COLCHESTER Rovers' Jake Crossley claimed the under-14 title in the final event of the five-race Suffolk Cycle Racing Series at Ipswich's Trinity Park.

Crossley sealed a race victory in what was essentially a two-up time trial with Colchester-based Dexter Mansel-Thomas, who won the under-16 contest.

Team Terminator's Jodie Taylor took the honours in the under-14 race to win the series, ahead of Rovers' Zoe Swainston.

Absent for the final race was Rovers' Oli Partner but good results in the earlier editions meant he secured the overall under-16 series title.

In the senior races, there was a strong-looking ride from VC Revolution's Ian Pearson in the fourth category race.

He picked up fourth spot and enough series points to take home the overall series win.

The centre of Welwyn Garden City became a cycle-only zone as roads were closed off for the annual Welwyn Petit Tour criterium races.

Racing was fast and furious in both the under-14 and under-16 races around the T-shaped town centre course.

In the race for under-14 boys and under-14 and under-16 girls, Rovers riders were up against the newly-crowned under-14 national road champion Joe Keily, of Welwyn Wheelers.

Crossley and Taylor both acquitted themselves well.

Crossley was with the lead group throughout but after being in the group for a number of laps, Keily went away from the bunch and showed his class to take a comfortable win.

Despite racing the day before at Alconbury, Crossley worked hard and finished strongly in eighth place.

Taylor looked strong throughout and picked up a well-deserved second place, following her win the previous day at Alconbury.

The under-16 boys event was another belter.

A fast pace developed by the second lap but with a front bunch of around a dozen riders.

Last year's under-14 national champion Oliver Stockwell was much to the fore until he had an untimely crash with a Welwyn Wheelers team-mate whilst leading the bunch around one of the very tight corners.

The other riders got through safely but it did open up gaps within the group, with Rovers' Partner having to work extra hard to get back to the bunch.

The racing was electric over the very short circuit with many riders eventually being lapped by the front group.

Partner did well to pick up another national point with his tenth-place finish, in the large field.