IXWORTH Criteriums brought some of the best racing cyclists in Britain to the Suffolk village for an afternoon of racing on a circuit of closed roads based on the village High Street as part of the Eastern Road Race League series.

IXWORTH Criteriums brought some of the best racing cyclists in Britain to the Suffolk village for an afternoon of racing on a circuit of closed roads based on the village High Street as part of the Eastern Road Race League series.

In the final race of the day Alex Dowsett, the world championship team pursuit rider and time trialist from Maldon, engaged in a classic battle with criterium specialist Simon Gaywood.

Lapping the 900-metre circuit in just over 60 seconds - 20 seconds faster than the third and fourth category seniors - the pair soon lapped the rest of the competitors.

On the fast descent of Commister Lane, Dowsett (100%ME) powered ahead, then led through the tight last corner and climbed Ixworth High Street to take the £500 first prize. There was nothing Gaywood (Plowman Craven) could do.

Dominic Schils of the Marks Tey-based Interbike team had an exceptional day as he made use of his experience of racing in Belgium, riding three races in the afternoon and winning two of them.

First he took the Youth Under-16 Regional Championship after he and team-mates Jake Hales and Jack Waller broke clear and rode three-up to the finish.

Next he rode the next older age group race - the Junior - coming second to Shaun Hurrell from Boreham in a sprint.

Finally Schils rode with the third and fourth category seniors. In this race Ben Nicholson, also of Interbike, broke clear and stayed away for several laps, eventually being brought back after a spirited chase by Robert Hunt (API/Metrow), Mark Westrup (VC Baracchi) and others as Schils went on to claim another first place.

There was a first-lap drama when world track championship rider Ross Edgar, supporting his original club by making a rare road race appearance, crashed as the field funnelled into the narrows just before re-entering the High Street. He had to go to hospital, but was not seriously hurt.

Other Youth Regional Championships saw Esther Colman (West Suffolk Wheelers) beat all the boys to win the Under-12s race, while Lorna Robinson (Ipswich BC) placed third overall behind boys' winner William Street (Welwyn Wheelers) in the Under-10s and the Under-14 Championship went to Tom Gallagher (Welwyn Wheelers) after Will Adams (Mildenhall CC) had set the early pace.

Craig Stevens (PCA Ciclos UNO) won the masters race, while the women's race, which was incorporated, went to Caroline Gammell of XRT/Elmy Cycles, ahead of team-mate Emilie Fisher.

Geoff Booker (Oxonian CC) dominated the tricycle race, where Diss bike shop man Mick Madgett was the leading local rider in third place.