IG Sigma Sport wins national team time trial champs

Team IG Sigma Sport were crowned National Team Time Trial Champions in Northumberland on Sunday, taking the title by just three seconds from their rivals Drag2Zero.com.

The trio of Wouter Sybrandy, Joe Perrett and Andrew Griffiths clocked a time of 1-18-55 for the 37-mile course around Ponteland, which was narrowly faster than the runners-up Matt Bottrill, Jeff Jones and Mark Holton.

The women's title went to Trainsharp Racing Team (Keely Clark, Rebecca Rimmington and Bronwen Ewing), with 1-40-53, while top junior trie came from the Derwentside CC with Joe Mann, Thomas Mein and Fin Robertson covering the course in 1-39-28.

Despite the sweltering weekend weather, there were still some fast times recorded in events across the country.

Former national hill-climb champion Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) won the Coventry CC 10 on the K10 course at Princethorpe in Warwickshire. He recorded 19-40 to take the win by 48 seconds from Drag2Zero.com veteran Jon Simpkins on Saturday.

And Conall Yates (In Gear-Quickvit RT) secured victory in the South Eastern Road Club 10 near Horsham in West Sussex. His time of 19-26 was good enough for victory by 39 seconds from Brighton Excelsior rider Steve Kane, while Southdown Bikes' Simon McNamara was third, another 16 seconds off the pace.

Over longer distances, Stephen Whitewick (Velo Refined-Aerosmiths) won the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 25 in Dorset, clocking 51-43 to win by just ten seconds from Poole Wheelers' Gary Dighton.

Rock to Roll Cycles rider David Crawley was victorious in the Border City Wheelers hilly 22 near Penrith.

He won by 1-10 from the promoting club's Richard Bickley over the Greystoke circuit, while veteran Russ Richardson (Teesdale CRC) was third.

Victory by 36 seconds went to Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) in the Clifton CC 13-mile event in North Yorkshire, his time of 29-29 holding off Team Swift rider Blair Buss into second spot, while Steve Guymer (Clay Cross RT) was third over the Sheriff Hutton to Bransby and Farlington circuit.

And further north at Kirklevington, 43-year-old Rob Townsend took a win for Team Swift in the Ferrryhill Wheelers 50.

His time of 1-48-27 gave him victory by 3-18 over Leigh Premier RC 40-year-old Mark Turnbull, while Julian Read (Team Swift) was third, another three minutes back.

Also winning for Team Swift was Andy Jackson, who clocked 1-44-11 in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 50 at Thirsk.

His time was fastest by 1-45 over runner-up Tejvan Pettinger, while Paul Thirling (Adept Precision) was third, 2-26 off Jackson's pace over the V259.