MATT Clinton recorded his biggest victory of the year by winning the National Circuit Championship and the Champion of Champions Trophy.
The Mike Vaughan Cycles rider came up against over 150 riders and the men’s competition would be hotly contested with Clinton and Matthew Bottrill going head-to-head for the CTT Ron Kitching Champion of Champions Trophy.
The event was held at Cranfield. near Milton Keynes, and would take riders round two rolling laps of a non-standard distance course over 20.3miles.
The recent showers were replaced by sunny conditions and a gentle breeze and Clinton welcomed the warmer conditions for the latter riders.
Taking in the first lap at a fast pace, the 30-year-old would not know his biggest challenger Bottrill would be out of the race already with a puncture half-way round the lap.
Suffering from the first lap effort, Clinton pushed hard to the line and clocked 41 minutes and 30 seconds to give him a margin of 44 seconds ahead of Joshua Williams, who in turn would be 3 seconds ahead of third-placed Brett Harwood.
As well as the National Circuit title, this would give Clinton five points in the Ron Kitching Competition – the highest national award in Cycling Time Trials.
This competition is taken from the best three rides in the 10/25/50 Circuit Championships and one first places and two second place finishes would hold Clinton one point ahead of Bottrill.
With the time trial season ending, Clinton now turns his attention to the short hill-climb campaign which culminates at the end of October with the National Championships.
