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.

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.

Tejvan Pettinger is happy to answer questions and can be contacted on

Event organiser, Alistair Hodge, can be contacted on

Previous course record: Ben Greenwood, 7 mins, 22.9 seconds.

photograph courtesy of www.sportsunday.co.uk