18 | July 25, 2019 | Cycling Weekly
NEWSKemp: from fan to
champion in one yearComp records
topple at National
24-Hour Champs
Murray and Kemp add several miles to old
marks in Cheshire, writes Snowdon Sports
B
oth the
men’s and
women’s
comp-
etition records were
broken as two new
riders were crowned
national 24-hour
champions after the
title race in Cheshire
last weekend.
Christina Murray
(Army Cycling) was
one of three women to break the old
record as she powered to an
impressive 478.42 miles, making up
for the 2018 title race where she
pulled out after 18 hours.
And Graham Kemp (Team
Bottrill) won the men’s title with a
massive 544.32 miles to break Andy
Wilkinson’s eight-year-old record.
Murray, who broke the 26-year-
old previous best held by family
friend Christine Roberts by 17
miles, said: “Passing the 18-hour
point was the most mentally
challenging part — knowing I still
had six hours to go destroyed me
last year.
“The people I was riding in
memory of and my crew really
pushed me along — I’m just
shell-shocked I managed to do it!
I knew I had a chance to set the
record and it spurred me on and I
gave it my everything in the last
two hours.”
Also breaking Roberts’s previous
best were last year’s champion
Crystal Spearman (Born to Bike)with 464.70 miles for second spot,
as well as 24-hour newcomer
Pip Jenkins (Southborough and
District Wheelers), who covered
463.80 miles.
Kemp covered 544.32 miles
to break Wilkinson’s previous best
by around three miles, and was
riding the event for the first time
after getting hooked as a spectator
in 2018.
“The crowds were amazing and I
just had an instant love so I just had
to ride it,” he said. “I spoke with my
dad and my coach and we made a
plan so this was my main goal for
the year and it all came together.
“I had a rough time around the
16-hour mark but I just got on with
it — I worked out I roughly had a
chance of beating the record so I
just gave it my all and I can’t tell you
how pleased I am.”
Reigning men’s champion Andy
Jackson (AeroCoach) had been on
track for another win until he
clipped a car, crashed out and spent
the night in hospital.Jenkins, Murray and
Spearman (l-r) all beat
Roberts’s record