Local riders had a baptism of mud when National Trophy cyclo-cross came to Chantry Park, Ipswich.The course was already planned to be a demanding one before overnight rain and the large number of competitors turned it into a slippery mudbath.

Local riders had a baptism of mud when National Trophy cyclo-cross came to Chantry Park, Ipswich.

The course was already planned to be a demanding one before overnight rain and the large number of competitors turned it into a slippery mudbath.

Riders soon found that attempts to accelerate quickly out of reverse-camber corners resulted in back wheels overtaking front wheels. Worse, the plastic tape that marked out the course could play havoc if tangled with transmissions.

Tape in the gears left Chelmsford Junior David Nichols with no drive at all. He ran to the pits for his spare bike but was into a series of off-course excursions as he tried to get back on terms with the leaders. However he never relented and took fifth - the highest placing of the day by a local rider

Luke Newby (Diss) was ninth, just ten seconds ahead of Matt Cook (Mildenhall CC) who had chased hard after a tense moment at the start left him disentangling his bike from the barriers.

Riders in the Elite men's race had to climb gigantic steps cut into mound.

“Like going up a ladder with a bike on your back” said Shaun Aldous (Lotto/Interbike) who was 24th and best EADT League rider.

Next came Glenn Stanford (API, 29th) whose mountain bike experience was just the ticket for coping with the giddy descent which followed the steps.

The youth race was closely contested with less than a minute covering the first ten finishers. Battling with Patrick Scarboro (Citihub), Hugo Robinson saw his moment to attack when Scarboro clipped the hurdles and, as reported in Monday's EADT, the Ipswich rider seized eighth place, 35 seconds down on the winner.

There was strong local representation in the veterans' race where EADT League vets leader Julian Parker (Ipswich BC) was the highest placed Suffolk rider in 16th. He was 4:54 down on winner Geoff Giddings.

Clive Ling from Diss and District CC was exactly one minute behind Parker and Dave Copland (IBC) a further 50 seconds behind.

EADT women's league leader Rachel Moss, who is a regular National trophy competitor, was eighth in the women's race, 4:52 down on winner Suzanne Clarke, not quite so close as in the previous round in Devon

In good conditions the Under 12s course at Chantry Park is one of the most exciting in the region. On Sunday the twisting single-track became so muddy that competitors were running down as well as up the climbs. James Jackson, winner at Colchester last week, was delayed extracting himself from a holly bush and the best local placing was by Jack Hardwicke (Plomesgate CC) who was third.

National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Round Three Result

Elite: 1 Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) 1hr 00min:52sec, 24 S Aldous (Lotto/Interbike) at 9:08, at 1 lap: 29 G Stanford (API/Metrow), 39 C Beech (Lotto/Interbike).

Women: 1 Suzanne Clarke (SiS/Trek) 38:05, 8 R Moss (Ford CC) @4:42, 11 S Wood (Maldon & District) @8:15.

Junior: 1 Sam Harrison (Cymcarn Paragon RC) 43:08, 5 D Nichols (Glendene/Biketrax) @1:35, 9 L Newby (Diss & District) @4:28, 10 M Cook (Mildenhall CC) 4:38, 15 T Castle (Glendene/Biketrax) @7:12.

Youth: 1 Max Sykes (VC Deal) 26:40, 8 H Robinson (Ipswich BC) @35secs, 29 J Green (Glendene) @5:46, 30 S Connolley (Maldon) @6:41), 31 L Parker (IBC) @8:04, 32 D Young (Glendene) @8:49, @ 1 lap : 35 G Wood (Maldon), 37 A Newstead (IBC), 38 S Dunlea (PCA).

Veterans 40-49: 1 Geoff Giddings (Thule) 40:56, 16 J Parker (Ipswich BC) @4:54, 19 C Ling (Diss & District) @5:54, 21 D Copland (IBC) @6:44, 23 J Hardwicke (Plomesgate) @7:13, C Newstead (IBC) @7:19, T Holmes (Diss) @7:42, 28 I Burch (API) @8:41, G Wood (Maldon) @9:20, 32 K Dunlea (PCA) @9:54, @ 1 lap 36 D Castle (IBC), P Moss (Stowmarket & District).

Vets 50+ 1 Ian Wright (Wyre Forest) 43:27, 13 G Bores (Ford CC) @5:23, 14 P Buick (Thetford MTB) @5:46, at 1 lap: 17 R Smith (IBC), 18 C Gooch (Amis Velo)