COVENTRY-based Matt Clinton proved he could be the rider to watch as he warmed up for Saturday’s Huddersfield Star Wheelers’ hill climb at Jackson Bridge with a double victory in the two-stage Otley CC event.
Clinton is included in an impressive line-up of 43 riders for the 1,540-yard climb of Tinker’s Monument on Saturday, regarded as a good guide to form for the National Championships at Matlock at the end of the month.
But even Clinton, bronze medalist at last year’s championships, will need to stay at the peak of his form on Saturday as he faces a tough challenge from former national champion Jim Henderson (Southport CC), James Dobbin (Arctic Premier RT) and scratchman David Clarke (Lacuna) – all three are former winners at Jackson Bridge.
Clinton’s win on Saturday was secured with a time of 3min 51.5sec for the 1,500-yard climb of East Chevin, winning by almost six seconds from Alex Coutts (GS Metro) with Henderson third, a half second further back.
Clinton then went on to win the second stage, up the one mile climb of Norwood Edge, in 4min 58.9sec to beat Coutts and Henderson into second and third by five and 10 seconds respectively.
Fastest of the local riders with Star Wheeler Matt Green, who clocked 4-42.5 and 5-55.1 for the two stages, while teammate Andy Pearson recorded 5-04 and 6-22. Paul Brierley (Huddersfield Road Club) won the veterans’ prize in 5-42.4 and 6-53.0 while the Holme Valley Wheelers’ team of four young riders also showed good form – Ben Kellett winning the youths’ prize in 5-08.9 and 6-42.2 with Jack Beardsell timed at 6-24.3 and 7-42.2, Jacob Scott 6-22.8 and 8-15.9 and James Kellett 6-42.4 and 8-40.2.
Brierley was back in action for the Withington Wheelers Hillclimb at Peaslows Hill, Chapel en le Frith, clocking 3-27.5 in an event won by Chris Myhill (Peak RC) in 2-40.8, while the Holme Valley Wheelers’ youngsters were at the Thurcroft CC event at Stocksbridge – Ben Kellett clocking 3-40.3, James Kellett 4-14.2 and Jack Beardsell 4-27.0 in an event won by Kit Gilham (Kenisis RT) in 2-46-0
Star Wheelers Mark Dennis, Mark Thaxter and Ivan Boyes were in the thick of the action in Lincoln Wheelers’ road race for third and fourth category riders over four laps of a 12 mile circuit in Eagle – with Thaxter in a four-man break that survived for 30 miles before being reeled in by the bunch. Dennis finished ninth and Thaxter 10th while Boyes missed out on the points and will be hoping for a better result in his last race of the season, the Weaver Valley Road Race this Sunday.
