Jennifer George and Mark Smith were victorious at the Sussex CA 10-mile time trial near Steyning, West Sussex, on Saturday morning.

Crawley Wheelers rider Smith, the 45-year-old from Lindfield, clocked 20-12 to win by 25 seconds from Simon Mcnamara (South Downs Bikes), while Howard Shaw (trainSharp) was another nine seconds back in third.

In the women’s event 36-year-old Jennifer George, the Torelli rider from London, clocked 22-58 to win that category by exactly a minute and finish joint 21st overall. Sally Turner (trainSharp) was second female with 23-58, while veteran Lisa Davis (trainSharp) was third, another 28 seconds back.

Smith placed sixth in the event 12 months earlier, but improved to take his third open victory of the season so far, following on from his win in the Sussex CA hilly 25 in March and the Southern Counties CU 25 last month.

Just below the men’s podium places, Matthew Smith (Team ASL) clocked 21-03 for fourth, while Nick Dwyer (Lewes Wanderers CC) was another three seconds back in fifth.

There were a few puddles on the G10/97 course following a little bit of overnight rain, but it had stopped by the time the first rider set off at 7.05am. it proved to be a fast first five miles as they headed south east down to the turn at the Shoreham flyover, before a strong headwind made it tough going on the way back up to Steyning.

George’s victory in the women’s event gave her a second open victory of the season after a strong start to 2019.

She placed second in the Farnborough and Camberley 10 back in March, before heading up to Scotland where she was fastest female at the Carrick CC 20 on April 6.

Her time in this year’s Sussex CA event was an improvement of 43 seconds on the last time she rode the G10/97 course in May last year, when she clocked 23-41 on her way to second in the Brighton Mitre CC 10.

The Torelli rider is next in action in the midweek a3crg 10 a week on Wednesday, before tacking the Southern Counties CU 10 and Addiscombe CC 25 the following weekend.

And after riding Sunday’ Sussex CA 25, Mark Smith is next in action in the Worthing Excelsior CC 25 next Sunday as well as tackling the following Wednesday’s a3crg 10.

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