumilk.com 04:59.8 Vet
106 Graeme Wardale South Shields Velo Cycling Club 05:01.4 Vet
107 Graeme Kirton South Shields Velo Cycling Club 05:01.6
108 Karl Juan Denton Newcastle Cheviot CC 05:02.0 Vet
109 Richard Lilleker Cleveland Wheelers CC 05:03.9
110 David Murphy Liverpool Mercury Dolan CC 05:04.9 Male
111 Ross Gray Allen Valley Velo 05:05.1
112 Tim Jude Andover Wheelers 05:08.0
113 Joe Stringer Muckle Cycle Club 05:10.0
114 Alex Byrne-Smith LFGSS CC 05:10.5
115 Tim Glenie Belper BC 05:10.6 Vet
116 Ben Keeley Team Velovelocity 05:12.0
116 Cameron Taylor Sotonia CC 05:12.5
118 Nicholas Martin EMC Cycling 05:13.9
118 Chris Mather Derwentside CC 05:14.1 Vet
119 Thomas Robb Bedfordshire Road RT 05:14.1 Vet
121 Dan Robinson Manchester Wheelers 05:14.4
122 Jonathan Groves Rapha Cycling Club 05:15.7 Vet
123 Christopher Beaty Allen Valley Velo 05:17.1
124 Micky Mallen GS Metro 05:18.1 Vet
125 Julian MacBride Blaydon CC 05:18.2
126 Andrew Pearson Wakefield Tri Club 05:18.7 Vet
127 Craig Deacon South Shields Velo Cycling Club 05:19.5
128 John Sample Durham City Velo RT 05:20.6
128 Mark Armstrong Muckle Cycle Club 05:22.9
130 Lewis McEvoy Sunderland Clarion 05:23.8
131 Clive Upton Hambleton RC 05:23.8
131 Paul Wright Blaydon CC 05:33.6
132 Brian Johnson Barnesbury CC 05:36.3 Vet
134 John Hind Bolsover and District CC 05:40.6 Vet
135 Cameron Turner Malton Whs 05:42.2 Vet
136 Craig Berry GS Metro 05:44.3 Vet
137 Michael Stanley Port Sunlight Wheelers 05:49.7 Vet
138 Josh Reid Gosforth RC 05:49.8 Espoir
139 David Wells CC Ashwell 05:49.9 Vet
140 James Molony Adalta Cycling Club 05:50.0 Espoir
140 Tim Nichol Derwentside CC 05:51.1
142 John Hatton Lancaster CC 05:53.1 Vet
143 Rapid Rich Stoodley 3 RT 05:56.0 Vet
143 Tom Guy Sunderland Clarion 05:58.3 Vet
145 Mark Sanders Mid Devon CC 06:03.9 Vet
145 Neil Foster Adept Precision RT 06:13.7 Vet
146 Ian Hutchinson Cleveland Wheelers CC 06:18.8 Vet
148 Andrew Newey Ribble Valley C&RC 06:22.9
149 Andrew Bolton Otley CC 06:27.2 Vet
149 Huw Parry Anglesey Cycling Group 06:47.0 Vet
151 Richard Burt Solihull CC 07:03.3 Vet

Women Results

1 Joscelin Lowden Lewes Wanderers CC 04:53.4
2 Mary Wilkinson Yorkshire Road Club 04:54.5
3 Hayley Simmonds Team WNT Pro Cycling 04:55.6
4 Fiona Burnie GS Metro 05:03.9
5 Jessica Evans ASSOS Equipe UK 05:11.6
6 Rebecca Goodson Velo Schils Interbike RT 05:13.2
7 Elizabeth Banks Storey Racing 05:16.1
8 Jacintha Hamilton-Love Dulwich Paragon CC 05:20.6
9 Alice Lethbridge DRAG2ZERO 05:21.4
10 Hannah Slade Chippenham & District Wheelers 05:23.7
11 Rebecca Johnson XRT Elmy Cycles 05:27.1
12 Joanne Jago Performance Cycles CC 05:27.1
13 Henrietta Colborne Swabo Ladies 05:29.1 Espoir
14 Tamsin Vicary The Racing Chance Foundation 05:32.7
15 Gemma Frost Muckle Cycle Club 05:34.1
16 Anabell Orenz North Cotswold CC 05:36.4
17 Emilie Verroken Maxx R. T. 05:40.2
18 Susan Paterson Honister 92 05:42.9 Vet
19 Helen Aldred Liverpool Phoenix CC (Aintree) 05:49.1
20 Joanne Rea Blaydon CC 05:53.8
21 Hannah Farran EDCO Continental 06:02.9
22 Alice Thomson DRK Racing 06:04.4
23 Jo Holden Macclesfield Wheelers 06:07.0 Vet
24 Gemma Hobson Sussex Nomads CC 06:08.5
25 Kristin Stolpe Lovelo Cinelli RT 06:15.0
26 Gemma Hutchins Blaydon CC 06:18.9
27 Jennifer Andrews CC Ashwell 06:26.0
28 Kate Lucas Norwich A B C 06:27.9 Vet
29 Charlotte Gorman Team Lusso 06:37.5
30 Wiebke Rietz 1st Chard Wheelers 06:38.9 Vet
31 Jen McMahon Muckle Cycle Club 06:40.1
32 Alice Earle VeloVitesse/ALLCAP/James Barry/Johnson Controls 06:47.7
33 Angela McGurk Blaydon CC 07:02.4
34 Lisa Baker Muckle Cycle Club 07:03.4 Vet
35 Michelle Highfield Berwick Wheelers Cycling Club 07:14.0 Vet
36 Karen Taylor Vertex Biemme RT 07:14.3 Vet
37 Heather Bamforth The Racing Chance Foundation 07:16.8
38 Victoria Curry Berwick Wheelers Cycling Club 07:35.9 Vet
39 Rachel Crowe Berwick Wheelers Cycling Club 07:43.6
40 Gemma Herbertson Salisbury Road and Mountain CC 07:44.3 Vet
41 Sharon Clifford SheHair Racing Team 08:26.7 Vet

