MATTHEW Bottrill won the national 50-mile time trial championship for the second consecutive year, beating Michael Hutchinson by two minutes, 13 seconds at Bere Regis.

The Leicestershire postman and defending champion recorded a course record winning time of 1:40:47.

He was 47 seconds up on Hutchinson at the 25-mile mark and it was the stretch on the A31 to Roundhouse that decided the title.

Hutchinson never faltered but Bottrill was in control and looked to be getting faster, edging past Poole-based Adam Topham with four miles to go.

Getting caught was an uncomfortable experience for Topham, who was two and a half minutes down on Hutchinson at the 25 time check, but he rallied well to take his first championship medal.

Bottrill said: “I felt good. I am in the best shape of my life and this is just another step towards the National Road Race Championships in a few weeks.

“I’ve never had to defend a title before so it was quite hard to do that for the first time under a little bit of pressure.”

Hayley Simmonds won the ladies’ championship in her first attempt at the distance (1:58:36).

The 25-year-old from Cambridge took the coveted title by 41 seconds from Luton Cycling Club’s Emily Robertson.

Robertson, also riding her first 50, had led by two seconds at half-distance but as the wind picked up Simmonds’ strength was the game-changer.

Bronwen Ewing (2:01:42) claimed the bronze medal.