Jim Bradford holds off challenge from Ian Lee to take victory at Diss race
Ian Lee of RAF Marham, seen at Great Cressingham last month. Picture: Fergus Muir - Credit: Archant
Ian Lee (RAF CA) and Polly Mason (Iceni Velo) were the top local finishers in the Diss Road Races based at North Lopham after finishing second and eighth respectively.
Francesca Cutts wins from Catherine Coley at Diss. Picture: Ross Tricker - Credit: Archant
Race winners were visitors Jim Bradford (Cambridge CC) and Francesca Cutts (CC London).
Among notable attackers in the men's race were Louis Julian (DAP CC) and Ian Lee (RAF CA) and the chase to bring them back split the main field. However, the survivors of this panic eventually re-grouped.
In the final laps several individuals rode off the front of the bunch and from this group, Bradford emerged to take the win by 11 seconds from Lee and recent winners Ross Fawcett (Pedal Power) and Tom Elwood (CC London).
Just seven seconds later Dale Johnson (VC Norwich) won the bunch dash from Chris Crabtree (Team LCUK).
The main field near Kenninghall. Picture: Ross Tricker - Credit: Archant
You may also want to watch:
The women's race started in a downpour which may have dampened attacking spirits.
With about five miles to go Catherine Coley (VC Londres) and Cutts made a well-timed move and gained 24 seconds on the rest by the finish where Cutts won by a bike's length.
Most Read
- 1 Family forced to live in tent after maggots and rats found in home
- 2 Councils could spend millions to buy former Aviva office for new HQ
- 3 £6.1m shopping street revamp will take half of 2022 to complete
- 4 Five former MoD homes go up for sale near Norwich
- 5 Christmas Lights Walk with toasted marshmallows coming to garden
- 6 MP and parents concerned over traffic and parking chaos outside school
- 7 Man arrested on suspicion of stalking after notes left on women's cars
- 8 Two fires in two hours on mid-Norfolk road
- 9 Blind woman 'humiliated' as restaurant turns her away due to her guide dog
- 10 City keeper diagnosed with testicular cancer
The Anglia Velo 10 on the Risby to Kentford and back course was won by Lyster Romero (Bottecchia Wigmore RT). Romero actually overshot the Kentford turn but still finished in 20:20, well clear of second-placed Stuart Fairweather (VeloVelocity, 20:43).
Lowestoft veterans John Swanbury and Ali Banks celebrated Banks's recovery from back trouble with a 22:42 for second place in the tandem event. The pair used a 'Roubaix' front tubular tyre, said to be good for racing over cobbles, which seems to have been a wise choice on the deteriorating surface of this once fast road.
Norwich mountain biker Jimmy Piper took the bronze medal at the National XC Championships on Cannock Chase.
On a course some of which had been turned to sloppy mud by long periods of rain, Piper fought off a late challenge from Stew Coates to take a place on the Vets 50-59 podium. Bungay rider Nigel Herrod was sixth in the smaller 60+ field.
