Last to start and admitting to pre-race nerves, Hayley Simmonds (Velosport-Pasta Montegrappa) rose to the challenge to win Saturday’s RTTC national women’s 10-mile championship and add to the 50-mile title she secured back in June.
The 26-year-old covered the Alcester-based course, in Warwickshire, in 21-43 for a winning margin of 18 seconds over Bronwen Ewing (Trainsharp RT), whose team-mate Rebecca Rimmington, 22-19, completed the podium.
“I was pretty nervous on Friday and on the morning, so I was kind of very happy but also slightly relieved when I saw my time at the finish,” said Simmonds, from Cambridge, who – second in the national ‘25’ at the start of August – also made sure of winning the Beryl Burton Trophy for aggregate championship performances over the season.
“The ‘10’ is my event at the moment, I really wanted to win so I put a bit of pressure on myself, and I’ve never been top seed before so I also felt some pressure from that. But going off last was nice because I could get a time check on the other girls, and when I saw the ‘up’ arrow I told myself to just keep going as I am.
“It was a bit blustery, but to be honest I quite like the hard races. I was a little bit worried because I rode the course in May and got held up at the last roundabout by a couple of cars, but the marshals were all very good and really it was a perfect day.”
Sixth-seed Thomas Baylis (HARIBO Beacon RT) took the junior men’s title in 20-15, just four seconds quicker than Gabriel Evans (London Dynamo), with his own team-mate Joe Evans, 20-25, in third place.
The junior girls title went to Hetty Niblett (Mid Shropshire Wheelers) in 24-11, six seconds faster than Amira Mellor (Paul Milnes Cycles RT), while Nixie Turner (Worcester St Johns CC) and Jennifer McAndrew (Witham Wheelers) tied for third in 24-19.
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