Morris makes haste in Lewes Wanderers' time trial

Quickest rider from the host club was Gavin Richards, whose time of 24:53 gave him a clear advantage over sixth-placed Mike Hannay (25:28); Peter Baker in seventh (25:47) and eighth-placed Ed Tuckley (25:56). Kate Thomas in 10th with 27:04 was the only female competitor while Dave Beale (28:30) just got the better of Kate’s father John Mankelow (28:34).

Peter Baker is back testing himself against the watch but his time of 27.43 for the 14.07 mile event run by Eastbourne Rovers CC was only good enough for 14th place.

Anya Tamplin (Hunt Bike Wheels) managed 12th place from 21 finishers in a London Dynamo 50-mile road race.

She found the opening round of the Brighton Mitre run Hove Park Crits far more to her liking as she came away with victory. Dan Street and Richard Burchett competed in the men’s race, but found the pace too hot to trouble the top ten.

Joe Benians and Mike Hannay took full advantage of warm, dry conditions to set personal bests in a Brighton Excelsior run 25-mile TT.

Joe reduced his best by 2.15 to 54:04 to finish fifth, while Mike reduced his PB by just three fewer seconds to 1:02:10 in claiming 34th from the 43 finishers.

Nick Dwyer switched from the ultra-aero world of time-trial racing to virtually the extreme opposite as he took part in the Eventrex Vittoria MTB Marathon in the grounds of Pippingford Park, between Nutley and Wych Cross.

In an attritional race he lasted two of the scheduled 18km laps before calling it a day because of increasingly slippery conditions when 33rd from 41 starters.

Thanks to sterling support from her five Drops Le Col supported by Tempur team-mates, Wanderer Joscelin Lowden triumphed in the four-day Tour de Feminin in the Czech Republic. Under her own steam she finished runner-up by two seconds in the opening 12.6km individual time-trial.

The race blew apart on the following day’s 101.7km road stage and the previous yellow-jersey lost over 12 minutes while strong work from her team enabled Joss to finish in the leading group to inherit that garment and a lead of five seconds.

Time bonuses gained both at the finish and en route by the winner of the 110.7km third stage meant that Joss ceded the race lead by nine seconds overnight, but she hit back to win the final 114.6km stage by five minutes and two seconds to take the overall by 6:25 and the Mountains jersey in the process.

by PAGET COHEN