ULVERSTON'S Anne Plant (Arthur Caygill Cycles) took the local honours in the ladies National 10 mile time trial Championships in the Midlands last Sunday with a time of 24.25 for 13th place overall, narrowly beating Team Luciano's Sharon Padley from Holme who recorded 24.28 to take 17th place.

For both riders, it was a solid performance against the best short distance testers in the country with 105 riders entered, the best field for years. On a very windy day, the overall winner was GS Strada's Angela Hunter in a winning time of 23.00. The winner of the men's title was Stuart Dangerfield in 19-39 ahead of Booths Grand Prix winner Michael Hutchinson, 19-59.

Local riders were also well to the fore in the Blackburn and District CTC two-up ten miles time trial south of Garstang last week. Preston pairing Gethin Butler and Nigel Clemenston were fastest with 20-18 but Kent Valley Road Club's Adrian Yate and Chris Dixon rode 22-10 and mixed duo Sharon Padley and John Leach clocked 22-31. Tony Dixon and Howard Richards did 23-21.

Wind and rain slowed all but the winner of VC Cumbria's open 25 at Cockermouth. Home rider Brian Payton achieved an outstanding 54mins 40secs. Fastest of the South Lakeland contingent was Kent Valley's Ben Lawson in 59-52. Barrow's Barry Fittes did 1-01-55; Ian Speight (BCW) 1-05-27; Richard Belk (KV) 1-05-43; Robert Bagor (KV) 1-12-17; and Anne Nicholson (KV) 1-18-29.

Colin Hill won the latest Kent Valley midweek ten in 22:39 from Simon Smythe on 23:25. Other leading times were: Andrew Barlow 23:41; Adrian Yate 23:49; Andrew Powell 23:55; Ben Lawson 24:14; John Ingham 24:16; Matt Woods 24:51; Nigel Hooker 24:53; and Tony Dixon 25:03. Fastest woman was Lois Gosnay, who rode 28:14.

n A calm window in an otherwise blustery weekend saw a crop of quick times in Saturday evening's 10 promoted by Cleveleys Road Club on the Levens course. Kent Valley's John Ingham clocked 20-45; Nigel Hooker 22-36 and Terry Bell 23-03.

May 23, 2003 10:30