Felixstowe mountain bike racer Elvita Branch took an overall win in the Revel Outdoors Winter Series despite coming second in the final round in wintry conditions at Shouldham Warren near Downham Market.
Branch (Sussed Out Suspension) led Emily Quantrill (Pedal Addiction) by 16 seconds at the end of the first lap of their three-lap, 90 minute race.
Though Quantrill got by on the second lap and held on to win, Branch took the series with 710 points, adding to teammate Laura Sampson’s event and Series win in the Women’s 40+ category.
There was standing water on the course as the three-hour races got under way on the 5.5 mile circuit, with eventual 40+ winner Derek Wilson (IMbikemag) and Andy Sampson (Sussed Out) in front with Dan Howe (Wolsey) holding third. Senior (18-39) winner was Andy Cockburn of Newdales Cycles.
By the time the 90-minute competitors joined in, the sandy soil had drained well. At the front of this field Kieran Jarvis, now riding for Writtle College-based Cycle Team On-Form, and unattached Chris Skinner set the pace. Skinner eventually opened a gap to win the Seniors while Jarvis was top Junior. Top finisher from LifecyclesUK was James Buckingham (fourth), while Revel Outdoors’ Tom O’Neil was sixth on the day but ends the Series third overall.
- Snow in eastern parts of the region may have accounted for several non-starters in the classic Ely and District Hardriders time trial.
Cambridge University riders dominated the top of the results with their Felix Barker winning in 56:27.
Top Suffolk riders were VC Baracchi’s Mark Richards seventh in 1:00:08 and Liam Gentry ninth, 25 seconds slower. Stuart Fairweather, in his first race in VeloVelocity colours finished in 1:03:35, seven seconds ahead of Essex rider Colin Lewin (Velo Schils). CC Sudbury’s James Rush finished in 1:6:15 while Wolsey RC riders Cliff Matthews and Karen Eaton finished in 1:18:50 and 1:21:28 respectively.
In the pre-season racing on London closed circuits there was a second place for Ipswich BC’s Adam Colbert and a fifth spot in the higher E/1/2/3 category for Claydon rider Josh Andrews, now riding for Morvelo Basso RT.
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