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Illi Gardner won the women’s 2026 British National Hill-Climb Championship on Porlock Toll Road in Somerset, securing her fourth title. She completed the 6.6km climb in 17:33, 40 seconds ahead of Maria Holdcroft, despite saying the cold, windy conditions unsettled her and disrupted her pacing plan.
Illi Gardner won her fourth British National Hill-Climb Championship on Sunday, taking the women’s title on Porlock Toll Road in Somerset after completing the 6.6km climb in 17:33. The Cardiff Ajax CC rider finished 40 seconds ahead of Maria Holdcroft, overcoming cold and windy conditions that she later said unsettled her during the effort.
Gardner, 27, said she found the weather difficult on race day, despite believing the long course suited her. Speaking to Cycling Weekly after the event, she said she “kind of freaked out a bit” and had not handled the conditions well. She added that training outdoors in poor weather had helped her prepare, even though the race itself was uncomfortable.
The champion had planned to pace the climb and save energy for its upper section, where riders had been warned about a strong headwind. Instead, she started too hard and said she was “really slogging it into the wind at the top.” Her finish time of 17:33 was still enough to win by 40 seconds over Holdcroft of Cowley Road Condors CC.
Gardner said her preparation for hill-climb racing had been uneven. She had hoped to do more hill climbs beforehand but had focused on the Everesting World Championships, a 14-hour event held about four weeks earlier. The report says she successfully defended her Everesting world title earlier this month.
Gardner Adds a Fourth Hill-Climb Title
The result adds another national hill-climb championship to Gardner’s record and shows how she converted a difficult race-day experience into a decisive win. Her 40-second margin over Holdcroft gave her a clear victory, even though the conditions and an overly fast start left her struggling on the exposed upper part of the course.
For readers following British road cycling, the result also provides a snapshot of the women’s national hill-climb field and the demands of a long ascent raced against the clock. Gardner’s comments offer a practical detail about the discipline: preparation and pacing matter, but riders can still be forced to adapt when weather and course conditions differ from expectations.
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Porlock Toll Road Sets the Test
The championships took place on Porlock Toll Road in Somerset, with the women’s course covering 6.6km as it climbed toward the shoulders of Exmoor. Gardner said she had heard riders could face a severe headwind near the top. She also described the difficulty of racing in chilly conditions, saying it felt uncomfortable to wear only a jersey and shorts when temperatures were around 10 degrees.
The men’s race was won by Welsh rider Ed Laverack of Assos UK Race Team. However, the fastest time of the day went to 16-year-old Ezra Bateman, who recorded 14:31, beating Laverack by 0.2 seconds. Bateman was awarded the junior title rather than the senior title. In the women’s provisional results, Rebekah Hendrickse was initially listed in third place before being shown as disqualified; Karolina Zydelyte was then listed as the final podium finisher. The supplied report says the apparent reason was a failure to sign on properly.
““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 Leave Podium Detail
The supplied report identifies Gardner and Holdcroft as the first two finishers but describes third place as confused in the provisional results. Hendrickse was initially credited with the place and then listed as disqualified, apparently over a sign-on issue; Zydelyte was subsequently shown as third. The report does not provide a final ruling or further detail about the disqualification.
The source also gives the race day as Sunday but does not provide a calendar date. It does not report Gardner’s exact finishing margin over the third-place rider or supply full results for the women’s field.
Final Results and Season Ahead
The immediate outstanding detail is confirmation of the women’s final podium after the provisional listing changed. The supplied report does not describe any further review or give a schedule for an official results update, so the status of that listing cannot be confirmed here.
Gardner’s fourth national hill-climb crown follows her successful defense of the Everesting World Championship title earlier in the month, according to the report. No next race or specific future target is identified in the source material.
Key Questions
Who won the 2026 British National Hill-Climb women’s title?
Illi Gardner, riding for Cardiff Ajax CC, won her fourth national hill-climb title on Porlock Toll Road in Somerset.
What was Gardner’s time and winning margin?
Gardner completed the 6.6km course in 17:33, finishing 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Maria Holdcroft.
What did Gardner say about the weather?
She said the conditions made her “kind of freak out a bit” and described the upper section as a struggle into the wind. She also said training in poor weather had helped her prepare.
Who was listed in third place?
The provisional results first listed Rebekah Hendrickse in third, then showed her as disqualified, apparently over a sign-on issue. Karolina Zydelyte was subsequently listed as the final podium finisher; the supplied report does not confirm a later ruling.
Who recorded the fastest time of the day?
Ezra Bateman, 16, recorded 14:31 in the men’s event, 0.2 seconds faster than Ed Laverack. Bateman was awarded the junior title rather than the senior title.
Source: rss
