Hodgkinson fifth at the UK 24hr championships
ENDURANCE mountain bike rider Tom Hodgkinson has just missed out on a medal at the 24hr Mountain Bike UK Championships.
The 34-year-old from Sileby was up against 73 rivals tackling the gruelling coure at Fort William which consisted of a 7.5 mile circuit with an ascent of 1,150ft each lap.
Training under the supervision of Lee Eaton at Transition Cycle Coaching saw Hodgkinson starting his day at 4am to complete training most days, including the weekend.
He went into the race with no expectations apart from completing the full 24 hours. As the race set off he was in good spirits and as the night drew in made sure he had eaten the right things to keep his energy levels up and kept himself warm and dry with various pit stops for a quick change and food.
After 24 tough hours Hodgkinson came fifth place in the Solo Male and sixth overall out of 74 competitions.
He said: “‘I was absolutely over the moon to get fift place in the UK championships, completing 24 laps which in total was 180 miles and climbing over 28,000ft. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of a few special people, my wife Mel and fellow pit crew member Lisa Scott for keeping me going through the day and night, Team JMC for their continued equipment and support, Steelyeyed clothing for their support, Lee Eaton at Transition Cycle Coaching for keeping me in top shape, and Pedal Power Loughborough for helping me out.”
He will be back in action next year when the new 2020 season kicks off with a race at Kielder Forest in February.