R7 Coaching Revolutions Hill Climb Series: Ludlow CC Wigmore Road climb

Ludlow CC Wigmore Road Hill Climb

Kirk Vickers stretched his lead at the top of The Coaching Revolutions Hill Climb Series with a course best equalling ride as Ludlow CC reran their Wigmore Road climb as Round 7. With an unfortunate date miscommunication meaning many riders couldn’t make the first event Ludlow CC were generous in putting on a rerun on the longest course in the Series, the 1.95 mile climb of Wigmore Road, with Vickers looking to put daylight between himself and the rest of the field. The Holohan Coaching rider stopped the watch on 7 minutes 5 seconds to equal the course best time he set in 2018.

Arriving at the start line late Vickers was clearly full of adrenalin from that last minute rush with an early 6:15pm start required to beat the fading light as he put in a superb effort to beat off the nearest competition by 31 seconds. He stated: “I was surprised to match my previous year course record as I turned up on the line with eight seconds to spare, wearing and carrying extra weight“!

Vickers’ closest challenge came from 16 year old Sam Holwill, the only other rider to beat the eight minute benchmark on a shallow climb that wears the riders down by it’s sheer length and was just one second slower than his 2018 effort. The Hafren CC rider moved up to the Silver medal position in the Junior standings after beating Junior Series leader Henri Bedford by an impressive 1:06, but he wasn’t finished there as he also moved into the Bronze medal position in the Overall standings too. Holwill used the event to experiment a little as he revealed: “I tried a new climbing technique, my time was average so not sure if it paid off or not“.

Taking the honours for the promoting club 19 year-old Robbie Disney didn’t quite meet his personal target of beating eight minutes but his 8:08 effort still took third spot, elevating the young rider up to 7th spot in the Overall standings. Disney’s post-race comments showed what conditions were like whilst calling the climb by it’s alternative name – Whitcliffe Road: “Conditions were not perfect, but Whitcliffe is pretty sheltered so didn’t make too much of a difference. My goal was under eight minutes, disappointed with my results but a good slog nonetheless“.

With the Veteran’s Gold the only medal yet decided in this Series the riders slugging it out for Veteran’s Silver and Bronze, Neil Coles and Chris Riley went head-to-head – with an unusual dead heat for first place between Coles and Clee Cycles rider James Griffiths. Griffiths was on of a few riders with interest in the Series who made the first running, and his 9:03 showed that having that dummy run was beneficial: “My second time racing the Ludlow hill climb course this year. 11 seconds quicker this time probably due to having a power meter telling me when I was slacking! I was pleased with the effort on the night but, oh to be slim and young again“!

Griffiths’ comments show how much advantage Junior riders typically have in this Series thanks to low weight, with Holwill and Bedford snaffling 2nd and 4th respectively. Coles meanwhile tied with Griffiths and pushed Riley into 3rd Veteran’s place by 10 seconds after also registering 9:03. With Riley on 90 points and Coles on 88 this narrowest of gaps will be fought out over the final two rounds. Coles commented: “I was surprised to win first Veteran at Ludlow, though joint. This was my second go on the long Wigmore climb, this time I used my 53 chain ring on the flatter sections but was actually a second slower than last year. I felt good on the mid section but should have put more into the final ramp. Many thanks to Ludlow CC“.

Result:

Veterans Result:

Juniors Result:

Cumulative standings after seven rounds

Overall Top 10:

Veterans Top 10:

Junior Top 10:

Women’s standings: