Matt Day of Ipswich club Orwell Velo won the Diss CC Road race after riding alone off the front for the last hour of the race,

East Anglian Daily Times: Becky Ridge (TPH Hadleigh, right) takes the win from Heather Mayer (CC London) at Diss. Picture: FERGUS MUIRBecky Ridge (TPH Hadleigh, right) takes the win from Heather Mayer (CC London) at Diss. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

In contrast, Becky Ridge of TPH Hadeigh took the Women's race by a margin of just four-hundredths of a second.

Both races were held over a five mile triangular circuit between North Lopham and Kenninghall.

In the Men's race significant attacks included one by Chris Parker (Ipswich BC), James Sherwood (Orwell Velo) Darren Rutterford (Iceni) and Peter Blencowe (Cambridge CC)

Then, just over an hour into the race the blue vest of Matt Day appeared round the Kenninghall hairpin with a big lead, with the bunch not showing much enthusiasm for chasing.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tom Wright (left) and Philip Large lead the sprint for the minor placings at Diss. Picture: FERGUS MUIRTom Wright (left) and Philip Large lead the sprint for the minor placings at Diss. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

If the collective feeling was that Day would "blow", it proved a big mistake. The lead extended from 45 seconds to nearly a minute. Tim Guy tried to bridge the gap in company of Leon West (CC Sudbury), but the bunch swallowed them up again.

Day was indeed tiring - he had to ease off over the top of the last climb - but in the bunch thoughts were focussing on who might get second place.

At the line Day had 55 seconds lead and Philip Large of Iceni Velo took that second place. Thomas Wright (OnForm) was next and Stephen Messenger (East London Velo) fourth.

The women's race, like the men's, was restricted to third and fourth category riders, and 24 women joined the roll-out past North Lopham King's Head. They were unlucky to run into a shower when the men had a dry day.

East Anglian Daily Times: Amy Johnson (West Suffolk Wheelers) leads a string at North Lopham. Picture: FERGUS MUIRAmy Johnson (West Suffolk Wheelers) leads a string at North Lopham. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

The crucial moment came after only 25 minutes when Harley Pell (LIV/AWOL) doing her turn at the front, looked round, wondering why no-one was taking over - and found herself alone.

Not being a sprinter, Pell decided to press on and during the rest of the lap six other competitors joined her to make a leading group: Ridge of TPH, Heather Mayer (CC London), Jihanna Bonilla-Allard (Hopey BR), Rachael Brown (Pro Vision), and Elizabeth Danckert (Army CU).

This group worked well together and never looked like being caught. Hadleigh rider Ridge, an experienced cyclo-cross competitor but riding her first road race, won the sprint from Heather Meyer.

It was over four minutes later that Haddi Conant of Essex team (Datalynx-Parenesis) won another sprint for eighth - still in the prizes and the ranking points.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sue Triplow (CC Sudbury) on the way to the top womens prize at Stowmarket. Picture: FERGUS MUIRSue Triplow (CC Sudbury) on the way to the top womens prize at Stowmarket. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

The Stowmarket & District CC's Bank Holiday Monday 10 at Thurston was won by Nick Partridge of VC Baracchi in 20:04, well clear of Plomesgate CC's Matt O'Brien (20:38) and the promoting club's Adrian Pettitt (20:50).

Bury St Edmunds rider Paul Jay seized fourth place with a fast return leg.

Visitor Jon Surtees was 17 seconds up on Jay at the turn, with East Anglian VTTA chairman Andrew Grant 11 seconds behind Surtees and David Crisp from Colchester a further five seconds back.

However, by the finish the order was shuffled to Jay (20:54), Surtees (20:59), and Grant and Crisp tied on 21 minutes exactly.

East Anglian Daily Times: David Crisp of Colchester Club 3T Racing in close contention for fourth overall at Stowmarket. Picture: FERGUS MUIRDavid Crisp of Colchester Club 3T Racing in close contention for fourth overall at Stowmarket. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Sue Triplow (CC Sudbury) was fastest woman on 23:57 while second place was close between Kay Burgess (24:38) and Isabella Johnson (24:39).

The Eastern Counties CA 25 mile championship was won by Matthew Senter (Peterborough CC) in the fast time of 49:13, despite an unfavourable wind direction.

Top local finishers were Andy Proffitt (Ipswich BC) fourth in 50:26 and David Harding sixth in 51:10. Jenny Millmore (Islington CC, 5611) was fastest lady.

The CC Hackney Road Race on the Great Thurlow circuit was won by Edmund Bradbury (Memil CCN). There was a sixth place for Seb Herrod of Strada Sport while Gary Freeman (Pedal Power Ipswich) featured in a long break at the head of the field but eventually had to settle for ninth.

At London's Hog Hill purpose-built bike racing circuit there was a win for Mark Richards (DAP CC) from Colin Ward (Essex Roads) and Bury rider Sam Asker.

RESULTS:

DISS CC ROAD RACES, North Lopham, 48 miles:

MEN, Cat 3/4 55 miles:

1 Matthew Day (Orwell Velo)

2 Philip Large (Iceni Velo)

3 Thomas Wright (CT OnForm)

4 Stephen Messenger (East London Velo)

5 Darren Rutterford (Iceni Velo)

6 Sam Baxter (DAP CC)

7 Spencer Laborde (Iceni Velo)

8 James Milson (Iceni Velo)

9 Peter Blencowe (Cambridge CC)

10 Justin Fisk (Stowmarket & Dist)

WOMEN, Cat 3/4:

1 Becky Ridge (TPH Racing)

2 Heather Mayer (CC London)

3 Jihanna Bonilla-Allard (Hopey BR)

4 Rachael Brown (Pro Vision)

5 Elizabeth Danckert (Army CU)

6 Harley Pell (Liv Awol)

7 Sarah Hardy (Pro Vision)

8 Haddi Conant (Datalynx-Parenesis)

9 Nicola Soden (Datalynx-Parenesis)

10 Melinda Atkinson (Lovelo Squadra)

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT 10, THURSTON:

Overall: 1 Nick Partridge (VC Baracchi) 20:04

2 Matt O'Brien (Plomesgate CC) 20:38

3 Adrian Pettitt (Stowmarket & Dist) 20:50

4 Paul Jay (VeloVelocity) 20:54

5 Jon Surtees (CES Sport) 20:59

6= Andrew Grant (Cambridge CC), David Crisp (3T-RACING) 21:00

8 Leon West (CC Sudbury) 21:12

9 Martin Reynolds (Cambridge CC) 21:14

10 Mark Greenhow (St Neots CC) 21:27

11 Dan Blackburn (VC Norwich) 21:31

12 Chris Crabtree (Orwell Velo) 21:42

Women: 1 Susan Triplow (CC Sudbury) 23:57

2 Kay Burgess (VeloVelocity) 24:38:00

3 Isabella Johnson (Datalynx-Parenesis) 24:39.