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Peter Middlehurst (Octagon VC) convincingly won the Eastern Region Cyclo Cross Championships by beating local favourite Russell Parkins (Elmy RT) on the Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdonshire circuit. On a dry but very cold day with early morning frost magically changing grass into a white blanket, the ground below frost level was soggy however.
With a fast start the race tackled the first obstacle after 500 metres when the field climbed the small incline with its slippery downward slope.
Into the woods for the first time and Middlehurst led across the small drainage ditch with Parkins close by but it was noticeable that when the riders went back down and then over the drainage ditch, time was being lost, it was important to take the correct line here.
Gradually Middlehurst increased his lead over Parkins first by a handful of seconds, then up to 30 seconds until entering the final lap the gap was 49 seconds.
By this time the field was well strung out with the middle section of this super designed course truly a muddy slog.
Peter Middlehurst crossed the line with 59 seconds to spare over Parkins with 3rd placed Nathan Miller a further 2 minutes 15 seconds back.
Judged by many to be the ride of the day, Katie Middlehurst (Team Letchworth) rode into 4th place in the Vets/Junior and Women race after Junior Joe Di Capote (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) stamped his authority on the event winning with a clear margin of 1 minute 13 seconds over team mate Sonny Roe.
Leading from the first time into the wooded section, Di Capote never looked troubled at any time as he stretched his lead with ease each lap.
Roe and third placed Benjamin Spashett battled with each other until finally Roe was able to pull ahead; the expected battle between Middlehurst and Helen Saunders (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) never really got going as Katie was riding so strongly and never looking back, Saunders was to finish in 11th place.
The muddied inner section was taking its physical toll on the riders, seven riders were to be lapped by the determined Di Capote
The Youth race was dominated by a strong display by the son of renowned racer Bob Downs; this was to be expected and so it proved as Kristian Downs (API Resprays) was the first rider into the wooded section and he continued to increase his lead with seeming ease over chasers Melvinder Basra (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) and Shane Aldous (Unattached).
Seniors - 8 laps 1 Peter Middlehurst (Octagon VC) 56.47 2 Russell Parkins (Elmy RT) 0.59 3 Nathan Miller (Ipswich BC) 2.15 4 Greg Simcock (Elmy RT) 2.56 5 Ian Newby (Diss CC) 3.15 6 Glenn Stanford (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 3.20 7 Robert Hunt (Octagon VC) 4.37 8 Chris Skinner (Unattached) 5.19 9 Carl Davey (Elmy RT) 5.20 10 Joe Waller (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 7.08 Vets, Juniors and Women - 5 laps 1 Joe Di Capote (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 37.26 2 Sonny Roe (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 1.13 3 Benjamin Spashett (Ipswich BC) 1.45 4 Katie Middlehurst (Team Letchworth) 2.57 5 Tim Butler (Ipswich BC) 3.09 6 Trevor Brown (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 3.27 7 Bruce Robinson (Shaftesbury CC) 4.12 8 Chris Jillings (Ipswich BC) 4.50 9 Andrew Whelan (Eastern Region Velo/Bianchi) 5.21 10 Trevor Holmes (Diss & District) 5.25 Youth - 4 laps 1 Kristian Downs (API Resprays) 29.51 2 Melvinder Basra (Eastern region Velo/Bianchi) 1.42 3 Shane Aldous (Unattached) 2.15 4 Steven Griffiths (Crest CC) 3.35 5 Abbie Thorrington (Ipswich BC) 4.06 6 Chris Bartlett (Ipswich BC) 5.43 7 Andrew Griffiths (Crest CC) 5.46 8 Thomas Young (Ipswich BC) 6.37 9 Ben Tinkler (Newmarket CC) 7.06 10 Jenny Middlehurst (Team Letchworth) 9.40 Under 14 winner: Andrew Griffiths (Crest CC) Girls under 14 Winner Jenny Middlehurst (Team Letchworth) Under 12 - 3 laps 1 Carl Harris (Eastern region Velo) 7.12 2 Joseph Perrett (Lee Valley YCC) 0.18 3 John Price (Lee Valley YCC) 1.04 4 Matthew Cook (Mildenhall CC) 1.45 5 Luke Newby (Diss & District) 1.59 One lap behind 6 Sam Bores (Basildon CC)