Tejvan Pettinger of the Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team smashed almost 10 seconds off Ben Greenwood’s Jubilee Tower hill climb record on Sunday 4 October. Pettinger, 32, an Economics teacher from Oxfordshire, completed the gruelling 1.75 mile course in the Lancaster Cycling Club’s open event in 7 minutes 13 seconds, almost three-quarters of a minute ahead of second-placed Jonathan Knox of Kent Valley RC. Carl Hellewell of Blackburn and District CTC was third in a still very creditable 8 minutes, 6 seconds.
The early riders in the strong field of 17 had to endure a moderate rain shower, but by the time Pettinger was out on the course the conditions had dried, and, with a slight following wind, some fast times were always on the cards. But the Oxfordshire rider blasted up the course at an average of 14.55 mph, leaving the rest of the field trailing in his wake.
Pettinger, who rides for the Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team, had ridden the Otley hill climb in gale-force winds the day before, but the longer distance of the Jubilee Tower course in the spectacular hills above Lancaster suited the tall 32-year-old perfectly. Clearly delighted to have slashed such a sizeable chunk off Ben Greenwood’s course record, he vowed to return in 2010 to defend his crown.
Last year’s winner of the event, Adam Pinder, who had come within 4 seconds of Greenwood’s record in 2008, was unable to ride this year, while Ben Greenwood himself was away racing in Australia.
Event organiser, Alistair Hodge, can be contacted on 07889 288452.
Previous course record: Ben Greenwood, 7 mins, 22.9 seconds.
Tejvan Pettinger smashing the course record in 2009
