Ashley Cox takes 2014 North Road Hardriders time trial victory

Ashley Cox (CC Luton) was a convincing winner of the 2014 North Road CC Hardriders time trial in Hertfordshire on Sunday.

Roadworks near the start reduced the distance to just over 24 miles, but nevertheless the racing was still good, with a breeze and light drizzle making conditions harder for the 100 riders.

Among around 20 non-starters were pre-race favourites Wouter Sybrandy and Tejvan Pettinger who were both ill, but it took nothing away from Cox’s victory.

He clocked 56-47 to win by almost a minute from Ed Bradbury (Cambridge Univ CC) in 57-43, while his Cambridge team-mate Wojciech Szlachta was third with 58-17.

Lucy Gossage (Cambridge CC) was fastest female, while top junior was Gabriel Evans (London Dynamo) with 1-03-58.

Elsewhere, Paul Jones (Bristol South CC0 was fastest solo in the Severn Road Club 25 at Stone, Gloucestershire.

His time of 59-32 was 24 seconds quicker than runner-up Ashley Martin (Bikeshed), while Tony Chapman (Dream Cycling) was third.

Ben Anstie and James Cartridge (Cadence RT) were fastest by more than three minutes in the two-up, clocking an impressive 55-26 on a day which featured a tough headwind on the return leg and spoiled many riders’ hopes of good times.

Matt Sinclair (Lutterworth Cycle Centre) clocked 22-14 to win the Coalville Wheelers 10 on the new A10/33 course based near Griffydam in Leicestershire on Saturday.

His time gave him a narrow two-second victory over James Perkins (Zenith CC), while Ben Wimpory (PMR @ Toachim House) was third, another nine seconds off the pace.

In West Yorkshire, Team Swift secured a clean sweep of the podium in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 10 on the old A1 on Sunday morning.

Simon Beldon clocked 21-50 for the win, while Andy Jackson was just four seconds off in second and Joel Wainman a further second back third.

Previously second in the event, Dan Evans (Team Elite) stepped up to the top of the podium in the Chester Road Club hilly 14 at Broxton on Saturday.

His time of 31-28 gave him victory by more than a minute from runner-up Steve Smith (Champion System), while third-placed David Crawley also led Fibrax-Wrexham RC) to the team prize alongside David Spencer and David Jones.

North of the border, Silas Goldsworth (Sandy Wallace Cycles) won the Blair Hardriders hilly 14 staged at Eglinton Park by Glasgow Couriers on Sunday.

With a time of 34-05 he was just four seconds quicker than Ben Peacock (Paisley Velo) in second, while David Griffiths (Glasgow Wheelers) took third, 18 seconds off the pace of the winner.

North Devon Wheelers’ Mark Lees won the City Cycle Couriers RT 10 at Buckfastleigh in Devon on Sunday. His time of 23-09 was just three seconds quicker than Martyn Lewis (Cyclelogic), while event organiser Rob Scott (City Cycle Couriers) was third, 24 seconds off the pace.

And in Northamptonshire Chris Rimes (Peterborough CC) won the Kings Cliffe Flyers hilly 12-mile TT by five seconds from St Neots CC rider Richard Hancock, while fastest female was under-16 ace Charlotte Broughton (MG Décor) with a women’s course record of 32-01.