TWO riders for Mike Vaughan Cycles followed in the footsteps of the best currently in the business by taking part in the Holme Valley Wheelers climb of Holme Moss which was featured in this year’s Tour de France.
Both Matt Clinton and Jack O’Neill headed up to Yorkshire and Cheshire in what was a busy weekend for the pair in preparation for the National Championships at the end of the month.
They first took part in the Huddersfield Star Wheelers Hill Climb at Jackson Bridge on Saturday morning – an event Clinton has won on a number of occasions.
He completed the one-mile course in 4:17.6, which was ten seconds off his best time and good enough for third position overall.
While O’Neill’s second attempt saw him finish eighth in a time of 4:48.2.
A couple of hours later both riders were back in action again for the Holme Valley Wheelers climb.
The 1.3-mile climb would tackle a steadier, more exposed gradient and fatigue hit the Leamington pair the entire race but they still managed to record 7:06 and 7:51 for third and fifth places respectively.
Sunday morning was a different challenge up Cheshire’s Killer Mile of Mow Cop.
The majority of the course climbs at a steady 10 per cent while the top 100metres suddenly ramps up to a leg-busting 25 per cent climb to the line.
Hoping to have recovered well from Saturday’s efforts, O’Neill was off a few minutes before Clinton and had 5:01 to beat from 2013.
And finishing strongly on the final section, he would chopped seven seconds off his personal record to finish in 4:54.
Clinton was aiming to equal is former course record of 4:24 and he did just that by setting a new course record to finish in 4:22.8.
The record however last just two minutes with Tejvan Pettinger’s kocking 2.4 seconds off Clinton’s time.
Having completed their biggest weekend so far both Clinton and O’Neill are building form nicely for the Nationals at the end of the month.
