WELLINGTON Wheelers Cycling Club (WWCC) held its most successful end of season hill climb event at Buckland Hill.

Fifty-nine riders started and all 59 completed the gruelling course on a crisp, bright autumn day with blue skies and unbroken sunshine.

The riders consisted of six juniors, 43 men and ten women. Although competition for the top spots was fierce, no records were broken this year which was largely attributed to the very cold air. A sizeable number of supporters and spectators gathered to see the first rider off at 10am followed by one a minute for more than an hour.

Missing this year was course record holder Dean Robson but his position was convincingly challenged by a rising star on the WWCC racing scene, Laurence Douglas-Greene. He came home in 9.13, only 12 seconds off the 9.01 record. First woman was Hannah Newsham in 12 minutes and Brad Messenger showed most of the seniors how to do it by leading the juniors with a staggering 10.38.

Back in the village hall after the race, the organisers thanked David Sheppy (Sheppy’s Cider) and Ben Turner (Ben Turner Bike Maintenance) for their generous donations of prizes for what was another successful running of this fabulously informal but fiercely fought last race of the season.