Result: Essex Roads Spring Road Races

David Harding winner of the men’s 3/4; Isabel Darvill winner of the women’s 2/3/4 at the Essex Roads Spring Road Races on Sunday

Result: Essex Roads Spring Road Races

Report & photos by Fergus Muir

Isabel Darvill (Velo Schils) won the 51 mile Essex Roads CC Women’s Road Race, just clear of Danni Shrosbree (CC London). Two seconds later Molly Patch (Fusion RT) outsprinted Eeva Sarlin (Veloposse) for third place. Patch – a British Universities time trial champion – had made a breakaway attempt early in the race on the East Hanningfield-Howe Green-Pan Lane circuit, but had been brought back.

But for the most part the field stayed together – though slowly shedding riders – on a warm, sunny afternoon with an increasing wind which was behind rider s on the finish climb – the effect of which was therefore somewhat lessened. “A lot of the riders were known for their TT strengths, so nobody wanted to let anyone out of sight for long” said Gemma Melton of Pedal Power Ipswich, who unluckily punctured on the last lap. Darvill overhauled Patch who attacked first in the last two miles. “I powered across the gap, looked ahead and just kept going “ said Darvill, a junior rider from Newark-upon-Trent. Shrosbree, originally from Dorset but now living in London, finished just over a bike’s length behind.

In the morning race for men, over the same 51 miles, an early break by two riders was eventually re-absorbed. David Harding (Chelmer CC), best known as a time-trialist, attacked as the field negotiated the short, sharp climbs on the old A130 south from Howe Green for the last time and was joined by Rapha CC rider Jody Paxman

At the finish line Harding just held off Paxman, with Will Swarbrick (OnForm) winning the bunch charge hard on their heels.

Women’s result
1 Isabel Darvill (Velo Schils)
2 Danni Shrosbree (CC London)
3 Molly Patch (Fusion RT) @ 00:02 secs
4 Eeva Sarlin (Veloposse)
5 Francesca Cutts (CC London)
6 Rebecca Johnson (Fusion RT) @ 4 secs
7 Rebecca Goodson (Fusion RT)
8 Helen McKay (Les Filles)
9 Sarah King (Bianchi Dama)
10 Lauren Kirchel (Chelmer CC) @ 6 secs
11 Kate Baker ((Avid Sport)
12 Sarah Pope (Chelmer CC) @ 9 secs
13 Delia Beddis (Les Filles)
14 Gemma Melton (Pedal Power Ipswich)

Men 3/4
1 David Harding
2 Jody Paxman
3 Will Swarbrick
4 Simon Humphris
5 Steven Griffiths
6 Harry Wood
7 James Street
8 Liam Fenner
9 Steven Hubbard
10 Connor Rumbles
11 Ashley Harvey
12 Nick Spencer-Vellacott
13 Rickard Barbet
14 Fred Gill
15 Sam Yates
16 Matt Cowan
17 Joe Giggins
18 Mark Powell
19 Graham McDougall
20 Lukasz Szeloch
21 Thomas Battrum
22 David Dalrymple
23 Martin Lawless
24 Owen Geeson
25 Jamil Shehadeh
26 Simon Higgs
27 Jake Towler
28 Osama Assem
29 Valentino Fontana
30 Daniel Inniss
31 Daniel Pugh
32 Chris Owen
33 Bjorn Krylander
34 Andrew Moore
35 Matthew Porter
36 Hamish Hore
37 James Newton
38 Jack Ibbotson
39 David Wells
40 William Cunningham
41 Michael Ritchie
42 Lubomir Belak
43 Christopher Starr
44 Andrew Morris
45 James Samuel
46 Ryan Savage