Robin Ovenden powers through the Buckinghamshire countryside – minus a water bottle

COMPETING in a field which included Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, Robin Ovenden raced to 21st place in the British Cycling Time Trial Championship – giving his hopes of winning a Commonwealth Games slot next year a huge boost.

Although without any method of hydration after his water bottle was deemed to be ‘non compliant,’ the Caesarean Cycling Club rider battled on and finished just outside of the top 20 in the Buckinghamshire event.

It was a high profile field which included along with Wiggins, who was fourth in this year’s Tour de France, National champion Mike Hutchinson as well as Rob Hayles and Chris Newton.

The Caesarean Cycling Club member said: ‘I’ve been trying for Commonwealth Games qualification and started my campaign in road races.

‘But it’s been disastrous with broken wheels or punctures and I was getting more and more frustrated so I switched over to time trials and this was my first race.

‘It was a bit of a baptism of fire as the race was being governed and the bike had to be set up specifically – so much so that my water bottle was non compliant, because of the shape, and I raced 32 miles without a drink.’