Gary Freeman scored his first win for Pedal Power Ipswich when he outsprinted Mike Auger (Iceni Velo) to win the opening of the Lotus Cycle Race Series, writes Fergus Muir.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kimberlee Charlton (DAP CC) womans winner at Lotus. Picture: FERGUS MUIRKimberlee Charlton (DAP CC) womans winner at Lotus. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Stowmarket rider Freeman, who joined the Pedal Power team at the start of this season, was returning to grassroots racing after taking part in the top-ranked Lincoln Grand Prix on Sunday.

The one-hour race at Lotus had barely settled down when a break of six clipped off the front of the bunch. Then another six bridged across to make a slightly unwieldy leading break of 12.

It soon split. Mike Auger (Iceni Velo), Freeman and Andy Taylor (DAP CC) forged off the front. Taylor made repeated attacks, but each time Auger and Freeman hauled him back and at the finish Freeman outsprinted Auger with Taylor coming in a couple of seconds behind.

With the leading three safely beyond being caught, Taylor's DAP CC teammate Mark Richards put is a super-fast last lap - four minutes 42 seconds - to take fourth place while Dale Johnson won the sprint for fifth place from Bungay rider Morris Bacon.

Kimberley Charlton (DAP CC) won the women's race from an amazingly small women's entry - third place actually going begging.

The new arrangement for the supporting race of combining the Fourth Category entrants with Third Cats aged over 50 seemed to work well.

East Anglian Daily Times: Mike Auger, second at Lotus, seen here at Ixworth last week. Picture: FERGUS MUIRMike Auger, second at Lotus, seen here at Ixworth last week. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

The race ended in a bunch sprint with Ivan Carr (Pedal Revolution) winning a mass sprint from Patrick Grant (Iceni Velo) and Steve Ogley (Velo Schils)

Local winners in the supporting Youth races at Hethel included Charlie Johnson (Fast Test, U16), Jodie Taylor (Team Terminator), Harley Gregory (West Suffolk Whs) and Abbey Thompson (Suffolk Youth RT)

There were nearly 50 entrants in the first round of the summer cyclo-cross series in the grounds of the Maglia Rosso café/bikeshop near Bury St Edmunds.

Charlie Payne won the Under 12s from Sam Brook with Gracie Thompson first Girl. In the race for Under 14s and Under 16s it was a win for West Suffolk Wheeler Harley Gregory from Josh Palfreyman with Cambridge Youth Team rider Abigail Miller top Girl.

Katie Scotter from Ipswich took the Women's award while the 21 rider field in the Senior Men's race - up to and including the over 70s - was headed by Ben Findlay.

Next race in this entry-level series is on the evening of Tuesday 11th June. See the Maglia Rosso Facebook page for details.

East Anglian Daily Times: Colin Ward (Essex Roads CC) winner of the Maldon 25. Picture: FERGUS MUIRColin Ward (Essex Roads CC) winner of the Maldon 25. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Further south there was entry-level mountain bike racing on the Travers Bikes course at Potash Farm between Hockley and Rochford in Essex. Winners here included Mark Wellsted, Oli Edwards and William Smith.

Colin Ward (Essex Roads CC) won the Maldon & District 25, negotiating the twists and turns of the Dengie Peninsular sporting course in the 52:31, a time no-one else in the 70 rider field could approach. Second was Christopher Smith of the Eat Plants not Pigs CC in 56:14 while top female was Deborah Coyle (VC Elan, 1:04:02).

Winners at the Wisbech Wheelers 25 mile time trial were Daniel Bloy (VeloVelocity, 52:44) and Kay Burgess (VeloVelocity,1:03:28).

Successful participants in John Thompson's 200 kilometre Audax ride based at Lound near Lowestoft included a three-generation family entry of grandfather, son-in-law and 14 year-old grandson Jaden Simpson who was unfazed by the 127 mile route which he completed in 10 hour 15 minutes.

Looking further afield, local MTBers racing in the National Cross-Country Series on Cannock Chase included Ipswich rider Dan Howe (seventh in the vets 40-50) and Elvita Branch (13th in Expert/Female).

In road racing Harley Matthews (DAP CC) was second in the Thames Velo's 80 mile road race in Oxfordshire, won by George Fowler.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kay Burgess of Bury St Edmunds-based team VeloVelocity was top woman in the Wisbech Whs 25. Picture: FERGUS MUIRKay Burgess of Bury St Edmunds-based team VeloVelocity was top woman in the Wisbech Whs 25. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

The Godric CC and the local cycling community as a whole have suffered a sad loss with the death of Rowley Stevenson, a gentle, genial presence at cycling events in the Norfolk/Suffolk border area for many decade

RESULTS Lotus Evening Series Round 1:

Men E/1/2/3: 1 Gary Freeman (Pedal Power Ipswich), 2 Mike Auger (Iceni Velo), 3 Andy Taylor (DAP CC), 4 Mark Richards (DAP CC), 5 Dale Johnson (Velo Schils), 6 Morris Bacon (DAP CC), 7 Ross Fawcett (Pedal Power Ipswich), 8 Jake Hales (Spirit Tifosi), 9 Harley Matthews (DAP CC), 10 Charlie Wright (Strada Sport).

Women: 1 Kimberlee Charlton (DAP CC), 2 Mandy Bunn (Datalynx).

Men 4th Cat & 3rds 50+: 1 Ivan Carr (Pedal Revolution), 2 Patrick Grant (Iceni Velo), 3 Steve Ogley (Velo Schils),4 Ben Flanagan (Artel), 5 Tom Webster (Videre RT), 6 Phil Marler (Godric CC), 7 Simon Crook (Yorkies), 8 Thomas Girling (Rock Estate), 9 Tom Lawrence (VC Norwich), 10 David Husband (Godric CC).

East Anglian Daily Times: Daniel Bloy (VeloVelocity) overall winner at Wisbech. Picture: FERGUS MUIRDaniel Bloy (VeloVelocity) overall winner at Wisbech. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

WISBECH WHEELERS 25: 1 Daniel Bloy (VeloVelocity) 52:44, 2 Kevin Hobbs (Peterborough CC) 53:54. 3 Jon Surtees (CES Sport) 54:57, 4 Simon Daw (Datalynx-Parenesis) 55:40, 5 Phil Lee (Wisbech Whs) 58:05, 6 Jon Talbot (Wisbech Whs) 58:10.

Women: 1 Kay Burgess (VeloVelocity) 1:03:28, 2 Sarah Senderski (Team Bottrill) 1:03:56.