'I'm not the most gifted rider but I've worked very hard for this' – Galler and MacFarlane conquer Bank Road at British National Hill-Climb Championships

Rachel Galler and Harry MacFarlane conquered Bank Road to win the British National Hill-Climb Championships on Sunday.

The venue was Bank Road in Matlock, Derbyshire, in the centre of England, an 804 metre course with 101.4 metres of elevation gain; a casual average gradient of 12.45%.

The goal is simple – to be the fastest up the hill – and Galler and MacFarlane duly obliged.

After fifth-place last year in Hexham, FTP (Fulfil the Potential)'s Galler went two seconds quicker than defending champion Illi Gardner (Cardiff Ajax CC) to take the crown, in 2:59.8. Gardner had won the previous three editions, but could not quite match the power required.

Maddie Heywood (Elevate RT) was third, three seconds behind Gardner, to step up to the podium for the first time.

"I'm very much looking forward to taking the jersey back home to the North East and getting it on my back for the hill climb season next year," Galler said, who had won all three hill climbs she rode in the lead-up to the championships.

"This is a massive win for me. I'm not the most gifted rider but I've worked very hard for this. I fully committed to putting myself in a position to make it happen, and pulling it off was something I could only have dreamt of.

"I had some doubts about the wet roads but I stuck to the plan and went all in for the win today. Congrats to everyone else, today was mega and a day I'll never forget."

Third-placed Heywood led Elevate Race Team to the team prize alongside Lucy Deschamps and Ellen Reynolds, while there was a new junior girls’ course record set by Ruby Isaac (Tofauti Everyone Active) in 3:24.6 to win that category by over 14 seconds.

Isaac’s victory was all the more impressive given that just three months earlier she broke both wrists in a crash at the Nations Cup at Watersley in the Netherlands.

Defending men's champion MacFarlane (Rule 28-Outliers) was the last of 460 riders to set off, and scorched up Bank Road in 2:14.7, a course-record performance. Second-place Kieron Wynne-Cattanach (Team Lifting Gear Products) was five seconds behind, with four-time former champion Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) in third, under a second behind.

'It’s been a fantastic day," MacFarlane said post-race. "It was a bit of a funny one having the national champion’s stripes for a year, so much can change in that time and when I came into the season I wasn’t sure how I’d go on a shorter course.

"I’m quite good at putting myself down and writing myself off almost, but I surprised myself at different points through the hill climb season, winning events I didn’t think I would."

Last year’s championship victory was a surprise to MacFarlane, but this year was different, with added pressure.

"I don’t generally get nervous before races but this year I did for sure," he explained. "And being off so late it was hard to know what to eat and how to prepare.

"I went down to spectate before my ride and it was really cold, but the atmosphere and the crowds were great.

"I had a super light bike this time which was better than last year. I didn’t mess around with the heavy 360-degree camera, because I knew the win was possible. I’ve had a lot of rest this week so I felt really good on the climb and my legs felt amazing.

"The margin that I won by was astounding, I was really happy with that. And to be on the podium with some absolute hitters like Kieran and Andy who are really solid guys, was great."

The team prize went to Team Lifting Gear Products with Kieran Wynne-Cattanach, Andy Nichols and Ross Howcroft-Jones, while the junior men's winner was the junior road world champion Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova RT) in 2:20.8, which would’ve put him fifth in the senior results.

Results

National Hill-Climb Championship - Female

1. Rachel Galler, FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team, in 2:59.8
2. Illi Gardner, Cardiff Ajax CC, in 3:01.8
3. Maddie Heywood, Elevate RT, in 3:04.6
4. Lucy Lee, DAS Hutchinson, in 3:07.6
5. Maria Holdcroft, Cowley Road Condors, in 3:10.9

National Hill-Climb Championship - Open

1. Harry MacFarlane, Rule 28 Outliers, in 2:14.7
2. Kieran Wynne-Cattanach, Team Lifting Gear Products, in 2:19.8
3. Andrew Feather HuntBikeWheels.com, in 2:20.4
4. Andy Nichols, Team Lifting Gear Products, in 2:20.7
5. Gabe Dellar, Primera-Teamjobs, in 2:24.4