The Mid-Suffolk Road Race on the Willisham-Barking-Offton circuit was dominated by a seven-man break featuring local riders Owen Geeson (Fast Test), Stephen Clark (Ipswich BC) and Mark Powell (Stowmarket & District), writes Fergus Muir.
With a tailwind on the twisting descent into Offton this handy working group exploited their advantage over the larger but much more unwieldy bunch. The gap widened and narrowed, but the break was never caught.
On the final climb past Willisham church it was Bjorn Krylander of Cambridge CC who belied his 50-plus years to win just ahead of Istvan Varga (Rapha), and Owen Geeson (Fast Test) with Connor Rumbles (Strada Sport) seventh and first Junior.
Mark Richards (DAP CC) took the circuit race championship of the Eastern Road Race League after a group of four sustained a near race-long break on the Redbridge closed circuit. Damian Clayton was the race winner, but Richards was the first finisher from an ERRL club.
Next day in the 70 mile Rapha Road Race, Richards joined in another break with John Mulvey (Cambridge University) and Tom Heal (Strada Sport).
Last time up the punishing climb out of the Cam Valley Mulvey attacked to win by 12 seconds. Though cramping up Richards held on to second spot, while Heal was overhauled by Oliver Knight (Corley) but took fourth, 43 seconds down on the winner.
“Titch” Richards drove home a happy man with a new first category licence in the bag.
Andrew Proffitt (Ipswich BC) won a damp Diss 25 in 53:30 with Lee Shipp (57:22) top finisher from the promoting club.
Kimberlee Charlton, Harley Matthews and Mark Powell were winners at the third round of evening racing at RAF Honington.
Denise Hurren (Sole Bay Sport, 23:30 – plus 5.39) was best woman on age standard in the Veteran’s TTA 10 at Wortwell.
There was a team win for Lowestoft club VC Baracchi. Decided on best improvements on age standard Paul Dennington (+4:49), John Swanbury (+3:33) and Paul Hayward (+3:37) were the top trio.
At the Radical Bikes MTB races Elvita Branch was Elite winner while there was a second place for Ipswich veteran Dan Howe.
RESULT- Mid-Suffolk Road Race
1 Bjorn Krylander (Cambridge CC), 2 Istvan Varga (Rapha CC), 3 Owen Geeson (Fast Test RT), 4 Louis Julian (DAP CC), 5 Stephen Clark (Ipswich BC), 6 Mark Powell (Stowmarket & District CC), 7 Connor Rumbles (Strada-Sport), 8 Colin Peck (Chelmer CC), 9 Chris McKnight (CC London), 10 Mike Padfield (Kings Lynn CC).
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