Ryan Perry pips Matt Bottrill to National 25-mile time trial win

Ryan Perry (Langdale Lightweights) pipped defending champion Matt Bottrill (drag2zero.com) to victory in the National 25-Mile Championship in Buckinghamshire on Sunday, while Hayley Simmonds (Velosport) won the women’s title in Essex on Saturday.

Perry, 28 and from Lancashire, was behind Bottrill at the turn, but pulled it back to clock 48.04 and beat his rival by 20 seconds in Marlow.

Third in the British Time Trial Championship back in June, Perry said: “I rode the course the day before the race and my power was really down, so I really thought I would have to go really hard to win.

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“For the first mile I really had to get my legs hurting to get used to it, and on the run back I really suffered and had to try hard to keep breathing.”

For Bottrill, it was his final time riding the National 25 as he prepares to focus on triathlon next season, and he said: “I’m quite relieved now that the pressure if off! It’s good to see the stars of the future here in Ryan, Josh Williams and Kieron Davies. It was an amazing race.”

Drag2zero rider Bottrill teamed up with Davies and Mark Jones in the winning team, who clocked 2:28.05 which was a new championship record.

In the women’s race near Newport in Essex, Simmonds stepped up from second in 2014 to claim her first National 25 title – but she had to swerve to avoid a car which cut her up during the race.

She was the only woman under the hour with 59.49, beating runner-up Kate McNeill (drag2zero.com) by 2.39.

Results

RTTC National 25-Mile Time Trial Championships 2015

Men

1. Ryan Perry (Langdale Lightweights RT) 48.04

2. Matthew Bottrill (drag2zero.com) 48.24

3. Kieron Davies (drag2zero.com) 48.36

4. Joshua Williams (Revolutions Racing) 48.45

5. Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) 49.03

6. Rob Sharland (Paceline RT) 49.33

6. Adam Topham (High Wycombe CC) 49.33

Women

1. Hayley Simmonds (Team Velosport) 59.49

2. Kate McNeill (drag2zero.com) 1:02.28

3. Mel Wasley (Epsom CC) 1:03.01

4. Mathilde Matthijsse (Bonito Squadra Corse) 1:03.31

5. Alice Cobb (Univ of Warwick) 1:03.39

6. Alice Lethbridge (gbcycles.co.uk) 1:03.48

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