IAN BRAZIER bounced back from injury with a week to remember.
The Verulam Cycling Club stalwart showed he has finally shaken off his back problems with two victories and a fourth spot in the space of seven days.
He announced his arrival back on the cycling scene by taking over from the absent Matt Little in the club's own midweek 10-mile time trial league on Wednesday.
Little has won the last two rounds, but with Brazier back to his best, there was only going to be one winner over the Hatfield course.
His time of 22mins 38secs was 38 seconds faster than runner-up Ian Cunningham, with Steve Clarke (24.14), Colin Dennis (24.51) and Julian Bullas (24.53) the first five riders home. Colin Lysaght (25.39) was next home, with Steve Brown (26.07), Brian Moore (26.15) and Ross Clarke (26.53) all finishing close together ahead of Matthew Wilson (27.27), Dennis Patience (29.26), Paul Hill (32.05) and Mark Hill (32.39).
Brazier then continued his stunning comeback at the Hemel Hempstead Cycling Club 10 the next day and again led Cunningham home as Verulam claimed an excellent one-two. Brazier was clocked at 22.49, with his rival at least closing the gap to 27 seconds.
The highly-rated Didcot-Oxford course proved a little more difficult for Brazier on Sunday as he finished fourth, a minute behind the winner.
Veteran champions Nikki Hunt and Paul Bennett chose the worst possible morning to step up their schedule and compete in their first 100-mile event of the season.
The wretched weather conditions made the Highgate CC Ron and Kath White Memorial race even tougher than usual and the Verulam pair will have certainly been put through the pain barrier.
But they did at least have something to celebrate at the end of it all as Hunt came home in 4.45.04 to win the second handicap prize and Bennett was clocked as the fastest veteran on age standard with a time of 4.20.24.
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