Gullen produces emphatic triumph

Gullen, a 22-year-old from Kippax who riders for professional Metaltek-Scott team, covered the course in 2hr 54min 20sec to take victory from Team Bglobal rival Ben Dean, who led in a chasing group of six riders.

Sheffield time trial ace Gunnar Gronlund – the national champion at hill-climbing – secured victory in the Bordwell Wheelers’ 10-mile event at Hatfield Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, on Saturday.

The 24-year-old RST Racing Team rider clocked 20min 58sec to take the win by 18 seconds from Kent visitor Seth Kay (Datateam Allstars), while Scunthorpe’s Tony Nash, a 46-year-old who rides for Scunthorpe Poly CC, was another 12 seconds off the pace in third.

Oxford visitor Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy CT) won the Otley CC 10-mile event in North Yorkshire.

The 35-year-old covered the Topcliffe to South Kilvington course in an impressive 21:00, despite a headwind on the outward leg.

He was fastest by 16 seconds over runner-up Mark Wolstenholme, a 34-year-old Team Swift rider who lives near Haxby, while Hartlepool’s Shaun Tyson was third, another 19 seconds slower.

There were victories for some Yorkshire riders in other categories, though, with Team Swift’s Steve Gore-Brown taking the 40-49 category with a time of 21:39, and Pontefract’s Jo Blackburn (also Team Swift) proving best of the women, holding off Harrogate Nova’s Joanna Ketteringham by almost a minute.