Peter wins Mad March Hilly

CYCLE Club Sudbury’s new offering for the 2011 season, their Mad March Hilly time trial, proved an intriguing roadmen-versus-testers encounter.

Time-trialist Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers emerged the winner, covering the 21.7 miles in 51:07, one minute 12 seconds quicker than the promoting club’s Simon Wright, who saw the event mainly as training for mass-start road racing. Third place went to Stowmarket TT star Andrew Leggett in 53:45, just six seconds up on Ipswich BC roadman Phil Hetzel. Fastest lady was Stowmarket’s Miriam Edwards in 1:14:02.

Starting out from Lavenham, the riders touched Sudbury before going on to Newton Green, Boxford, Hadleigh, and Monks Eleigh before returning to Lavenham. The biting east wind and rolling roads made the event a real early-season pipe-opener.

* The Eastern Road Race League got under way with a tough Crest CC road race where Jamie Caldwell (St Ives CC) was the winner and Lowestoft man Liam Gentry one of the prime movers.

The 71 mile race was on a 10 mile circuit near Saffron Walden. Gentry (VC Baracchi) and Paul Brown (CC Luton) made the first significant break. After a lap they were joined by Caldwell and Owen Lake (Cambridge CC) and these latter two survived to hold a two minute lead over the final laps. The circuit was one of relentless climbs and descents and young riders were in their element with 21 year-old Caldwell finally winning from Lake who is just 18.

However experience played a part, with Caldwell’s team mates Lee Desborough, from Soham, and Paul Fielding doing a very successful job blocking attacks from the bunch.

Third place went to Alex Peters of CC Hackney and Gentry blasted up the long finish hill to miss out on fourth place by no more than twelve inches.

Dominic Schils from Colchester won the opening round of the South East Road Race League near Tunbridge Wells. Riding for his Belgian club Van Eyke Sport he was part of a large leading group that was gradually whittled down to three, finally overhauling Tom Copeman (Sigma Sport) in the final sprint.

* A late start cost Nino Piccoli the win in the CC Breckland 10 near Watton. Last man off, the Red Lodge rider reached the starting timekeeper with 2:13 already on the watch and finished in 24:59, still good enough for second place behind Chris Rimes (Fenland Clarion) who finished in 23:53. Lowestoft man Simon Asher was third, Chris Nudds (CC Breckland) fourth while Anthony Birt of Ipswich BC put in an outstanding ride to take fifth place in 25:14.

The Breckland event provided a grey, drizzly start to the Norfolk timetrial season and might well have been dubbed the Tour of the Potholes, but had the virtues of very quiet roads, a tailwind finish and a convivial HQ at Scoulton. Nikki Hawkes (VC Baracchi) was women’s winner in 31:02.

“My slowest-ever time” she said – it was that sort of day.

Riders in the Shaftesbury CC’s 200 kilometre Audax had a quiet time – one was accompanied by a Barn Owl along a short stretch. However determination was needed to complete the up-and-down route across Essex from Ugley to Coggeshall and back and then through Herts and Cambridgeshire to Guilden Morden, finally returning, for slower entrants at least, in the dark.

Results

CC Sudbury Mad March Hilly 22, Lavenham: 1 Peter Balls (West Suffolk Wheelers) 51:07, 2 S Wright (CC Sudbury) 52:19, 3 A Leggett (Stowmarket & District) 53:45, 4 P Hetzel (Ipswich BC) 53:51, 5 D Fuller (Team Swift) 54:09, 6 S Daw (CC Sudbury) 54:37, 7 D Staff (Anglia Velo) 55:12, 8 A Jardine (Ipswich BC) 55:19, 9 T Stephenson (Ipswich BC) 55:45, 10 D West (Amis Velo) 56:34.

CC Breckland 10 - Scoulton: 1 Chris Rimes (Fenland Clarion) 23:53, 2 N Piccoli (Team Pedal Revolution) 24:59, 3 S Asher (VC Norwich) 25:01, 4 C Nudds (CC Breckland) 25:12, 5 A Birt (Ipswich BC) 25:14, 6 B De’ath (Anglia Velo) 25:20, 7 D Davis (CC Breckland) 25:28, 8 A Cross (CC Breckland) 25:38, 9 M Newnham (VC Baracchi) 25:40, 10 P Ellis (Diss CC) 25:42.