Jack Pullar wins Monsal Hill-Climb
Reigning national hill-climb champion Jack Pullar (Madison Genesis) won the Monsal hill-climb in Derbyshire on Sunday, storming up the 645-yard climb in 1-19.9.
He won the event, run by Sheffrec CC, by just 1.5sec and was the only rider to go under the 1-20 mark on the day - though still short of Malcolm Elliott's 1981 event record of 1-14.2.
Second spot went to Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor CC) with 1-21.4, while Russell Downing (Netapp Endura) was third with 1-22.5.
The event attracted unprecedented crowds to the scenic venue, with estimates of up to 700 and the last 50 yards of the climb barriered off to cope with the volume of spectators.
Team Sportscover's James King was top junior with 1-26.2 which was a junior course record, while Jessie Walker (Matrix Fitness) was best female with 1-54.7.
Monsal hill-climb 2013 photo gallery by Andy Jones >>
Over the border in Yorkshire, National title hopeful Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) secured a convincing victory in the Otley CC two-stage hill-climb in West Yorkshire on Saturday.
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The Oxford-based rider, 36, has ridden the last eight national titles and will be aiming to get on the podium for the first time in this year's title race in County Durham.
Pettinger proved fastest over both the climbs in the Otley CC event. He covered the 1,400-yard Guise Cliff climb near Pateley Bridge in 3-23.8 to win by four seconds from Lee Baldwin (Buxton CC) who was part of the winning team in last year's national title race.
And in the one-mile Norwood Edge climb later in the day, Pettinger took victory by 5.7sec from James Gullen (Hope Factory Racing). That gave Pettinger overall victory by 12.2sec from Gullen, with Baldwin taking third.
There was also a big win for Rob Gough (Arctic SRAM RT) in the Severn RC climb of Hinton Hill, near Pucklechurch. He covered the 800 yards in 1-49.7 to take victory by 7.3sec from his nearest rival, Glyndwr Griffiths (Bristol South CC).
The In Gear-Quickvit team will be gunning for the team prize at the national title race in three weeks, and they gave their preparations a boost with first and third in the Sussex CA climb at Steyning Bostal.
Pete Tadros took the win, covering the 1,672 yards in 4-04.2, which was just 1.3sec quicker than Chris McNamara (Pedal Heaven RT), while Tadros's team-mate at In Gear-Quickvit, Conal Yates was just four seconds slower in third.
North Lancashire Road Club's Aidan Holgate was fastest by more than six seconds in the Rossendale Road Clib climb of Crown Point near Burnley. He covered the 1,000 yards in 2-43.2, while Sam Jackson (Cleveleys RC) was second and Jahan Hunter (Ashley Touring CC0 third.
And in time trialling, Michael Hutchinson (In Gear Quickvit RT) won the VTTA (East Anglia) 30 at Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, by more than two and a half minutes.
He clocked 57-19 to push prolific winner Rob Pears (Bath CC) into second by 2-33, while Jason Bouttell (Team Velocity) was another minute off in third.
After his second place in the Sussex CA hill-climb on Saturday, Chris McNamara (Pedal Heaven RT) returned to time trialling in style on Sunday.
He won the a3crg 37-kilometre Tour of the Lod Valley in Hampshire in 55-13, to win by 25 seconds from the promoting club's Seb Ader, while Steve Walkling (VC St Raphael) was third, another 34 seconds slower.
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