IT WAS a successful day out for the girls from the Ipswich-based XRT Elmy Cycles Racing Team on Bank Holiday Monday.The girls - Susie Scorer, Emilie Fisher and Caroline Gammell - took to the start line at Ixworth ready for a tough day's racing.

IT WAS a successful day out for the girls from the Ipswich-based XRT Elmy Cycles Racing Team on Bank Holiday Monday.

The girls - Susie Scorer, Emilie Fisher and Caroline Gammell - took to the start line at Ixworth ready for a tough day's racing.

Racing alongside the men's master and Vet's categories, the pace would be much higher than most women's races. Pre-race nerves were high, but settled after a surprise visit and words of encouragement on the line from the world's best female cyclist, world champion and Olympic medallist Victoria Pendleton.

The race started in wet and slippery conditions, but from the gun it was Gammell who made the early pace quickly settling in the men's group while Fisher - who had competed on Sunday in the Rudy Project Time Trial in Doncaster - and Scorer both settled for a more paced start.

The girls held their own well, looking comfortable in the bunch and giving a few of the men a bit of a surprise.

At around half distance the pace at the front started to hot up, and with the leading men starting to turn the screw many riders fell back.

Gammell, who had started fast, kept her own pace steady knowing that to go too hard now would cost her time at the end of the race as now Fisher was starting to settle into her rhythm and was starting to close the gap.

Over the next few laps the girls worked hard, pushing themselves to the limit with Gammell working hard at the front, Fisher Chasing hard, and Scorer just behind having to contend with a spirited challenge from competitor Susan Wood.

With four laps to go Fisher had made it across the gap riding hard with a small group of men they joined up with Gammell and continued at pace.

After a couple of big efforts from Fisher the group was still together and it was to come down to a sprint for the line.

Gammell, a regular track rider, was favourite for the sprint against the powerful but more-paced Fisher and into the last bend it was Gamell who emerged from between the houses to claim first place in the women's race.

Fisher closely followed in second, while Scorer overtook Wood to complete the one, two, three for the team.