Report: 2012 Brompton World Championships

Time Trial stars Michael Hutchinson and Julia Shaw are fastest male and female in 2012 Brompton World Championships at Blenheim Palace

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The 7th Brompton World Championship were held on Sunday and for the fifth year in succession, it was held in the UK, as part of the Bike Blenheim Palace Festival Of Cycling. Time trial specialist Michael Hutchinson confirmed his credentials with a second successive win in a course record time.

The event sold out its 750 places in just two weeks and the glorious weather ensured a bumper turn out, with 682 riders taking to the track in 25Ëšc conditions. Competitors were spurred on by a large number of enthusiastic spectators.

Hutchinson wiped almost an entire minute off his 2011 time and completed the course in 20 minutes 17 seconds; Julia Shaw took the prize for Fastest Female in 23 minutes and 39 seconds, she last won the female category in 2009.

As ever, the event was an international affair with 34 nationalities represented including Anders Hedqvist, who had spent the last 18 days pedalling from Stockholm to London on his Brompton in order to take part. Twelve first place winners from six of the Brompton National Championships held this year were also present.

The expansion of the Bike Blenheim Palace event as a whole, now held over two days, meant there was space for two additional Brompton events on the track. The Brompton Marathon saw 150 riders tackle the 26 mile sportive route in the Cotswold countryside, many completing the route in less than 2 hours.

The Brompton Sprint also proved to be an intense affair as riders battled it out in groups of three to try and set the fastest time on the 300m uphill course. Yu Shing Tang and Susan Todsy, female winner of the Brompton US Championship, beat the rest of the field to take the glory.

A number of enthusiastic individuals took up the gauntlet of taking part in all three events in an attempt to win the title of the Brompton Treble. Richard Spencer, who came 14th in the World Championship, 9th in the Sprint and completed the Marathon, won the male category, whilst Susan Todsy picked up her second accolade of the day.

The team event was hotly contested with the Brompton Factory team just stealing it from Kingston Wheelers and Small Wheels Big Difference closely behind in 2nd and 3rd place respectively with the latter showing that even a Land’s End to John O’Groats charity ride on Bromptons couldn’t prepare them for the fast course at Blenheim Palace…

Event organiser Katharine Horsman said: “The Brompton World Championship has been popular for several years now and we have been at capacity for the last three years. The expansion of the Blenheim event gave us the opportunity to add some new disciplines to the mix both to appeal to new participants and to really challenge the events serious fans. We had a great turnout early in the morning for the Marathon and I think the Sprint may be the new hot ticket in town, great fun to watch and, from all accounts, good fun to take part in.”

Aside from the racing Brompton had a number of off-track events which kept the crowds busy across the weekend. Andrew Ritchie, inventor and founder of Brompton Bicycle held a question and answer session on Saturday afternoon, Heinz Stucke, the worlds most travelled man, talked to visitors about some of his epic journeys on a Brompton. Competitions were also held including Brompton roller racing supported by Nuun Hydration and the famous Brompton folding competition; Daiju Yokota of Japan wowing fellow Bromptoneers with a fold in 8.35 seconds.

Will Butler-Adams, Brompton’s Managing Director, commented: “The Brompton World Championship is a great reminder to us all what these bikes, and cycling in general, should be about; having fun! Yes, it’s a race but it’s hard not to have a grin on your face as you fly around the track with 700 others all wearing jacket and tie.”

Results in Brief

Male
1. Michael Hutchinson
2. Paul Flynn
3. Gavin Morton

Female
1st Julia Shaw
2nd Lee Miseon
3rd Isabel Hastie

Veteran Male 1st Hubert Kivet
Veteran Female 1st Pauline Warner
Junior 1st Jake Norman

Team event
1st Brompton Factory 1
2nd Kingston Wheelers CC
3rd Small Wheels Big Difference

Veteran Team: Ludlow Lounge Lizards

Best dressed Male: Alan Morris
Best dressed Female: Audrey Shannon

RESULT (Click here for full result)

1. Michael Hutchinson
2. Paul Flynn
3. Gavin Morton
4. Oliver Mytton
5. Tadashi Mori (Japan)
6. Brock Duncumb Rogers
7. Antonius Wubben (Netherlands)
8. Richard Lee
9. David Rees
10. Austin Bell

42. Julia Shaw
88. Lee Miseon (Seoul)
119.Isabel Hastie

 

 

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