ST Ives Cycling Club held its annual awards at the weekend and hot-prospect Jamie Caldwell scooped the Road Race Trophy after a wonderful season in the saddle.

Still only 21, Caldwell has been riding with the club since he was 17, and has just had the best season of any member for many years. He attained his first category racing license and finished third overall in the Eastern Road Race League Championships, helping St Ives to a fourth place finish in the team standings. Now he will ride for semi-professional team Cycle Premier Racing next season.

Spokesman for the club, John Bachelor, told the Hunts Post: “Cycle Premier noticed his impressive string of results. He has been riding some of the premier calendar races this year and mixing things up with the top domestic teams, so a rising young talent like that, riding for a small regional club like ours, will stand out among all the semi-pro teams.

“Jamie will still be able to ride with St Ives; there is a system where you can be a ‘second claim’ member of another club; although, unfortunately for us, that means all of his road racing will be with Cycle Premier.

“In one way it’s a shame for St Ives, but most people don’t appreciate that top-level road racing is a team sport, and to do well you need to be part of an elite team, something which unfortunately we cannot provide.

“If he ever wins the Tour, you’ll hear me wittering on about how I remember when he and I ... Blah, blah, blah!”

Other notable awards went to Gary Stevens, who broke the club’s 50- and 100-mile time trials this season, and Paul Davis, who did the same for the shorter 10-mile distance.

Meanwhile, in the club’s own weekly Wednesday evening time trial series, Mick Hodson came out fastest with an impressive 28mph ride over 10 miles, while in the veterans’ series, Ken Rolland won the points championship in his first full season with the club.

Starting the year in the middle of the results table, Rolland consistently improved race by race, beating his personal best time almost every week and finishing the year with a string of podium finishes and a win in the season-ending hill climb.

In the hotly contested ladies’ championship, fastest ride of the year went to Jackie Wren, although consistency paid off for Gillian Peck who amassed enough good quality results to take the points competition. Off road, Caroline Smurthwaite was awarded the ladies MTB trophy.