Ipswich off-road expert Ross Tricker came out top of a three-way fight for the Senior win at the CC Ashwell cyclo-cross near Hitchin.

East Anglian Daily Times: Angus Toms (Iceni Velo) second overall and first Junior at the CC Ashwell event. Picture: FERGUS MUIRAngus Toms (Iceni Velo) second overall and first Junior at the CC Ashwell event. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Although pitted against two riders each barely half his age, near-Veteran Tricker made the winning move on the steepest climb of the circuit - he was the only one of the three who could get up it without dismounting.

Angus Toms (Iceni Velo) - in his first race since crashing out of the Easter Criteriums at Fakenham - chased to take second place, while a missed pedal on the remount put last season's champion Cam Hurst in third spot.

Earlier, as the final selection was emerging, it was 17 year-old Angus Toms who split the front group, with Cam Hurst and Kieran Jarvis following.

Ross Tricker soon bridged to join this Celtic-forenamed tribe, while Jarvis punctured and dropped back. Fourth place therefore went to Sean Dunlea, continuing the Bloodwise/QSW riders rapid upward trajectory through the results.

The weather was far better than the wet journey from Suffolk had promised with the initially slippery course gradually drying out to give a sunny Senior race at the end of the day. It remained sticky in the woodland section however, where tree-roots could catch out the unwary.

Junior Imogen Chastell stirred up the Women's race - leading from the first lap and winning from Gemma Melton (XRT/Elmy) with the rest of the field over four minutes adrift.

East Anglian Daily Times: Womens winner Imogen Chastell (Team OnForm) chooses the high route on an off-camber corner. Picture: FERGUS MUIRWomens winner Imogen Chastell (Team OnForm) chooses the high route on an off-camber corner. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Chastell now rides for the Writtle-based OnForm team and has followed a good road season with racing Central League 'cross. She chose the high line on a reverse-camber corner round overhanging trees that was a new feature of the Princess Helena College course.

The other way round this curving bank was right round the bottom - if you could avoid tangling with the tapes. Some successfully chose this route, other involuntarily slithered down to it.

Laura Brown (fourth) was top West Suffolk Wheeler while Martha Lebentz (fifth) was best-placed from the Hadleigh CC, and XRT/Elmy rider Jo Newstead took the 50-plus award.

In the Vets 40-49 Ben Lewis faced a mid-race challenge from Renvale rider Shaun Aldous who led briefly at three-quarter distance, but the Forest-Side team member eventually won by three seconds.

Jimmy Piper was initially shadowed by Ian Newby in the V50 race, but rode away to win. Adrian Healey (Stow & Dist) was very secure in third spot while Clive Harrison just pipped Bury rider Mike Bowen for fourth.

Quietly finishing in mid-field was former League champion and then League event coordinator Tim Butler (Ipswich BC) now retired from work and likely to soon have an impact on the V60 results.

East Anglian Daily Times: Colchester rider Cam Hurst leads junior winner Angus Toms at the CC Ashwell event. Picture: FERGUS MUIRColchester rider Cam Hurst leads junior winner Angus Toms at the CC Ashwell event. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

Callum Laborde (Iceni Velo) took the Youth race from clubmate Joseph Smith. However, Smith had been the star less than 24 hours earlier when he took fifth place from a field of 81 in the National Trophy race in the Lake District.

Denise Hurren from Wrentham near Southwold was the clear woman's winner in the Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club's 10 mile time trial on the popular Wortwell-Bungay course.

Hurren who is a former runner, finished in 23:42, well over a minute clear of Sarah Senderski (Team Bottrill, 24:45). However third place was tight - Hurren's VeloVelocity teammate Jen Smart was 12 seconds ahead of Great Yarmouth CC's Jan Smith with two miles to go, but Smith reduced that gap to just two at the finish which Smart reached in 25:34, Smith in 25:36.

Forty minutes later Paul Jay made it a double for the Bury-based VeloVelocity team when he put in the fastest time of all, 20:57, to score his first open win for several years.

Martin Reynolds (Cambridge CC, 21:26) was his nearest challenger, ahead of Gavin Lewis (Velo Schils, 21:30). John Bradbury was first CC Sudbury rider in 21:49 while top Plomesgate CC finisher was James Young making his first Open event top ten with 22:08 for eighth place.

East Anglian Daily Times: Chelmsford rider Sean Dunlea striding up the results. Picture: FERGUS MUIRChelmsford rider Sean Dunlea striding up the results. Picture: FERGUS MUIR (Image: Archant)

RESULT:

NORWICH ABC 10, Wortwell:

WOMEN: 1 Denise Hurren (VeloVelocity) 23:42, 2 Sarah Senderski (Team Bottrill) 24:54, 3 Jen Smart (VeloVelocity) 25:34, 4 Jan Smith (Great Yarmouth CC) 25:36, 5 Emma Keiller (Charlotteville CC) 25:56, 6 Jenny Anderson (Great Yarmouth CC) 26:01, 7 Jemma Redhead (Wisbech Whs) 26:07, 8 Jo Fisk (Ride Harder) 26:07, 9 Sally Withey (Team Swift) 26:16, 10 Jihanna Allard (Hopey Bicycle Repairs) 26:35, 11 Karen Eaton (Wolsey RC) 27:26, 12 Stephanie Hoyle (Godric CC) 27:41.

OVERALL: 1 Paul Jay (VeloVelocity) 20:57,2 Martin Reynolds (Cambridge CC) 21:26 , 3 Gavin Lewis (Velo Schils) 21:30, 4 Keith Dorling (Team Bottrill) 21:38, 5 John Bradbury (CC Sudbury) 21:49, 6 Patrick Clark (B38/Cycles) 21:58, 7 Adrian Pettitt (Stowmarket & District CC) 22:01, 8 James Young (Plomesgate CC) 22:08, 9 Lee Garrod (Sole Bay Cycle Sport) 22:19, 10 Gary Pamment (3T-RACING) 22:21,

11 Gary Record (West Kent RC) 22:33,12 Oliver Cozens (Norwich A B C) 22:35.