OUTSTANDING all-round athlete Rob Jebb brushed aside punishing heat to win the Fred Whitton Challenge.

Jebb – who won the 2013 Cumbria Sports Awards special award for his contribution to Lake District endurance sport – completed the gruelling 112-mile circuit in a fantastic time of five hours, 47 minutes and 50 seconds.

Soaring temperatures made the 17th annual Fred even tougher than normal.

If taking on the Lakes’ highest mountain passes was not testing enough, the 2,500 competitors had to withstand searing heat as temperatures reached 25 degrees.

At the top of Hardknott Pass – the toughest climb of them all – many riders struggled to complete the steep and twisting ascent without dismounting, as cramp and heat exhaustion took hold, with paramedics, mountain rescue and first aid on hand to help.

Every competitor who completed one of Britain’s premier cycling sportives in such punishing conditions deserves respect, and there were some outstanding efforts from local riders.

Christine Wiejack, perhaps better known for her running exploits for Barrow Striders, showed she is also very talented in the saddle.

The Velo Ulverston rider’s time of seven hours and one minute saw her finish as second lady home, behind Lee Craigie, of Adventure Syndicate, who got round in a staggering 6:43:23.

Kirkby teenager Tom Martin, representing Better Cycling Biketreks Ambleside, was first under-19 home in an excellent time of six hours 36 minutes.

Another Kirkby rider – former Lindal Moor cricketer Pete Armistead – also excelled in a time of six hours, 30 minutes.

Host club Lakes RC were well represented, with 16 members completing the circuit. Quickest of these was Josh Hartley, in 6:36:46, while Steve and Sheilagh Goacher showed age is no barrier racing in the 60-69 category. Steve finished in 8:41:03 and Sheilagh was not far behind in 8:45: 55.

A bunch of Barrow Central Wheelers riders were also in action, with Jonny Hill (6:56:25) leading them home. Pat Herberg finished in 9:03:38 in the women’s 60-69 category.

Ex-Barrow RL skipper Gary Broadbent showed what an accomplished cyclist he is as he completed the circuit in seven hours and nine minutes, alongside his friend and fellow Walneyite Daryn Furness.

Broadbent looked in good shape heading up Hardknott Pass, although he described the experience as “brutal” adding: “That’s the toughest climbing of Hardknott I’ve ever done.”

One-time Furness CC paceman Paul Bayman used the weekend of Lakes-based long-distance challenges as training for upcoming triathlons. After running the Coniston to Barrow 24 hours earlier, Bayman dusted himself down and took on the Fred. He finished in a time of nine hours, 52 minutes as one of six Ulverston Tri Club members to get round.

“What an amazing weekend,” Bayman said of the experience. “I pushed hard and to the limit in the heat but strangely I loved every minute of it.”

Barrow cyclists John Abernethy and Steve Thomas were attempting the race for the first time and were delighted to cross the finishing line in Grasmere under the 10-hour barrier in nine hours and 59 minutes.

Abernethy, a friend of Evening Mail sports editor Matt Davies, was taking on the challenge in aid of Jo’s Appeal, the charity set up in hour of Matt’s wife Jo, the former Evening Mail features writer, who died of ovarian cancer last August, aged 38.

The 44-year-old Abernethy said: “Having only been cycling socially with mates for about three years, taking on The Fred was not a decision I took lightly.

“However, my mate Steve and I were lucky enough to get a place and dedicated ourselves to four months of intense training and dieting.

“It was a great day out and the crowds turned out in vast numbers to cheer us up all the passes. The fact that we completed it in such gruelling heat and raising over £400 for Jo’s Appeal is definitely something I can look back on in years to come and be immensely proud of.

“Jo was an inspiration to us all, as is Matt now, so it feels great to be able to do my little bit to support the charity.”

It was a very active weekend for the Abernethy family, with wife Donna and eldest daughter Kate walking the C2B the previous day.

The Fred Whitton Challenge was set up in memory of former Lakes Road Club secretary Fred Whitton, who died of cancer in 1998, with Macmillan Cancer Support, Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team and North West Air Ambulance being the main charity beneficiaries.