Roselló Solé builds huge lead as Antila and Troup join forces in the women’s Winter Spine Race

Heading into the last 100 miles of the Montane Winter Spine Race and the situation in the men’s and women’s races could hardly be more contrasting.

Spain’s Eugeni Roselló Solé won what is billed as ‘Britain’s most brutal race’ back in 2013 and has returned almost every year since but this looks like his best chance of a repeat success as he’d built an advantage of around 20 miles over his nearest challengers by mid-morning on Tuesday having started the 268-mile route up the Pennine Way at 8am on Sunday.

But in the women’s race there is nothing between Finland’s Johanna Antila and Britain’s Anna Troup, the reigning Summer Spine Race champion.

Out on his own

Roselló Solé has been to the fore pretty much throughout and several of his main rivals – including American John Kelly – dropped out of the race inside the first 24 hours.

The weather, which had been snow and ice at the start, has eased and become much milder but that also means much wetter.

None of that has deterred Roselló Solé though who has had a smile on his face at the checkpoints and gradually built up a commanding advantage.

He reached CP4 at Alston shortly after 11am on Tuesday by which point the ‘chasing pack’ was close to 24 miles behind.

In second was Britain’s James Hargreaves, with France’s Sébastien Raichon in third. There were then three men locked together a further five miles back – Brits James Leavesley and James Nobles alongside Poland’s Pawel Cymbalista.

Dynamic duo

In the women’s race meanwhile Antila and Troup have been running together for some time and are also very close to that Leavesley / Nobles / Cymbalista group.

Antila has led virtually throughout the race but she was joined by Troup in between Malham and Hawes and the duo have forged on together since then.

Passing the 150-mile mark at Forest-in-Teesdale they were around five miles clear of Fiona Horsfield (GBR) in third, who in turn was eight miles up on fourth-placed Sophie Grant (NZL).

RELATED CONTENT: Follow the rest of the race live here.