ADRIAN WILLIAMS and Wendy Nicholls enjoyed contrasting fortunes on Saturday as they prepared for the European Duathlon Championships in Madrid next month.

Both Cirencester AC athletes had high hopes of podium places at the British Duathlon Championships at Clumber Park in Worksop where they tackled a bumpy 10km run, a 40km bike ride and a further 5km run.

Williams earned a magnificent bronze medal in the 40 to 44-year age group category (19th overall); his training partner Nicholls, meanwhile, had what she described as ‘a nightmare’ in trying to defend her national title.

One of the favourites for the race, also in the 40-44 age group, Nicholls took the wrong course and, although doubling back, she was recorded as a DNF (did not finish).

“It was so frustrating,” said Wendy. “I was in second place overall when I missed a turning point.

“I have checked the results and had my time counted I would have won my age group and been among the top four overall finishers.

“It was a nightmare but I won’t be making the same mistake twice. Put it down as a lesson learnt. Now I will look forward to the Europeans next month.”

Williams was delighted with his third place in a time of just under two hours at a hilly and windy Clumber Park, particularly as he was nursing a sore hip.

“I had been disqualified in the Dambuster Duathlon and then I fell off my bike on a training run hurting my hip so I was saving a little bit at Clumber Park,” said Williams. “My main focus is definitely Madrid.”

Last year Adrian finished 11th (sixth Brit) in the European Triathlon Age Group Championships in Kitzbuhel, Austria, but he is confident of a better placing in Spain.

“I feel that my swimming is my weakest discipline so I am better at duathlon than triathlon,” said Adrian, who comes from a running background and only took part in his first multi-sport event in 2010.

“And as I turn 40 in April I am going to be one of the youngest in the 40-44 age group instead of one of the oldest in the 35-39s.

“I’d love to be in the top three Brits in my group and of course, to pick up an age-group medal would be even better.”

Williams is a founding director of DM Focus, a marketing company in Cirencester, which does 90 percent of its work with charities including Crisis, Dogs Trust and Prostate Cancer UK.