Nichols and Owen sweep up on The Rake

National Hill-Climb favourite list grows ever-longer in Lancashire, reports Snowdon Sports

A single second separated winner Andy Nichols from his team-mate Kieran Wynne-Cattanach as they battled for honours on The Rake climb in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, on Sunday.

The Team Lifting Gear Products pair will both be in medal contention heading into the National Hill-Climb Championship later this month and there was little between them on the 875-metre climb.

Nichols flew up the climb, which ramps up in stages though the streets of Ramsbottom and has a maximum gradient of 22%, in a time of two minutes and 24 seconds. The 33-year-old added his name to an illustrious list of winners including the likes of Malcolm Elliott, Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree.

WynneCattanach was narrowly behind in second and Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance) took third a further six seconds back (2:31).

“Kieran has been close to me a few times and I suspect that if I was to do a longer race with him he might get me,” said Nichols after taking his eighth victory of the season. “I think our training runs [on The Struggle being used for the National Championship] have been very similar times but I’m finding he’s got the edge on me on these longer ones.

“We’re motivated to put in the best ride we can. I’ve mainly been focusing on the shorter climbs so I don’t really know what my longer race form will be like. I’ve been trying to do all the classic long-running hill- climbs this year. It’s been really fun getting the chance to race the really historic ones.”