GEORGE Kerridge of Velo Club Baracchi performed wonders in the New Year's Day 10-mile open time trial staged by CC Breckland on the A11.His time of 23:51 would have pleased most riders on a summer's day, but to pull off such a ride in the middle of winter was a big achievement.

GEORGE Kerridge of Velo Club Baracchi performed wonders in the New Year's Day 10-mile open time trial staged by CC Breckland on the A11.

His time of 23:51 would have pleased most riders on a summer's day, but to pull off such a ride in the middle of winter was a big achievement. The weather was cold and dull.

A delighted Kerridge, aged 42, has been out on some serious training rides to achieve this result, which placed him 14th in a strong field. Thirty riders started and all but one finished.

Ian Cammish of Planet X won in 20:54 from his team-mate Sam Barker, who achieved 21:07. Third was Nino Piccoli, of the new BMC UK Racing Team in which Lowestoft's keen young roadman Joe Skipper is riding for the 2009 season. Piccoli's time was 21:11.

It was a stronger field than last year. Neil Hornett, of the Danish club CK Aarhus, who was second last year with 22:15, took ninth place in 22:50. He was just beaten by eighth-placed Martin Pyne of Anglia Velo by five seconds.

John Thompson rode the East Anglian CC 50-mile reliability trial in the three-and-a-half hour group last Sunday, from the North Walsham Road and via Horstead, Buxton, Aylsham, Roughton, Cromer and Holt to finish at Horsford for tea and cakes.

He reported: 'I did go off the back relatively quickly at about 20 miles when someone upped the pace on a hill near Roughton. However, I still finished with 15 minutes to spare. Going off the back where I did meant that I did the leg between Cromer and Holt on my own, which is hard at the best of times. There is a steep hill out of Cromer and you climb gradually almost all the way to Holt and this time it was against the wind.'

Thompson has arranged a Velo Club Baracchi 50-mile reliability trial this Sunday, starting and finishing at Oulton Community Centre, starting at 8.30am for four hours, 9am for 3� hours and 9.30am for three hours.