Junior Men

1 George Kimber CS Dynamo 04:13.9 Junior
2 Thomas Prentice GS Metro 04:23.5 Junior
3 Alex Raynard Matlock CC 04:26.8 Junior
4 James Noonan Hoppers Rollers 04:30.0 Junior
5 Adam Jarps Manilla Cycling 04:32.1 Junior
6 Chris Mann Marsh Tracks Race Team 04:33.4 Junior
7 Dylan Hughes Hetton Hawks CC 04:35.8 Junior
8 OLLIE MORGAN Worcester St. Johns CC 04:36.0 Junior
9 Luke Hind Team Jewson – MI Racing ~Poly Pipe~McCann 04:36.8 Junior
10 Alexander Dent Nevis Cycles Racing Team 04:38.0 Junior
11 Joe Baker Zappi Racing Team 04:40.5 Juvenile
12 Rhys Evans Mid Devon CC 04:40.9 Junior
13 Huw Owen Energy Cycling Club/Clwb Beicio Egni 04:41.8 Junior
14 Ash Coning Identity Racing 04:42.9 Junior
15 Josh Charlton Hetton Hawks CC 04:44.7 Juvenile
16 Cavan Walker Prologue Race Team 04:45.2 Junior
17 James Corfield Gosforth RC 04:45.4 Junior
18 Will Beech Team Jewson – MI Racing ~Poly Pipe~McCann 04:46.5 Junior
19 Francis Woodcock Bury Clarion CC 04:47.0 Juvenile
20 Dan Charlton Hetton Hawks CC 04:47.6 Junior
21 Kieran Smith Bolsover and District CC 04:49.2 Juvenile
22 Tristan Davies Mid Devon CC 04:51.2 Juvenile
23 Tommy Dawson Yorkshire Road Club 04:51.7 Juvenile
24 Nathan Woodhouse Leighton Buzzard Road Cycling Club 04:53.3 Juvenile
25 Jack Rutland Beacon Wheelers 04:57.1 Juvenile
26 Daniel Dixon Gosforth RC 04:59.2 Juvenile
27 Elliot Reed Identity Racing 05:01.7 Junior
28 Archie Irving Beacon Wheelers 05:05.1 Juvenile
29 Bevan Jones Manilla Cycling 05:05.9 Junior
30 Ewan Mackie Matlock CC 05:07.2 Juvenile
31 Deio Garton Jones Energy Cycling Club/Clwb Beicio Egni 05:08.5 Junior
32 Cai Edwards Energy Cycling Club/Clwb Beicio Egni 05:08.7 Junior
33 James Storey SportCity Velo 05:09.1 Junior
34 Euan Backus Zappi Racing Team 05:48.1 Juvenile
35 Joshua Keers Mossley Cycle Racing Team 05:57.6 Junior
36 Lewis Dolan Cleveland Wheelers CC 05:57.7 Juvenile
37 Morgan LLOYD Towy Riders 05:58.1 Juvenile
38 Charlie Knowler West Suffolk Whs & Triathlon Club 06:01.9 Juvenile
39 Thomas Heighton Stockton Wheelers CC 06:14.1 Juvenile

Junior women

1 Corinne Side The Racing Chance Foundation 05:19.0 Junior
2 Lily Greenhalgh Team 22 05:28.7 Junior
3 Jasmine Gray VCUK Velochampion Racing Team 06:29.0 Junior
4 Roisin Lally Derwentside CC 06:31.1 Juvenile
5 Freja Smith RacingMetro15 07:33.0 Juvenile