HOT favourite Matt Clinton clinched victory in the National Hill Climb championships at Matlock, maintaining an excellent run of form which has seen him win 11 events in the run-up to the title race, including that staged earlier this month by Huddersfield Star Wheelers at Jackson Bridge.

Coventry-based Clinton, a former student at Leeds University, flew up the 834m Banks Road course near the town centre in a new record time of 2min 24.2sec.

The MikeVaughan.co.uk rider opted to ride a fixed gear of 42-20 over a course which had three distinct sections, the first 400 about 1 in 8 to 1 in 10, this steepening to 1 in 6 for the next 300 and the last 130m starting to flatten out – although for most riders by then it was too late to notice!

The event started at 12.01 with a fair tail wind and sunshine to dry the damp road and a good crowd turned out the urge the riders on.

Bill Bell, of Gemini BC, was the first seeded rider and his record time of 2-25.4 kept him in the lead until Clinton’s massive effort took gold. Still Bell’s time was good enough for silver, with bronze going to former champion Jim Henderson, of Southport in 2-26.5.

Scratch man and 2007 champion James Dobbin (Arctic Premier RT) was expected to make a bid for a podium place but he struggled on the steepest sections and his 2-45.3 was good enough only for 21st place.

Of the local riders Huddersfield Road Club veteran Paul Brierley completed his 21st consecutive National Hill Climb Championships in 3-27.2 and a couple of youngsters from the Holme Valley Wheelers put in creditable rides – Ben Kellett clocking 3-35.3 and Jack Beardsell 3-59.0.

As the curtain came down on Paul Brierley’s racing season with the weekend’s championships so his thoughts turned to the biggest event of his year – his wedding on Saturday to Debbie Sawyer, of Rastrick.

But before the service at Huddersfield Register Office (a 2.00 start as he puts it) Brierley, 42, a senior design engineer at Cummins Turbo Technology in St Andrew’s Road, Huddersfield is planning a 30-mile spin on his bike.

His wedding “warm up” will see him ride from his Birkby home to the Windmill Cafe above Birds Edge for a toasted tea cake and coffee with a few clubmates – “I doubt they’ll be treating me,” said Brierley.

“If I didn’t go out on the bike I’d only be sitting around getting bored, so why not?” he said.

His wife-to-be, who works in a civilian role with West Yorkshire Police and counts herself a fair-weather leisure cyclist, did think he was joking when he first mentioned his pre-wedding cycle run.

“But I’ve promised to be back home for 11.45 so there’s plenty time to get ready for 2.00,” said Brierley.