National Series mountain bike racing came to Thickthorn, where competitors found it hot work indeed.
Having watched the start of the national road race championship in Norwich, Seb Herrod moved to Thickthorn to take fifth and be the best placed local rider in the Elite races.
On the hard, unforgiving ground Jimmy Piper's gear lever detached and was dangling on the end of its cable. Accustomed to coping calmly with crises from his competitive hang-gliding days, Piper found how to change between two gears and managed with those to finish second in the Vets 50-plus.
Top local Youth (Under 16) finisher was Callum Laborde (12th) with Iceni Velo team-mate Joseph Smith 16th.
The National Series races were spread over two days and the hottest conditions hit the Sport Men's race on Saturday where Mulbarton rider Will Dorsett was top local, in sixth.
As the MTB racing finished for the day the CC Breckland 50 was getting under way on the nearby Wymondham-Snetterton course. The fast reputation of the course attracted entrants from far and wide with the winner being Mark Smith of Crawley Wheelers with 1:44:52. Best Norfolk finisher was John Swindells (Iceni Velo, 1:55:55), while from just beyond the border notable rides were done by Dan Bromilow (Ely & District, 1:53:03) and Becky Taylor (Wisbech Wheelers, 1:57:33). The event will probably be most remembered for the 27 riders who started but did not finish.
New East District CA 10-mile champions are Lloyd Chapman (Plomesgate CC) and Cindy Berry (DAP CC). In the re-run of the championship - after the original event was scuppered by high winds - Chapman set a record for the Tottenhill-Bexwell course of 19:46, while Berry's time was 23:44. New junior champion is Jack Watts (Pedal Revolution) whose 22:06 is the fastest on record by an under-18 in this event.
In evening racing at Lotus, Dale Johnston outsprinted Kieran Jarvis for the Senior win while Craig Smith (Cake Gang) won the men's supporting race and Kimberlee Charlton (DAP) that for women.
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