Evergreen East Grinstead CC rider Steve Dennis powered to victory in the Sussex CA 50 in West Sussex, while Pip Jenkins (Southborough and District Wheelers) was fastest female in the event near Dial Post on Sunday.

Dennis, 54 and from Crawley, successfully defended his 2016 victory. And he did it in style, clocking 1:52.18 to win by almost two minutes and complete the course just over a minute quicker than his winning time from 12 months ago.

It was the 13th time Dennis has won this event, with victories coming in each of the last four decades!

And apart from a couple of early ten-minute rain showers the 2017 event benefitted from good conditions with new course, event and association records being set by the women and juniors.

Steve Dennis was the fastest of just four riders to go under the two hour mark for the G50/10 course, which takes riders on a series of different roads, initially out to Bolney interchange on the A272 before turning and heading back to Cowfold and then down to Henfield on the A281.

After retracing back north, riders then head back West and join the A24 south to Washington before turning east on the A283 through Steyning as far as Upper Beeding, then turning back again to Washington, further down the A24 to turn at Findon and heading back north on the A24 to finish near West Grinstead.

For Dennis, the win was just the latest of a series of good results. Last month saw him finish second in both the Old Portlians CC 25 and Chelmer CC 24.5-mile time trials, while in May he won the Brighton Mitre CC 10 and was third in Norwood Paragon’s 25.

He teamed up with Steven Kane in winning the Sussex CA two-up 28.5-mile event on April, and was also third in both the Southern Counties CU 25 and 21 earlier in the season.

And for fastest female Pip Jenkins, her win takes to three the number of open victories she has secured so far in 2017.

Jenkins’ time of 2:09.44 gave her the win by 1-27 from Lisa Davis (Lewes Wanderers CC), while Caro Harper (Brixton CC) was third, another 4-28 behind.

She was the fastest woman in the Kent CA 50 last month, as well as the East Sussex CA 25 in April.

In other categories in Sunday’s event, Steve Dennis was also the best veteran on target time with +26.20 giving him the win over Donald Parker (Brighton Mitre CC) by more than two minutes.

And the team prize went to Brighton Mitre, with Parker being joined by John Marinko and Ion Tsakalis.

The veterans age categories were split over five-year age bands, with 42-year-old Howard Bayley (Blazing Saddles) winning the 40-44 group, Jim Burdett (Addiscombe CC) the 45-49s and Steve Dennis the 50-54.

Fastest 55-59 rider was Colin Ashcroft (West Kent RC), while 60-64 winner was Woking CC’s Jon Fairclough, and 68-yerar-old Donald Parker made it a hat-trick of prizes with a win in the 65-69 age group.

Going home with three bottles of wine and a tenner, Parker’s haul was only bettered by Steve Dennis who left with £30 and a bottle of champagne!

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.

Results:

Rank  Name  Club  Cat   Actual Time

1     Steve Dennis      East Grinstead CC V     1:52:18

2     Howard Bayley     Blazing Saddles   V     1:54:13

3     Paul Thompson     Epsom CC    V     1:58:02

4     Kevin Plummer     South Downs Bikes / Casco Europe    V     1:59:15

5     John Marinko      Brighton Mitre CC V     2:01:02

6     Jim Burdett Addiscombe CC     V     2:01:23

7     Stephen Morgan    Tooting BC  V     2:02:04

8     Chris Jones Bynea Cycling Club      V     2:03:28

9     Jon Fry     Horsham Cycling   V     2:04:52

10    Jez Parsons Brighton Excelsior CC   V     2:05:11

11    Martin Booker     Worthing Excelsior CC   V     2:07:08

12    Jack Churchill    Brighton Excelsior CC   Jn    2:08:21

13    Donald Parker     Brighton Mitre CC V     2:09:18

14    Simon Howard      South Western Road Club/Evans Cycles      V     2:09:37

15    Pip Jenkins Southborough & Dist. Whs      WS    2:09:44

16    Lisa Davis  Lewes Wanderers CC      WV    2:11:11

17    Mike O'Gorman     Worthing Excelsior CC   V     2:12:06

18    Caro Harper Brixton Cycles Club     WS    2:15:29

19    Ion Tsakalis      Brighton Mitre CC V     2:15:30

20    Colin Ashcroft    West Kent RC      V     2:18:54

21    Peter Owen  Norwood Paragon CC      V     2:19:13

22    Paul Wishart      Brighton Phoenix Triathlon Club     V     2:19:26

23    James Thomas      Epsom CC    V     2:19:53

24    Katerina Avramides      Brighton Mitre CC WS    2:20:54

25    Jon Fairclough    Woking Cycle Club V     2:22:42

26    Si Seymour  Tooting BC  V     2:22:44

27    Vince Freeman     Brighton Triathlon Club S     2:22:58

28    Helen Webb  Sussex Nomads CC  WV    2:29:09

29    Robin Johnson     Brighton Mitre CC V     2:37:22

30    Jacky Bernett     South Western Road Club/Evans Cycles      WV    2:38:53

31    Clive Jackson     Central Sussex CC V     2:39:32

-     Jez Shotter Brighton Excelsior CC   V     DNF

-     Jonathan Pontin   Addiscombe CC     S     DNF

-     Nicole Patterson-Lett   Worthing Excelsior CC   WV    DNS (A)

-     Matthew Wakefield Tooting BC  V     DNS (A)

-     Clive Patterson-Lett    Worthing Excelsior CC   V     DNS (A)

-     Robert Gilmour    Hounslow & District Whs V     DNS (A)

-     Ian Newbold Worthing Excelsior CC   V     DNS (A)

-     Jamie Freeland    South London Harriers   V     DNS (A)