Bath played host to the 2021 British National Para-cycling Road Championships this weekend, with Matthew Robertson, Henry Urand and Alex Jones each taking home two coveted national champion’s jerseys.
The event was the first to see national champions crowned in Britain since January 2020, with the time trials contested on Saturday and the circuit races on Sunday.
Time trials
In the time trials a field of 38 riders battled it out over an undulating route, consisting of 16.8km for the hand-cycles and a longer course of 29.9km for the remaining categories – with each made even more testing by the heat.
The handcycles were first out with Matthew Faucher being crowned national champion in the MH4-5 category, followed by Andy Adamson in the MH2-3 class. Steven Marsh claimed victory in the first open class support race to be run alongside the National Para-cycling Championships.
On the longer course, the women were first to conquer the twisting country roads with Frances Brown taking the win after factoring. Matthew Robertson followed this by emerging victorious in the MC2 Championship, and Henry Urand took the MC3. Despite the rising temperatures the riders kept their composure, with George Peasgood storming to victory in the MC4 Category by nine minutes and Alex Jones winning a closely fought MC5 by just five seconds.
In the tandem category Simon Thomas and Matt Blue completed their winning lap in a time of 42:11, while a slow puncture and crash sadly ended the hopes of Nadeem Mughal and Oscar Hutchings.
Circuit races
Odd Down Circuit played host to the circuit races, with many riders returning for a second day of competition.
The day began with the Go-Race Time Trial with athletes from Help the Heroes and the Invictus Games racing on mixed category bikes from recumbent to upright, with James Coxon taking the win on his semi-recumbent bike.
Picking up where they left off on Saturday, Matthew Robertson (MC2) and Alex Jones (MC4-5) dominated their fields with solo wins while Henry Urand (C3) beat Loughborough Students CC teammate Charlie Stanton-Stock in a sprint finish to make it a clean sweep. In the women’s race it was Morgan Newberry who took the jersey with a first-class performance.
Despite a late start and an early near miss the tandem race proved to be the closest competition, with two pairings neck-and-neck until the final half lap when Chris Macdonald and Neil Poulton found a final burst of pace to take the win.
Results
Time trials
MH 4-5
1st - Matthew Faucher
2nd - Mark Allen
MH2-3
1st - Andy Adamson
2nd - James Puttrell
Open
1st - Steven Marsh
2nd - Claire Danson
WC1-5
1st - Frances Brown, Lea Valley CC
2nd - Amelia Cass, Loughborough Students CC
3rd - Morgan Newberry, Skoda DSI Cycling Academy
MC2
1st - Matthew Robertson, Woolwich CC
2nd - Ryan Taylor, Matlock CC
3rd - Louis Rolfe MBE, Para-T
4th - James Crossley, Bicester Millennium CC
5th - Julian Earl, Alford Wheelers
MC3
1st - Henry Urand, Loughborough Students CC
2nd - Charlie Stanton-Stock, Loughborough Students CC
3rd - Colin Wallace, Deeside Thistle CC
4th - Rik Waddon, Para-T
MC4
1st - George Peasgood, Loughborough Students CC
2nd - Martin Hailstone, Hull Thursday RC
3rd - Wayne Harrod, Flatlandria.cc
MC5
1st - Alex Jones, Sigma Sports Official
2nd - Ryan Gray
3rd - David Murphy, Liverpool Mercury CC
4th - Paul Simmons, Abellio - SFA Racing Team
5th - Mark Staples, VC VELDRIJDEN
Tandem
1st - Simon Thomas (piloted by Matt Blue), Towy Riders
2nd - Chris Macdonald (piloted by Neil Poulton), PDQ Cycle Coaching
3rd - Brad Gauntlett (piloted by Tim May), Born To Bike Racing Team
Closed circuit races
MH 4-5
1st - Matthew Faucher
2nd - Mark Allen
3rd – Ivan Newman, Southend Wheelers
MH2-3
1st - Andy Adamson
2nd - James Puttrell
Open
1st - Steven Marsh
2nd - Claire Danson
WC1-5
1st – Morgan Newberry, Skoda DSI Cycling Academy
2nd – Emma Tod, Apache Brave Cycling
3rd – Amelia Cass, Loughborough Students CC
4th - Katie Toft, Storey Racing
MC2
1st - Matthew Robertson, Woolwich CC
2nd - Louis Rolfe MBE, Para-T
3rd - Ryan Taylor, Matlock CC
MC3
1st - Henry Urand, Loughborough Students CC
2nd - Charlie Stanton-Stock, Loughborough Students CC
3rd - Colin Wallace, Deeside Thistle CC
MC4-5
1st – Alex Jones, Sigma Sports Official
2nd – Karl Allen-Dobson, Mid Devon CC
3rd – David Murphy, Liverpool Mercury CC
4th - Paul Simmons, Abellio - SFA Racing Team
5th - Mark Staples, VC VELDRIJDEN
6th - Martin Hailstone, Hull Thursday RC
7th - Wayne Harrod, Flatlandria.cc
Tandem
1st – Chris Macdonald (piloted by Neil Poulton), PDQ Cycle Coaching
2nd – Simon Thomas (piloted by Matt Blue), Towy Riders
3rd – Brad Gauntlett (piloted by Tim May), Born To Bike Racing Team
4th - Nadeem Mughal (piloted by Sam Smith)
