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Illi Gardner claimed her fourth British National Hill-Climb title on Sunday, finishing the 6.6km Porlock Toll Road climb in 17:33. She said she struggled with the cold and wind and started too hard, but the course suited her and she beat Maria Holdcroft by 40 seconds.
Illi Gardner won her fourth British National Hill-Climb title on Sunday, completing the 6.6km climb of Porlock Toll Road in Somerset in 17 minutes 33 seconds. The Cardiff Ajax CC rider finished 40 seconds ahead of Maria Holdcroft after a race she described as difficult in cold, windy conditions.
Gardner said the weather unsettled her before and during the effort. “On the day I kind of freaked out a bit, and didn’t handle it very well,” she told Cycling Weekly after the race. She added that training in poor weather had helped her prepare, even though the conditions remained uncomfortable on race day.
The 27-year-old said she had intended to pace herself and save energy for the upper part of the climb, where riders were reportedly facing headwinds. Instead, she went out too hard and found herself “really slogging it into the wind at the top.” Despite that, she took the women’s title in 17:33. Holdcroft, of Cowley Road Condors CC, was second.
Gardner said her preparation for the hill-climb had been uneven because she had focused on the Everesting World Championships about four weeks earlier. She successfully defended that title, an event she described as lasting around 14 hours. She said she had hoped to complete more hill-climb training beforehand, but the longer event had taken priority.
Gardner Adds a Fourth National Crown
The result gives Gardner a fourth national hill-climb title and extends a successful run that also includes her recent defence of the Everesting World Championship. The victory came despite her account of a disrupted race plan, showing that she was able to hold the lead through a challenging final section.
For the women’s field, the margin over Holdcroft was 40 seconds on a 6.6km climb. The race report does not provide split times or additional performance data, so the result establishes the finishing gap but not where it was made. Gardner’s comments also offer a direct account of how the weather and pacing affected her ride.
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A Long Climb in Somerset
The National Hill-Climb championships were held on Porlock Toll Road, a 6.6km route climbing onto the shoulders of Exmoor. The report describes conditions as cold and windy, with headwinds affecting riders on the upper section. Gardner said that wearing a racing jersey and shorts felt particularly uncomfortable in temperatures of about 10 degrees Celsius.
The men’s race was won by Welsh rider Ed Laverack of Assos UK Race Team. However, 16-year-old Ezra Bateman recorded the fastest time of the day, finishing in 14:31 and beating Laverack’s time by 0.2 seconds. Bateman was awarded the junior title rather than the senior title. In the women’s results, a provisional third-place listing for Rebekah Hendrickse was changed after she was listed as disqualified; Karolina Zydelyte was then shown as taking the final podium place.
““On the day I kind of freaked out a bit, and didn’t handle it very well.””
— Illi Gardner, speaking to Cycling Weekly
Provisional Results and Race Conditions
The account does not give full intermediate times, wind measurements or a detailed breakdown of how the weather affected each rider. Gardner’s description of the headwinds and her pacing is her own account; the report provides no independent measurements of conditions on the climb.
The final women’s podium also followed a change to provisional results. Hendrickse was initially listed in third place and later shown as disqualified, apparently for failing to sign on properly; the report does not provide further detail about the decision. Zydelyte was listed as the eventual third-place finisher.
Gardner’s Next Racing Focus
The report does not identify Gardner’s next race or set out a future schedule. She has completed the national hill-climb championships after defending her Everesting World Championship title earlier in the month. Any further targets or plans were not included in her post-race comments.
The immediate next step for readers seeking a definitive account of the podium is the final championship results, particularly given the change to the provisional third-place listing. No further update or formal explanation of that change is included in the source report.
Key Questions
Who won the 2026 British National Hill-Climb women’s title?
Illi Gardner, representing Cardiff Ajax CC, won her fourth national hill-climb title.
What was Gardner’s time and winning margin?
She completed the 6.6km climb in 17:33, finishing 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Maria Holdcroft.
What conditions did Gardner face?
Gardner described the weather as cold and windy, with headwinds on the upper section. She said temperatures were around 10 degrees Celsius and that she had started harder than planned.
Who finished third in the women’s race?
Karolina Zydelyte was listed as the eventual third-place finisher after Rebekah Hendrickse, initially shown in third in provisional results, was listed as disqualified. The report says the disqualification appeared to relate to signing on but gives no further explanation.
Who recorded the fastest time of the day?
Sixteen-year-old Ezra Bateman recorded the fastest time, finishing in 14:31. He was awarded the junior title, while Ed Laverack won the men’s race.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
