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Michael Hutchinson wins Brompton World Champs & Bike Blenheim TT double + VIDEO

Bike Blenheim organisers say this year's event best yet ...

Michael Hutchinson won the men's Brompton World Championship and the time trial at the - deep breath - Breast Cancer Care Bike Blenheim Palace Festival of Cycling held today. Apart from a bumper turnout of family riders keen to enjoy the closed roads of a spectacular World Heritage Site, there were sportive rides into the Oxfordshire countryside, a top-class time-trial and the Brompton World Championships. Moving the event from the riskier weather of October into peak summer appears to have paid off for the organisers.

With the typical air of an August English village fete - or, at least, one where the weather behaves - there was top class competition around a closed 6.5km circuit within the grounds of Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.


Brompton World Champion Michael Hutchinson

The time triallists numbering 165 and starting at one-minute intervals completed three laps of the challenging course for a total of roughly 20km and no-one was too surprised when Michael Hutchinson of the In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp Racing Team and the standing men's National Champion at 10, 25, 50 and probably a few other distances tore around in 26:08. The only person who might have felt aggrieved was the second-placed finisher Matt Bottrill (i-Ride UK) who came in 11 seconds later having won it last year when Hutchinson didn't compete. However, standing on the podium with his kids, he certainly wasn't showing it and he had his teammate Scott Walker with him for company as a result of a third-placed 27:51 time.

First woman - and fourth overall - was GB Paralympian World Champion Sarah Storey of Team Horizon Fitness Prendas Cyclismo at 28:29 with Emma Grant second at 30:40 and third Bronwen Ewing of the Rye & District Wheelers 31:35.


Bike Blenheim Palace: cycling events don't get any better than this

The Brompton World Championship was the usual spectacular affair with a biggest-ever entry of 800 riders in corporate jackets and ties making a Le Mans-style start with a run and a quick unfold before starting two laps of the Blenheim circuit. Except that not too many of the riders interpreted the jacket-and-tie dress code very corporately. Contingents from the worldwide heats, most numerously the USA, France, Japan and Spain took their opportunity to out-eccentric the English who certainly weren't holding back on the barminess themselves. And then there were the Scots in as many kilts as you'd see gathered outside a Highland wedding.

The men's winner again, in a fetching green blazer this time with the rear vents pinned for aerodynamic advantage, was that man Michael Hutchinson in 21:15 who took home a custom-painted Brompton and matching luggage, while second place went to Gavin Morton of the Brompton Factory Team in 21:38 - he works in the accounts dept according to Brompton founder Andrew Ritchie who was handing out the prizes. Third place went to Aaron Ritz of Trophy Bikes in Philidelphia, USA who went round in 21:39.

The women's Brompton World Champion for the second year in a row in a time of 23:35 and also taking home her own 'art' Brompton was Rachael Elliot with top-road time-triallist Julia Shaw - a previous winner - coming in second with 24:05 and Julie Secor of the United States third with 27:34.


Women's Brompton World Championship podium

 

 

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15 comments

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Littlehuan | 12 years ago
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Not in the video myself, but I did find fame via a German news website... http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-71871-11.html Not sure why Winston Churchill would be proud, perhaps only that I credit him for changing the way in which road-building is funded by abolishing Road Tax...

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stevebull-01 | 12 years ago
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Was a great day, very well organised. Well done to all the sportive riders!

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rbx | 12 years ago
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Completely agree with @slow-cyclo above. Would've liked if the races, specially Brompton championships, started a bit later. Would've been great to watch it after the sportive.

Again agree, those bacon rolls were just too good (despite the queue) to make me forgive anyone, anything  1

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Old Cranky | 12 years ago
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Mr. Patriot outfit kindly created by Mrs Old Cranky.

Picture of me looking for the oxygen tent as I passed over the finish line...

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Old Cranky | 12 years ago
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Picture of me in photo 21 eyeing up the competition.  26

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nick_rearden replied to Old Cranky | 12 years ago
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Old Cranky wrote:

Picture of me in photo 21 eyeing up the competition.  26

Union Jack helmet'n'tie or black bow tie?

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the_villain | 12 years ago
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Well done to Gavin for getting second place to Hutch in the BWC11. Charlotteville CC 2nd cat and Brompton Bicycle employee.

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nick_rearden replied to the_villain | 12 years ago
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the_villain wrote:

Well done to Gavin for getting second place to Hutch in the BWC11. Charlotteville CC 2nd cat and Brompton Bicycle employee.

I noted down Andrew 'the ultimate legend' Ritchie saying that Gavin worked in Brompton's accounts department. I chuckled at the way he said 'accounts department' with ill-disguised disgust. Obviously had a few run-ins with accounts in his time. Certainly wouldn't want to be the one asking him to submit VAT receipts with his expenses.

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Littlehuan | 12 years ago
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The guy in the fourth gallery photo won Best Dressed Male and took an Oratory Jacket back to the Netherlands with him. Beat The Mask, Big Ben, and even my co-ordinated safari suit ensemble.  14

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nick_rearden replied to Littlehuan | 12 years ago
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Littlehuan wrote:

The guy in the fourth gallery photo won Best Dressed Male and took an Oratory Jacket back to the Netherlands with him. Beat The Mask, Big Ben, and even my co-ordinated safari suit ensemble.  14

Thanks for the cloggy tip, Patrick. Was this your safari suit?

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Littlehuan replied to nick_rearden | 12 years ago
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Sadly that's not me. I was photographed and interviewed for a German news website, so when that come up I'll post a link when it comes up.

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slow-cyclo | 12 years ago
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Shame they couldn't organise any of the races so that some of us, ahem, slightly slower sportive riders could see a bit of either. However, having bacon rolls at feed station on a sportive means you can be forgiven just about anything  4

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nick_rearden | 12 years ago
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It certainly was OC! I came away feeling quite emotional but that might have been a touch of the sun.

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Velo_Alex | 12 years ago
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I would have been there but it was the first real day of summer here so I went riding instead. Congratulations to Rachael for defending her title!

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Old Cranky | 12 years ago
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Excellent day! The Brompton race was superb.

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