Report: Tandem Championships

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Belated report from the National Tandem Championships organised by Clifton CC at York

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Report: Tandem Championships

The day started in sunshine for seven tandems to take to the line for the time trial at the National Tandem Championships at York.

The tandem team of Phil Houlton Brooks Cycles and Chris Heaton Sports city Velo
Recorded the fastest time of 11:68 (tandem track record), to go into the competition as top seeds. This was very closely followed by the VC StRaphael team of Ben Elliott and Andy Leverton 11:69, with City of Edinburgh pairing of Matt Haynes and Bruce Croall in third spot.

The first round saw Phil Houlton, Chris Heaton proceed through to the semi finals followed by Ben Elliott and Andy Leverton. The final heat was more closely fought out with the very experienced Pete Boyd VC StRaphael and Ryan Whatmough Team Terminator making the most of a gap on the final lap created by the City of Edinburgh pair of Matt Haynes and Bruce Croall to progress through to the semi finals. The reps went to seed with the City of Edinburgh pair going through with ease.

The semi finals were straight rides with no problems for the top two seeds Elliott / Leverton and Houlton / Heaton going forward into the ride off for gold and silver. With Boyd / Whatmough, Haynes / Croall riding for the bronze medal.

After a brief respite we were off again for some superb racing, the finals were best of three. After the initial shock of being beaten in the first round, Haynes and Croall, they made sure that their two rides were flat out and fast, making it hard for the team of Boyd and Whatmough to come around them. Ensuring them the bronze medal.

The ride off for gold and silver wasn’t as straight forward, the first blood went to Houlton / Heaton in a strong ride from the front. The second ride went to the VC St Raphael pair of Elliott / Leverton after Phil Houlton sat up in the final lap.

Taking it to the nail, the third ride approached, on the first attempt, the bars were pulled too hard by the strength of Chris Heaton who suffered a mechanical. On the restart Elliott and Leverton started fastest to be caught lapping on lap two to lose the lead, with Phil Heaton doing his fastest 750m it went to the back straight, when the power of Leverton kicked in for the Elliott / Leverton team to start to over take and hold their line into the home straight to take the win.

It was superb racing from every team and a great open meeting organised by Clifton CC

Time trial
1 Phil Houlton Brooke’s cycles 11.68 track record
Chris Heaton Sport City Velo

2. Andy Leverton VC St Raphael 11.69
Ben Elliott. “

3. Matt Haynes City of Edinburgh 11.90
Bruce Croll. “

4. Pete Boyd VC St Raphael 12.02
Ryan Whatmough Team Terminator

5. Joe Widdowson. 13.22
Cillan Cook

6. Lydia Hayden. 14.65
Jess Atkinson

7. Alice Hayden. 14.93
Emma Pitt
Gold / silver
1. Elliott / Leverton
2. Houlton / Heaton

Bronze medal ride off
3. Haynes / Croall
4. Boyd / Whatmough

Ride off 5-7th place.
5. Widdowson / Cook
6. Hayden / Atkinson
7. Hayden / Pitt

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