Tim Beardmore strikes again to stretch cycling series lead

Beardmore took the honours in round five – his third overall win of the series – to extend his lead at the top of the standings to 45 points over team-mate Jonathan Mills-Keeling. A cold morning and a nine-and-a-half-mile slog from Hodnet to Shawbirch into a block headwind provided a stern test for the riders on the 30-mile squad.

But reigning champion Beardmore came out on top of a close battle with Dan Watts to claim victory by 13 seconds in a time of one hour, five minutes and 32 seconds.

“I decided to ride it at 25-mile pace and hang on,” said Beardmore.

“I settled into a good rhythm after the first five miles, and tried a ride a consistent power to the finish. The drag up to Shawbirch into a headwind was torturous.”

Bridgnorth CC’s Tim Beardmore took his third Overall win of the Series to stretch his lead at the top of the standings to 45 points over team mate Jonathan Mills-Keeling after a close battle with Dan Watts, a rider on the comeback trail with the pair separated by just 13 seconds. Reigning Friction Series Champion Beardmore took the win in 1 hour 5 minutes and 32 seconds, but he suffered for it as the headwind wore him down late in the race.

Beardmore also took the win in the Veterans’ race with a fine +16:19, with his nearest challenger, Graeme Donnell of Revolutions Racing, finishing in +12:55.

That means Beardmore has accumulated the maximum 300 points over the five rounds so far in defence of his Friction Veterans’ Championship title.

Watts also suffered in the wind but was pleased to get the runner-up spot in 1:05:45, after injury kept him out for much of 2021.

“A 30 mile time trial is always a hard one to judge. I felt OK, but I started to run out of legs at 22 miles and then it was a slog to the finish. I was happy to get second in the County after a strong ride from Tim”.

Third spot was a close battle too with Revolutions Racing’s Dean Callister just nudging out Wrekinsport’s Tomos Hales by 10 seconds with a fine effort on 1:07:20.

Callister’s post-race comments echoed Watt’s interpretation of the race – hard: “A 30 mile time trial is always a hard one to pace; and not the best performance for me personally. I started to fade at 40 minutes and went downhill from there. It was a tough return leg with headwind, but some great times on the day so well done to all - thanks to the organisers for a top event”.

A brilliant performance from Hafren CC’s Emma Serjeant saw her win the women’s competition by nearly 10-and-a-half minutes.

After a belated start to her season, the Welsh Women’s Masters Time Trial Champion now has two wins from two events.

“I do like the 30 distance, and planned to treat it like a 25 but went off too hard,” she said.

“I was surprised I was able to hold it until I hit the headwind to the Shawbirch island, then I definitely needed the tailwind back to the finish.”

North Shropshire Wheelers’ Chester Romei stretched his lead at the top of the Friction Junior Series with a rare outing at this distance for a young rider – his his first attempt at a 30.

He said: “It was a great race with tough conditions out on the course. The longest race I’ve ever done, I treated it as a 25 and lasted for the final five miles to the finish.”