Tanfield sets out TT stall with Manchester win
Track star salutes time trialling scene after taking course record
Olympian Charlie Tanfield is preparing to take the domestic time trialling scene by storm after he won the Manchester and District TTA’S 10-mile race at a canter at the weekend, taking the course record in the process.
Fresh from collecting silver in the team pursuit at the European Championships last month, Tanfield posted 19.50, over a minute and a half faster than his nearest challenger. The best woman on the day was Kate Richardson (Alba Development) with a time of 23.29.
Speaking to CW, Tanfield said: “I surprised myself. I didn’t think I’d go that speed. I’m doing the same course again in two weeks’ time, so hopefully I can get another course record then.”
The Yorkshireman had only ridden two CTT events in his career before the weekend and explained that his friends’ enthusiasm for testing was part of what had led him to target it in 2023.
He added: “I wanted to get amongst the CTT scene a bit more this year. Yeah, just because it ties in really well with my track stuff.
“It’s really fun, I enjoy it… Everyone’s keen to chat about nerdy stuff about bikes. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, you go there, and you just try and beat your time. And then everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone is in the same situation and I think that’s what makes it so good.”
The Saint Piran rider said he was pleased to see a big field on the cold morning in March and that “it’s all going well” with the time trialling scene after many of his more Ttfocused friends had told him about the scene’s diminishing rider numbers.
He said he will likely try and target the 10-mile national title, though he will need to see if the date of the event clashes with the World Championships in Glasgow in August; the 2022 edition took place at the end of August.
“I surprised myself. I didn’t think I’d go that speed”
Track and time trialling pair well together, Tanfield said: “Obviously it’s a longer-duration effort, but it’s all maximal efforts in the skis.”
Tanfield was using a brand-new custom handlebar that he had a hand in designing himself in collaboration with specialist carbon manufacturer Fibre-lite.
“I’m really lucky this year to actually be given sort of my TT bike set-up anyway, like full free rein, so I can literally do whatever I want within the UCI limits, which gets me really excited.”
Referring to the custom bars, he said: “I’m going to make them UCI legal this year, so I can do the Tour of Britain and Olympia’s Tour on them. I do have aspirations in the future of maybe moving into that space.”