A carefully planned attack on the final hill secured a first win on the open road for Strada Sport junior Zak Coleman.

In the 40-mile Essex Road CC road race for third and fourth category riders Coleman, from Caister-on-Sea, took care to stay near the front. He was second wheel as the field entered the narrow, twisting climb near South Woodham Ferrers and strung the bunch out all the way up the climb. The 17-year-old just had time to glance behind and see that he was safely the winner, before Tom Ellwood (CC London) and Colin Peck (Chelmer CC) led the first of the remainder of the bunch over the line.

Other well-placed local riders included Lewis Pendle (VC Norwich, 10th) and Mark Richards (VC Baracchi, 14th). As is all too characteristic of road races for lower category entrants, there had been many short-lived breaks during the race but none lasted more than five minutes.

Three local riders took on and survived the top race for junior roadmen this weekend. Riding the Junior CiCLE Classic near Oakham, Dougal Toms finished 36th, Jali Packer 51st and Kieran Jarvis 56th out of 83 finishers.

It was a shivering four degrees centigrade at the start of the Veteran Time Trial Association's 10-mile event based at Thurston in Suffolk.

Riders were swept to the turn, but having climbed over the big flyover at Woolpit they faced a long haul back with a crosswind blowing at them across the big road.

Best of age standard was Andrew Grant of Cambridge CC whose 22:58 beat his standard as a 62-year-old by 4:58.

Fastest of all was non-vet Paul Jay (VeloVelocity) 22:03, just three seconds quicker than fastest 40+ rider Paul Vickers of West Suffolk Wheelers (22:06).

There was also a hard finish for riders in the non-competitive Morley Meander 70-mile Audax ride which took riders through the lanes from Morley, near Attleborough to Halesworth, taking in an unconventional crossing of the Waveney Valley at Weybread.

One of the best local opportunities to watch racing comes on Mayday Monday when there is racing all afternoon on closed roads in the centre of Ixworth village, just off the A143 between Diss and Bury St Edmunds.

Veteran TTA 10, Thurston: Scratch: 1 Paul Jay (VeloVelocity) 22:03, 2 P Vickers (West Suffolk Whs) 22:06, 3 M Eley (Ely & District) 22:19, 4 J Hardwicke (Plomesgate CC) 22:23, 5 S Fairweather (Plomesgate CC) 23:16, 6 J Downs (CC Sudbury) 23:17, 7 A Kennedy (Ipswich BC) 23:18, 8 R Golding (Ely & District) 23:21, 9 J Rush (CC Sudbury) 23:30, 10 D Day (CCS) 23:52. Vet on Age Std: 1 Andrew Grant (Cambridge CC) +4:43, 2 P Vickers +4:17, 3 C Roberts (Anglia Velo) +4:07. Best Lady on Std: Verity Smith (Stowmarket & District) +2:45 (actual 28:58)