Great Scott is beaten on the day, but still strikes gold.
The first four medals of the BBR Opticians Hill Climb Series were sealed in the penultimate round of the competition, Newport Shropshire CC’s Station Road-Ironbridge climb.
And for once reigning title-holder Dave Scott didn’t get his own way on the day, but still recaptured the trophy.
Scott was named Shropshire Hill Climb champion for the third year running, but just missed out on victory in round eight by a single second to a newly-signed Dave Scott Coaching team-mate James Pearce.
Pearce charged up the three-quarter mile climb towards Broseley in three minutes 26 seconds and was delighted with the win.
“Happy to win on a short course against Dave, great organisation and nice to get a one-two," he said.
Scott hasn’t travelled to this course in eight years and found out that if you don’t treat the initial bend with respect, you can pay for it later.
“My first time racing the Newport climb since 2017, so not one I know as well," he said. "I went out far too hard up the first steep pitch and regretted it for the second half of the climb.
"I'm very happy to retain the title for a third year, especially as I was made to really battle for it this year with several of the wins by less than two seconds."
Two of the key riders pushing Scott to the limit were Tomos Hales, who finished third in 3:44, and Kirk Vickers, who was fourth a further three seconds back.
Hales and Vickers are now split by just two points in the battle for second place overall.
The BBR Female Series was also sealed with Claire Blackwell-Smyth taking gold after putting herself in an unbeatable position.
Blackwell-Smyth finished Female runner-up on the morning in 5:58, behind Newport junior Fay Jackson in 5:39.
The Paramount rider has plugged away doggedly with two wins and three runner-up spots in the competition, posting some personal bests along the way.
Gold and silver were also settled in the BBR Veterans' Series, but like Scott, the medallists did not have it all their own way thanks to an interloper.
Making his first appearance in a hill climb since 2016, and on the same course, Paramount’s Stuart Proctor claimed victory in a time of 4:40.
Veterans' runner-up Peter Fletcher beat Oswestry Paragon clubmate Neil Coles after crossing the line in 5:08.
But that wasn’t enough to stop Coles, who finished three seconds behind in fourth, from securing the gold medal, consigning Fletcher to silver.The round seven action at Swayney Cliff, Coalport had seen Scott claim a narrow win.Scott stopped the watch on the half-a-mile course in two minutes 10 seconds, pushing out Steven Prince, who was making a belated first appearance of 2025.Four-time hill climb champion Vickers had to settle for the final podium place with a highly respectable 2:25.Talented youngster Evelyn Charles took on her second-ever hill climb and came away with the Junior win.The 12-year-old Mid Shropshire Wheeler also claimed victory in the Female competition by 20 seconds from Blackwell-Smyth in another impressive outing.Charles crossed the line in 3:34 and is definitely one to watch for the future. Coles took the maximum 20 points available in the Veterans' Series to take county honours behind Prince.
