City pair Hogg and Piper call the tune on Mistley’s up and down challenge
A sure-footed Alison Hogg (Push Sport) on her way to winning the Women’s Race at Mistley Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
Norwich riders Alison Hogg and Jimmy Piper were both winners in a sun-drenched cyclo-cross at Mistley.
Jimmy Piper (Renvale RT) takes the Vet 50-Plus win at Mistley Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
For Hogg it was the first win of the current season, achieved on a course of relentless climbs and descents that might have been expected to favour her younger rivals from the LIV AWOL team.
Indeed, Junior Harley Pell rocketed into the lead and held it until sustaining a puncture in the worst possible part of the circuit – just after passing the pits.
Unusually, the course passed the pits only once per lap, so facing nearly a full lap of running.
Gemma Melton and Lauren Higham took up the chase, but slips and punctures broke their progress and a sure-wheeled Hogg opened a 30-second gap.
The start of the Senior race at Mistley with winner James Madgwick (white bars) Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
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Hogg (Push Sport) described her race as 'very painful – but fun' and praised the 'well laid-out' course, which was very dry and mostly under trees, which meant that deep leaf-mould could have riders slithering off in quite innocent-looking places.
Jimmy Piper (Renvale RT) shot straight into the lead from the flag and never put a wheel wrong.
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Joseph Smith (Iceni Velo) scored his best result of the season, taking third place in the Youth (Under 16) race, 34 seconds up on club-mate Callum Laborde.
The Senior Race saw James Madgwick (Bloodwise) a clear winner over a minute ahead of Jules Birks of VC Londres, with Kieran Jarvis (OnForm) coming in third.
The Under 12s line up for the start at the Mistley cyclo-cross Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
There was also a third spot in the Vets 40-49 for Bungay rider Shaun Aldous.
The local cycling scene has suffered a sad loss with the death at the age of 86 of Doreen Stevenson of the Godric CC. Doreen served the sport in particular as a timekeeper for more than three decades.
She and her husband Roly never drove, toured extensively in their younger days and continued to appear at the Bungay club's events until quite recently.
Doreen cycling to the start, with panniers packed with clothes for any eventuality and a folding chair strapped to her bike, was a quiet dawn ceremony which preceded many, probably hundreds, of Norfolk and Suffolk cycling time trials.
Top Norfolk Senior, Kieran Jarvis from Dickleburgh Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
