The Mille Maglia cyclo-cross sportive challenged riders with a combination of off-road tracks and rural byroads.
After skirting Bury St Edmunds and passing the remote hamlet of Culford Heath the route went from the Hill of Health at Culford to the Deadman’s Grave near Icklingham via sandy tracks with big puddles.
Finally came a determination test for riders aiming for the full hundred kilometres - resist the temptations of the Maglia Rosso cafe/bike shop at Hawstead and first tackle a final loop culminating in a steep climb through Chadacre Park.
Early arrivals at the Maglia Rosso included Adrian Healey (Gipping RT) showing muddy evidence of an unsuccessful attempt to hop from one Land-Rover track rut to another.
Later Patrick Crew (Boxford Bike Club) finished the 70 kilometre route on his gravel bike. That’s a drop handlebar, longish wheelbase machine, which even though featuring wide tyres still has massive clearances.
- The Wolsey Road Club reliability trial was based at Bredfield and took riders through Eye to the Norfolk border, returning via Metfield. Wolsey member Steve Cave joined a 20-strong fast group where the pace was set mainly by Ipswich BC members. Failing fitness and punctures gradually reduced the group to five riders including Cave and Stuart Fairweather, the latter getting to the Wolsey’s beans on toast and bacon butties at Bredfield in just over three hours.
- The Sporting Courses East (SPOCO) competition is a season-long league for time-trialists based on rural, single carriageway courses and placings rather than times.
Local winners in 2016 were Verity Smith (Stowmarket & District) in the Ladies, and among the men,
Andrew Leggett (VeloVelocity) in the Vets 40-50 and Jim Hardwicke (Plomesgate CC) in the 50-60 age group.
- West Suffolk Wheelers combined their awards night with a roller racing competition in which Chris Hinnett was top man, while the biggest hauls of trophies went to Paul Vickers and Zoila Gilham-Fernandez. The Service to the Club cup went to Michael Lawson while there was a lifetime achievement award made to Neville Pettitt.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here