REPORT: VTTA National 25 Mile Championship

Our prestigious 25 championship this year was organised by VTTA East Anglian Group and enjoyed a full field of 120 riders including tandems.
Due to unexpected road works the course had to be moved late in the day to the F2/25D west of Cambridge. This is a modified version of the fast A428 dual carriageway course with two and a half laps and the negotiation of 11 roundabouts.
Many thanks to Chris Dyason for his excellent organisation and to all the marshals, timekeepers and helpers that were needed on the day. The number and positioning of warning signs was exemplary. Weather conditions on the day were warm and sunny with a steady breeze across the course. 
In the female event we had, amazingly, yet another tie in a 2026 championship. There was nothing to split Jen Clegg (Team Bottrill NoPinz/East Midlands) and Linda Dewhurst (Cheltenham & County CC/LH&C) who both posted a stunning AAT of 43:13.
With all the female riders going off first, we did an early presentation of the female medals and this allowed me to get both Jen and Linda in a champion’s jersey for the attached photo. (The open jersey therefore had one careful user before it was presented to the open winner!). A well-deserved bronze medal went to Lindsay Clarke (Fenland Clarion CC/East Anglian) with an AAT of 49:12.
In the Open Competition the tied winners of the 10 Mile Open Championship, Richard Oakes (Team Ohten/East Midlands) and Chris Lord (Brighton Excelsior CC/Surrey Sussex), again faced each other.
This time Chris came out on top with an AAT of 45:16 against Richard’s 45:33. Richard explained to me that all his recent track training and racing was not the best preparation for a 25 mile time trial! The bronze medal went to Mike Twelves, also Team Ohten/East Midlands, with an AAT of 45:51.
Ian Greenstreet and Melanie Sneddon (Newbury Velo/LH&C) won the tandem championship. Our best wishes to Norman Harvey who is in hospital and so he and Mary Corbett were DNS on the day.
The Group team medals were won by the very strong East Midlands team of Jen Clegg, Richard Oakes and Mike Twelves with an impressive, combined AAT of 2:15:05. The Club team medals went to Matt Bottrill NoPinz with Jen Clegg taking a third medal with team mates Keith Dorling and Matt Uttley.
Finally on a personal note, I had the rare experience of achieving a Performance Award for 25 miles by just one second! by Andrew Simpkins.

* Photographs by Kevin Hodgson.