THE Dring brothers from Pershore’s Team Echelon took the spotlight at Worcester St John’s Cycling Club’s Gerry Hughes memorial road race.

A high calibre of riders from across the Midlands enjoyed favourable weather on the Hillside course.

Steve Dring claimed first prize and his brother Paul finished third.

St John’s riders Phil Whiteley and Mark Corbett were sixth and ninth respectively.

The over 40s race was a tense affair and there were attacks throughout but no riders could escape convincingly in the first 40 miles.

Into the final lap a group of seven gained a small advantage, including Whiteley and the Dring brothers, and worked hard to keep a 30-second advantage heading up to Great Witley.

In the hill-top finish Steve Dring proved strongest for his second win of the year while Corbett led the depleted bunch.

In the over 50s race Richard Rollason, Richard Graham, Rob Nicholls and Vince Page raced for St John’s.

Almost from the start five broke away from the main bunch including Rollason.

National champion Rich Edwards attacked on the main climb with just a lap to go and stayed clear for the win.

Rollason took second with a powerful sprint up the finish hill.

Page, Graham and Nicholls finished in the fragmented bunch in seventh, 11th and 12th respectively.

Hughes was a stalwart member of St John's and his widow Dorothy presented the prizes.

The event, based from the headquarters at Little Witley Village Hall, also raised £140 for the Midlands Air Ambulance.

RESULTS

Race A/B: 1st Steve Dring Echelon A, 2nd Wayne Mckeown Solihull CC A, 3rd Paul Dring Echelon A, 4th Jason Meyer Stourbridge Velo B, 5th Richard Shimmell CC Giro B, 6th Whiteley Worcester St John’s A, 7th Simon Hill CC Giro A, 8th Martin Smith Dream Cycling B, 9th Corbett Worcester St John’s A, 10th Paul Doody Velocity Flow CC A. KOM Martin Smith; Race C/D: 1st Rich Edwards CC Luton C, 2nd Rollason Worcester St John’s C, 3rd Leon Field CC Giro C, 4th Matthew Pursehouse C, 5th Paul Mann Solihull CC D, 6th Andy Eagers Derby Mercury C, 7th Page Worcester St John’s C, 8th Gary Shepard Bath CC C, 9th Jon Stephenson MI Racing C, 10th Martin Webster Welland Valley C. KOM Rich Edwards; Race E/F/G: 1st Chris Davis Giant Halo Films CC E, 2nd Mac McGready Kenilworth Wheelers E, 3rd Tony Carter Sharrow CC E, 4th Bob Tyrrell Dursley Road club E, 5th Terry Meechan Ride Coventry E, 6th Steve Watson Winchcombe CC E, 7th Jon Ginley Condor RC G, 8th Phil Barton VC Ventoux F, 9th Keith Walton Stratford CC E, 10th Tim Crumpton VC San Raphael E. KOM Mac McGready.

St John’s cyclists tackled the Bromsgrove Olympique CC open 10.

Conditions were breezy with a south westerly wind that made the first three miles a struggle.

The remaining miles were fast.

St John’s were the second fastest team, just missing out on a prize.

Simon Garrett clocked 20 minutes 53 seconds, Steve Clark 21.51, Simon Adcook 22.13, Nic Bradburn 22.25, Ed Dursley 22.59, Mark Cooper 23.14, James Davidson 23.48, Nick Bent 24.23, Jason Tait 24.29, Martin Stanley 27.54, Martin Lines 27.51 and Mark Daffin 37.31.

Surprisingly tough conditions prevailed on what felt like a good evening for the St John’s time trial on the Chance Lane 10-mile course in Malvern.

Garrett won in 21.52, just over a minute faster than Clarke in 22.53 and Nicholls in 23.05.

Fourth was junior rider Ollie Morgan in his new speed suit in 23.13.

Lines clocked 23.13, Adcook 23.25, Stuart Skidmore 23.34, Jason Milner 23.43, Paul Guest 24.16, Cooper 24.21, Dursley 24.22, Davidson 24.40, Sean Dyson 24.51 and Bent 25.46.

The women’s race was won by Andrea Turner in 26.17, just ahead of fastest under 16s and first road bike rider Cameron Davidson who beat several seniors in 26.41.

Seventy-seven-year-old Derek Morgan finished in 30.37.