Kirk Vickers admitted to having unfinished business on the Willomoor Bank course in Round 2 of The Coaching Revolutions Hill Climb Series as riders battled gravity for the second time in 24 hours. Vickers had finished 3rd in the same Wrekinsport CC event in 2016, 11 seconds behind Dan Watts but looking mean and determined he made it two wins out of two to reverse those fortunes.

The Rhino Velo rider blazed up the tough one mile climb in a much improved time of 3 minutes, 43.39 seconds to push course record holder Watts out by just over three seconds for the second evening in a row to stretch his Series lead to four points. A delighted Vickers commented: “I knew I had to dig deep with Dan Watts on the start sheet! Happy to marginally  take the win, I paced it better this year“.

Watts meanwhile was pleased to halve the winning margin of the previous evening as he put in a brutal, lung-bursting effort on Willomoor Bank. Stopping the watch on 3:46.92 Watts was in no doubt what he should have done extra, but was happy his 3:40 course record wasn’t taken: “I got a little closer to Kirk tonight but not enough. I should have committed harder on the lower part of the course as I felt strong on the top half. A sigh of relief that my course record is intact for another year!”

The Series is already taking a familiar pattern with the same 1-2-3 as in Round 1, with Vickers’ team mate David Scott showing his mettle with another fine third placing. Scott powered up the climb in 4:00.67 and was already looking forward to the tough Oswestry Paragon climb taking place three days later, stating: “I’m happy with third on a tough night and tough course, looking forward to the Oswestry event“. It was indeed a tough night as torrential rain bounced off the climb half an hour before the start making it look more like a river than a road, but thankfully the rain abated just prior to start time.

Another Rhino Velo rider Devon Round went one better in the Juniors, having taken the runner-up spot in Round 1 he put in a fabulous effort of 4:03.48 to win the Juniors in Round 2 and finish a strong fourth overall too. Round had obviously found his groove after the shock of the previous evening, elevating himself to the head of the Junior table after fending off a strong challenge from Matty Redworth in 4:19.77. Round commented: “Better pacing tonight, and the legs felt good. I’m happy with first Junior“.

There was a familiar look at the head of the Veterans standings too with Mid Shropshire Wheelers’ Ian Coupland also making it two wins from two events. Coupland finished a strong fifth overall in 4:14.46 ahead of Oswestry Paragon’s Neil Coles for the second evening in a row with Coles beginning to find his legs with a good effort of 4:40.86. Coupland felt the pain of the final part of Willomoor Bank, which saps the strength of the unwary, revealing: “That was a tough one, I was glad to see the finish board! Pleased with the Veterans win“.

The weather put some of the expected Women’s field off, though two braved the conditions with Laura Smith taking the win in 5:12.90 in her first climb of the year. She stated: “That was a great opener to my Hill Climb season, well done to all who braved the weather“! Jenny York took advantage to climb to the top of the Women’s standings with a fine effort of 6:04.42, and she was complementary about the event, commenting: “A great event and  fun atmosphere despite the weather“!

Wrekinsport were running the club’s Hill Climb Championship within the event and it was a first-year member who won the Trophy, with Tomos Hales ending the evening with a very respectable 4:52.25 with the closest challenge coming from Kieran Cooksey 20 seconds back.

Result:

 

Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Points
1 Kirk Vickers Rhino Velo RT S 3:43.39 20
2 Dan Watts SCCA Private Member S 3:46.92 18
3 David Scott Rhino Velo RT S 4:00.67 16
4 Devon Round Rhino Velo RT J 4:03.48 14
5 Ian Coupland Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 4:14.46 12
6 Matthew Redworth Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 4:19.77 10
7 Sam Morris Revolutions Racing J 4:25.43 8
8 Mark Hammond Paramount CRT S 4:25.52 6
9 Andy Maxwell Nova Raiders S 4:37.91 4
10 Neil Coles Oswestry Paragon CC V 4:40.86 2
11 Dan Morris Wolverhampton Wheelers CC J 4:48.04
12 Tomos Hales Wrekinsport CC S 4:52.25 2
13 Iain Milne Paramount CRT S 5:07.27 2
14 Kieran Cooksey Wrekinsport CC J 5:12.42 2
15 Laura Smith Birmingham University L 5:12.90
16 John Robertson Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 5:31.43 2
17 Ian Bond Wrekinsport CC S 5:49.82 2
18 Jenny York Mid Shropshire Wheelers LV 6:04.42 2
19 Dave York Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 6:17.59 2
20 Jim Percival Wrekinsport CC V 6:42.80 2
Ron Perks Wrekinsport CC V DNF
Henri Bedford Revolutions Racing J DNS

 

Veterans Result:

 

Vets Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Vets Points
1 Ian Coupland Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 4:14.46 20
2 Neil Coles Oswestry Paragon CC V 4:40.86 18
3 John Robertson Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 5:31.43 16
4 Jenny York Mid Shropshire Wheelers LV 6:04.42 14
5 Dave York Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 6:17.59 12
6 Jim Percival Wrekinsport CC V 6:42.80 10
Ron Perks Wrekinsport CC V DNF

 

Juniors Result:

 

Junior Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Junior Points
1 Devon Round Rhino Velo RT J 4:03.48 20
2 Matthew Redworth Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 4:19.77 18
3 Sam Morris Revolutions Racing J 4:25.43 16
4 Dan Morris Wolverhampton Wheelers CC J 4:48.04
5 Kieran Cooksey Wrekinsport CC J 5:12.42 14

 

Women’s Result:

 

Women’s Pos’n Name Club Cat Time Women’s Points
1 Laura Smith Birmingham University L 5:12.90
2 Jenny York Mid Shropshire Wheelers LV 6:04.42 20

 

 

 

Cumulative standings after two rounds

 

Overall Top 10:

 

Position Name Club Cat Best 5
1 Kirk Vickers Rhino Velo RT S 40
2 Dan Watts SCCA Private Member S 36
3 David Scott Rhino Velo RT S 32
4 Devon Round Rhino Velo RT J 24
5 Ian Coupland Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 20
6 Matty Redworth Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 16
7 Tyler Brennan Hafren CC J 14
8 Chris Roberts Hafren CC S 12
=9 Mark Hammond Paramount CRT S 8
=9 Sam Morris Revolutions Racing J 8

 

Veterans standings:

 

Position Name Club Cat Best 5
1 Ian Coupland Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 40
2 Neil Coles Oswestry Paragon CC V 36
3 Jenny York Mid Shropshire Wheelers LV 26
=4 Andy Collins Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 16
=4 John Robertson Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 16
6 Mike Holwill Hafren CC V 14
7 Dave York Mid Shropshire Wheelers V 12
=8 Jim Percival Wrekinsport CC V 10
=8 Pauline Hughes Revolutions Racing LV 10

 

Junior Top 10:

 

Position Name Club Cat Best 5
1 Devon Round Rhino Velo RT J 38
2 Matty Redworth Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 34
3 Tyler Brennan Hafren CC J 20
4 Sam Morris Revolutions Racing J 16
=5 Alfie Mortimer Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 14
=5 Kieran Cooksey Wrekinsport CC J 14
7 Sam Holwill Hafren CC J 12
8 Lewis Page Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 10
9 Lucy Hart Mid Shropshire Wheelers LJ 8
10 James Satoor Mid Shropshire Wheelers J 6

 

Women’s standings:

 

Position Name Club Cat Best 5
1 Jenny York Mid Shropshire Wheelers LV 36
2 Lucy Hart Mid Shropshire Wheelers LJ 20
3 Emma Serjeant Hafren CC L 18
4 Pauline Hughes Revolutions Racing LV 14
5 Louise Downward Hafren CC L 12