Newmarket electrician Jason Bouttell who has his eyes firmly on honours in the national mountain bike series this year, showed his dominance in a regional context with a seven-minute win a Henham Park.

East Anglian Daily Times: James Rush - sole CC Sudbury finisher in West Suffolk Wheelers' Hilly Time Trial. Photo: ROGER RUSHJames Rush - sole CC Sudbury finisher in West Suffolk Wheelers' Hilly Time Trial. Photo: ROGER RUSH (Image: Archant)

Bouttell stamped his authority on the men’s race with the only “inside-15 minute” lap of the day and finished 7:05 up on Kieran Jarvis of Team OnForm, despite Jarvis going well enough to beat both Seb Herrod and Andrew Cockburn who had the better of him at Hadleigh Farm last month..

This was the second round of the Mud, Sweat and Gears series – but proved to be quite without mud – in fact there was a dry loamy surface on the woodland trails of the Latitude Festival venue near Southwold. In place of mud there was a penetratingly cold wind.

Races started after a flurry of jacket-throwing, as competitors left disrobing to the last moment and the heroes of the day were probably those in exposed marshalling positions.

There was a star ride from Ipswich rider Jack Parrish, sporting his new purple colours of Team Vision Innovative Leisure and leaving the rest of the Junior field seven minutes in arrears.

Fastest of all the women was Sally Watts who finished 3:24 up on Alison Goss, while best Veteran Woman was Jo Newstead (XRT/Elmy Cycles) from Ipswich.

Amis Velo’s Mark Wellsted beat established men’s 50-plus leaders Nick Ainsworth and Mark Wingar to take the Grand Veteran award.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich rider Ant Birt, winner of West Suffolk Wheelers Hilly Time Trial. PhotoFergus MuirIpswich rider Ant Birt, winner of West Suffolk Wheelers Hilly Time Trial. PhotoFergus Muir (Image: Archant)

West Suffolk Wheelers were pleased to find that while there was snow on the fields and in the air, the roads that formed the Risby-Flempton-Cavenham circuit used for their Hilly Time Trial were blown entirely clear and the event went ahead.

The win went to Ipswich rider Ant Birt who covered the two-lap 21 mile course in 53 minutes 10 seconds.

Birt described how it was bitterly cold with a gusty crosswind on the descent into Flempton, promptly followed by a “lovely tailwind” to Lackford, before it became “almost serene” on the deeply sheltered climb to Cavenham. A crosswind over Risby Poor’s Heath and a hard but mercifully short headwind leg completed the lap.

Taking second place, 20 seconds down in actual time, but scoring his first win on Veteran’s Age Standard was Steve Cave. Now riding for Suffolk Coastal club Plomesgate CC and using shallow-section training wheels because of the crosswinds Cave was nevertheless ultra-cautious on the corners.

The scratch list continued with roadman Kieran Brady in third place on 53:42 followed by Jim Hardwick (54:38), Paul Rooke (56:23) and then former Olympic trackman Ross Edgar on 56:51 – notably beating local time trial star Paul Jay, if only by just one second.

Next came James Rush (58:18) sole starter out of five entrants from CC Sudbury, keen to get some racing miles in before the Plomesgate 10 tomorrow.

Promoters West Suffolk Wheelers took the team prize with Paul Rooke (56:23), Daniel Sharman (58:37) and Pip Moore (58:50)

The Bury club also kept the women’s prize “in-house” with Laura Brown’s 1:13:17 as well as the Best on Medium Gear award won by Boyd Nicholas (1:03:52). Nicholas managed to avoid repeating his exploit last year of pushing his bottom bracket off the bottom of his frame.

Essex cyclists have been shocked by the sudden death, from a stroke, of Terry Anderson of the Shaftesbury CC.

Terry, who was 78, had held many posts in the local administration of Cycling Time Trials, as well as organising Audax rides and being himself a determined competitor.

The weather forced the cancellation of the Ipswich BC Spring Scramble road races.

RESULT – West Suffolk Whs Hilly 21, Risby:

1. Antony Birt (Team Bottrill-Vanguard) 53.10, 2 Steve Cave (Plomesgate CC) 53.30, 3 Kieran Brady (Team KTM UK) 53.42, 4 Jim Hardwick (Plomesgate CC) 54.38, 5 Paul Rooke (West Suffolk Whs) 56.23, 6 Ross Edgar (Lee Valley) 56.51,7 Paul Jay (VeloVelocity) 56.52, 8 James Rush (CC Sudbury) 58.18, 9 Julian Bosley, (Stowmarket & Dist CC) 58.29, 10 Darren Sharman, (West Suffolk Whs) 58.37

First Woman: Laura Brown (West Suffolk Whs) 1:13.17.Team: West Suffolk Whs, Paul Rooke, Darren Sharman, Pip Moore 58:50 = 2:53.50.

Veterans on Std: 1 Steve Cave +2.44, 2. Antony Birt +2.34, 3. Jim Hardwick +2.15

Medium Gear: Boyd Nicholas, West Suffolk Whs 1:03.52.