Garner and Rigby battle to victories in Essex Roads CC 10
Veteran rider Graeme Garner (Essex Roads CC) took victory by five seconds in the Essex Roads CC 10, while Hayley Rigby (Giant Camden Team Liv) was the women’s winner.
Garner, aged 43, took his first victory of the season setting a winning time of 22 minutes and 19 seconds.
The E1/10A saw riders start and finish outside Gamage’s Wood outside Saffron Walden before heading out and back along the B1383 to Great Chesterford before making the return journey.
Sunny conditions and a light wind greeted riders who took on the undulating course which twisted and turned.
Veteran Garner finished third in the Southend Whs sporting 50 last weekend and second in the Easterly RC 15 in April but went one better on this occasion to take the win.
A close battle for honours saw the top six riders separated by just 27 seconds.
Mark Arnold (VTTA East Anglia Group) battled all the way for victory but finished five seconds behind in second.
With veterans dominating the podium positions Tom Bishop (Walden Velo) finished third a further six seconds back (22-30).
Spindata had predicted that Garner would be the fastest of the finishers in 22-20 which was an almost perfect forecasted time with the veteran finishing one second faster.
Quickest junior was Morgan Saunders (Team Vision Racing – Silverhook) whose time of 24-23 was 17 seconds quicker than James Wicks (Essex Roads CC) in 24-40.
In the women’s event Rigby recorded an average speed of 24.27 miles per hour on her way to posting a winning time of 24-43.
Rigby, aged 30, also won the Alton CC/Owens Cycles 10 last month and added another win this time out.
Quickest veteran woman Karen Aylen (Maldon & District CC) was second overall while Julia Freeman (Easterley Road Club) was third (26-36).
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