SUNDAY was a busy day for St Ives Cycling Club with members competing in the National 10-mile Time Trial Championships and the Eastern Regional Road Race Championships among other competitions.

Meanwhile, St Neots Cycling Club’s Richard Hancock beat St Ives’ Paul Davis by more than a minute at Abbotsley with 15-year-old debutant Tom Stead coming in third with a 28-minute ride.

St Ives’ Luke Hattersley led the charge for his club in the National 10-mile trial which was held between Sawtry and Stilton on the B1043.

However, Hattersley was unhappy with his seventh place which he achieved with a time of 23 minutes. “My tactics didn’t work,” he said. “I’m really annoyed with myself.

“Earlier in the week I beat the third-placed rider by 30 seconds on the same course, but he beat me by 45 seconds today.” Still, seventh in the country is an excellent result.

The poor conditions dented Mick Hodson and Davis’ hopes, both of them finishing with times way down on what they would have expected.

There was no success for St Ives riders in the Ashwell race at Old Warden near Biggleswade.

Malcom Smith and Lee Desborough represented the club in the Eastern Region Road Race Championships which was run over a 75-mile course in Essex.

Smith managed to get himself in the in the decisive break alongside former St Ives teammate Jamie Caldwell, who is now riding for the Cycle Premier-Kovert Racing Team.

Caldwell pushed eventual winner Stephen Adams all the way.

Smith, who finished seventh, said: “I’m really pleased with the result. It was one of my target events of the season, though there was a lot of good fortune as well as good intentions.”