Rossendale Road Club Hilly 10 ‘Bolton-by-Bowland’- on L112. 24/02/2024.
Following a very wet week, the Saturday of the opening event of the season in North District turned out to be near-perfect for the time of year. It was chilly, but less so than for 2023, with almost no wind and as an added bonus, occasional sunshine. The road surface conditions too were an improvement on 2023, just the occasional patch of gravel and a little standing water. With 53 riders, the entry number was very similar to 2023.
The impressive winning ride of Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) was just one second short of equalling the course record of 23:11 set by James Gullen in 2016.
Four riders from Pendle Forest took part, down from six in 2023.
Results
Open Category
| Position | Time | Name | Club | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23:12 | Tyler Hannay | Saint Piran | Espoir |
| 2 | 24:25 | Bryn Lawrence | Tactic Sport UK Race Team | Junior |
| 3 | 24:41 | Richard Bideau | Pendle Forest CC | Vet |
Women
| Position | Time | Name | Club | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29:53 | Abigail Wade | North Lancs RC | Senior |
| 2 | 30:52 | Joanna Cebrat | 360 Cycling | Vet |
| 3 | 31:36 | Cara Rawlinson | Tactic UK WRT | Senior |
Pendle Forest
| Position | Time | Name | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 24:41 | Richard Bideau | Vet |
| 13 | 26:49 | Paul Braithwaite | Vet |
| 18 | 27:30 | Matthew Kayley | Vet |
| 23 | 29:40 | Martin Welsh | Vet |
Race Report
By Richard Bideau.
February 2016 and Pendle Forest riders are on the Hellifield Road returning from the Saturday run to Halton Gill. It is the day of the Bolton-by-Bowland time trial and the first rider has just started. It is very cold, just above zero. In windless conditions flakes of snow are slowly sifting down onto the road in near-silence. A rider approaches, tucked in the time trial position and displaying the distinctive kit of North Lancs Road Club. The colour of the rider’s face is a match to the pale blue of the kit.
That scene left a powerful impression on me. It would be foolhardy to enter such an early-season event. And yet, forward to 2024 and this is my fourth competitive ride.
Despite the February date, my experiences have been generally good with this one. The 2019 event stands out – it was around 18°C for my ride and the highest temperature that season until mid-summer. That year I was joint-winner with Fraser Martin in a time of 23:42. In the week running up to this one rain had been the dominating factor but the day itself was dry and with very little wind, almost perfect for the time of year. An added bonus was a great deal less debris on the road than in 2023, just a few sections with gravel and a little standing water.
In conditions such as these, the course is quite simple to pace. On the outward leg there are two distinct efforts. From the start 3 miles of steady climbing – a place to dig in and hold the power knowning that a brief rest is coming. Then the short descent to the crossroads and the first left turn. Now the second effort – a little over 2 miles of gradual climbing to the highest point of the course, a little way past the half way point. At this stage it should feel very hard indeed, enough to question whether it will be possible to make it to the finish. After than a short descent to the second turn. Here, with 4 and a half miles remaining, the character changes. Now it is all downhill with just one short kick upwards. It is quite technical and handling skills as well as power are very important.
