Hadleigh Pedal House proprietor Adam Chamberlin won the Abberton Road Race after a long breakaway in company with Orwell Velo’s James Sherwood.
The 49 mile race for lower category riders was promoted by Colchester Rovers CC on a seven mile circuit crossing and re-crossing Abberton Reservoir - a draughty prospect on a dry but breezy morning.
There were several attempts to split the race by various breaks. Larger groups - ones that looked dangerously likely to stay clear - were soon chased down. But pairs of riders were sometimes allowed a little rope.
Bradley Nelson (DAP CC) and Chris Thomas (East London Velo) had a handy lead coming into Layer-de-la-Haye at around half -distance, but they were back in the bunch a lap later.
Sherwood and Chamberlin, neither of whom had previously won a race, were likewise allowed to open a gap. However they worked well together and made the bunch pay for this underestimate.
With two laps to go they were 44 seconds clear while at the bell - one lap to go - their lead was up to 68 seconds.
On the exposed curving approach to the finish, with a headwind becoming a tailwind near the line, Sherwood led at first but Chamberlain took the front over the final 50 metres and won in a final blast.
The bunch, having finally woken up to the danger, came in 26 second later, with Will Drury (Pro Cycle Hire) taking third overall ahead of pink-clad Jacob Clapp (Jam Cycling). Sean Dunlea (Bloodwise/QSW) who had cannily picked Drury's wheel to follow, took fifth spot while Paul Brooks (Rapha CC) and Neil Hughes (Velo Schils) ploughed their own furrows on the other side of the wide reservoir new road, to claim sixth and seventh respectively.
Triathlete Charlie Holt (11th) was top West Suffolk Wheeler to finish, Chris Parker (13th) was best from Ipswich BC while Oli Partner (17th) won the Junior Prize and was first finisher from Colchester Rovers.
A combination of bad weather and roadworks near the finish forced the cancellation of the Veteran's TTA 25 at Six Mile Bottom.
RESULT - ABBERTON ROAD RACE, 49 mls, Colchester:
1 Adam Chamberlin (TPH Racing), 2 James Sherwood, (Orwell Velo), 3 William Drury (Pro Cycle Hire), 4 Jacob Clapp (Jam Cycling RT), 5 Sean Dunlea (Bloodwise QSW), 6 Paul Brooks (Rapha CC), 7 Neil Hughes (Velo Schils), 8 Sam Toy (Velo Schils), 9 Douglas Allen (Velo Schils), 10 Alister Campbell (Eagle RC). 11 Charlie Holt (West Suffolk Whs), 12 Steven Griffiths (Pro Cycle Hire), 13 Chris Parker (Ipswich BC), 14 Andrew Keedle (TPH Racing), 15 Cliff Steele (Brixton Cycles Club), 16 Steve Noel (Rapha CC), 17 Oli Partner (Colchester Rovers), 18 Michael Bell (Fast Test RT), 19 Alex Scordellis (CC London), 20 Bradley Adams (Maillot Noir CC).
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