The Eastern Region Championships.

It really was the survival of the fittest at the Eastern Region Championships on Sunday 3rd June, as the full field of 65 were whittled down to around 25 at the finish, as the distance, the parcours and the heat all took their toll.

A strong field rolled out of the small village of Ashley on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border, on what was a beautiful sunny day.
With the Glendene CC and the Glade CC both fielding team's of 5, Plowman Craven/Evans RT represented by James Millard and Adam Norris, and Heron Cyclesport's strong duo of Dean Shannon and Andy Lyons, a good race was guaranteed and the winner far from easy to predict.

With barely a kilometre raced, Robert Cox (Cambridge CC) rode away from the pack in what would eventually become the break of the day. It would also prove to be his undoing as he was dropped by the group at about half distance and ended up pulling out of the race. The break initially fielded eight riders, including both of the Heron Cycle Sport riders and the in form Kevin Chambers (API-Metrow) and they were joined after 4 laps by a strong looking James Millard (PCA/Evans Cycles RT) as he time trialled his way across the gap. Whether it was his presence in the break, or the pace of the race in the hot weather, shortly after Millard added his weight to the break, his team mate Adam Norris fell off the back of the group, into the chasing pack and then added the the growing list of DNF's.

Despite the strong make up of the breakaway group, the bunch never gave up the chase and worked hard to keep them within striking distance. Daniel Pattern (Pacific/Flanders) worked especially hard, closing down any lone attackers and then driving on to pull back the escapees. James Whatling did his best to drag himself across to the break a few times but was suffering a little from stomach cramps, and had to accept he wasn't on a good day. Someone clearly on a good day, however, was Ciclos Uno's self titled "Crit Rider" James Jackson, who, having already managed to chase back on to the group after a puncture, was riding strongly up the climbs and pulling long turns on the front.

As the race reached the last few laps, climbs that started off as drags became almost interminable and although the field was further diminished, the gap between the break and the chasers remained pretty constant. As the legs began to tire, it was inevitable that the chasing pack would split and it all happened with a lap and a half to go when James Jackson and Jan Strapek (Interbike RT) rolled off the front. James Whatling immediately sat up to let them go and they found themselves with a gap of at least 30 seconds before another small group shot off in pursuit.

Although they would never quite catch the leading group, which Richard Sykes-Popham (Glendene CC) had attacked on the last lap and soloed to victory, Strapek and James worked hard and stayed away to the finish for 6th and 7th respectively. Never one to give up, James Whatling hung on and managed to sprint at the end for a respectable 17th place.

Results:
1.) Richard Sykes-Popham: Glendene CC/Biketrax
2.) Dean Shannon: Heron Cycle Sport
3.) James Millard: PCA/Evans Cycles
4.) Andy Lyons: Heron Cycle Sport
5.) Kevin Chambers: API-Metrow
6.) Jan Strapek: Interbike RT
7.) James Jackson: PCA/Ciclos Uno
8.) Ben Thompson: Glendene CC/Biketrax
9.) Dan Staite: Bike and Run
10.) Nicholas Hasler: Essex Roads CC