The UK cycling season traditionally ends with the National Hill Climb Championships, which this year were held in Matlock, Derbyshire.
Despite an average gradient of 14% over its 834m, peaking at 20%, a remarkable 240 riders took to the start line.
Dan Monaghan was on hand to capture the gurning and the glory. Take a look at a few of his shots in the gallery below.
There will be lots more from Dan in the forthcoming issue 13 of Conquista. Keep an eye out for it . . .
Also in Blog
New Season, New Team
New for 2023, we will be following the progress of Evie Field, a young female bike racer as she graduate from her club team Liverpool Century, to make her debut season as a Junior with JRC-Interflon Race Team, racing at National level in the UK and on the Continent. In her first regular update she tells us about making the jump from racing as an individual for a club, to joining her first big team and joining their pre-season training camps.
Gift Guide For Book Worms
Laura Fletcher takes a quick look at some of the latest cycling titles to hit the bookshop shelves including books by Ned Boulting, Max Leonard, James Hibbard, Jeremy Wilson, Dan Martin. You can also check out Matthew Bailey's review of Jeremy Wilson's biography of Beryl Burton in Conquista Issue 28.
Most Liveable Place Part 7: Two Years On, But What Has Changed?
It feels to us like Liverpool is a city at a crossroads. The worst pedestrian and cyclist road safety track record in the country. Deprived neighbourhoods with chronic health issues and low car ownership. Offered millions of pounds of central government funding for local transport development, the city has elected to remove an important active travel corridor prior to the publication of a review into its effectiveness. The actions of a local councillor, praised by the City Mayor, could lead to a huge reduction in local transport funding that will set the city back years. We look back at the last two years, the impact of Covid, and ask is this the end of the road for a co-ordinated active travel plan for Liverpool?