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Ezra Bateman, 16, recorded the fastest time at the British National Hill-Climbing Championships on Sunday, completing the 6.6km course in 14 minutes, 31 seconds. Because junior and senior open riders compete for separate titles, Bateman was crowned junior champion while Ed Laverack won the senior open title, despite finishing 0.2 seconds slower.
Sixteen-year-old Ezra Bateman recorded the fastest ride at Sunday’s British National Hill-Climbing Championships, completing the 6.6km climb in 14 minutes, 31 seconds, but he was awarded the junior title rather than the senior open championship. Ed Laverack took the open title after recording a time 0.2 seconds slower, because the event awards separate national championships by age category.
Riding for Decathlon CMA CGM Juniors, Bateman climbed Porlock Toll Road in Somerset, on the slopes of Exmoor, and finished ahead of every rider on the day by time. The course measured 6.6km with an average gradient of 5.5%. Gusty conditions affected competitors following Storm Boelo, according to Cycling Weekly’s report.
Bateman was the last junior to start and passed several riders on the course. He beat the next junior, Oliver Swinburn of Velo Club Lincoln, by almost half a minute. Swinburn’s 14:58 was the fourth-fastest time of the day, the report said. Neither rider was listed in the open results because the junior and senior races are separate championship categories, even though competitors ride the course as part of the same event.
Laverack, of Assos UK Race Team, won the senior open title for the second time in his career. Other category winners included Illi Gardner in the women’s event, Mabli Phillips in the junior women’s event, Christopher Scott in the para category and Geoff Pickin in the 2026 handcycle championship, according to the report.
Why the Fastest Time Did Not Win Open
The result highlights the distinction between the fastest ride overall and the winner of a specific national championship. Bateman’s performance was the quickest on the course, but the title structure recognizes riders within defined categories rather than awarding one overall winner across junior and senior open fields.
That distinction matters to riders and spectators because a single event can produce several champions, each competing under separate eligibility rules. The outcome also puts a teenage rider’s result in perspective: Bateman’s time surpassed the senior champion’s, while his official national title remains the junior championship. It does not change Laverack’s status as senior open champion.
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How the Categories Are Determined
Tim Smith, chair of Cycling Time Trials (CTT), told Cycling Weekly that the championships are run together but award distinct titles: junior, open, women’s and junior women’s. Riders are assigned to a category based on age and gender when they enter, Smith said. Bateman was therefore entered in the junior category, not the senior open event.
Smith said similar situations have occurred before. He cited junior rider Leon Adkins, whose time at an earlier road-bike championship would also have placed him third overall, but who received the junior national title. He also recalled that a possible overall win by junior Harry Hudson had been discussed in previous years, though it did not happen.
Bateman told The British Continental he did not believe he should have received the open title, saying: “Even if I set the fastest time, the two categories are different.” He is due to turn 17 next week and, according to Cycling Weekly, will have to wait until 2028 to race in the open ranks.
““To be honest, no, because it’s a different category. Even if I set the fastest time, the two categories are different.””
— Ezra Bateman, speaking to The British Continental
No Overall Title Was Listed
The report describes separate category results and says Bateman did not appear in the open results; it does not identify an overall championship title that spans all categories. It is also unclear from the available account whether CTT will review how results are presented after the online discussion about the categories. The published explanation from Smith supports the current classification, and no rule change or formal review was reported.
Bateman’s Route to Open Racing
For now, the championship outcomes stand as reported: Bateman is junior champion and Laverack is senior open champion. Bateman turns 17 next week, but Cycling Weekly reports that he will not enter the open ranks until 2028. The source material does not report any planned change to the event’s category system or a further decision on an overall title.
Key Questions
Who recorded the fastest time at the championships?
Ezra Bateman, aged 16, finished the 6.6km climb in 14 minutes, 31 seconds, the fastest time of the day.
Why did Bateman not win the senior open title?
The championships award separate titles by category. Bateman was entered in the junior category based on his age, while the senior open title went to Ed Laverack.
How close was Ed Laverack’s time?
Laverack was 0.2 seconds slower than Bateman. His ride earned him the senior open championship, which he won for the second time.
When can Bateman race in the open ranks?
Cycling Weekly reported that Bateman will have to wait until 2028 to race in the open ranks. He is due to turn 17 next week.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
