COLCHESTER Rovers duo Anna Dearing and Roy Cuppleditch claimed a clutch of silverware at the Eastern Counties Cycling Association awards.

Dearing picked up the EG Bates Trophy for the ladies' Best All Rounder (BAR) at the event, staged at the Top Meadow Golf and Country Club, in North Ockendon.

And Cuppleditch collected The John Norris Cup as the Best ECCA Novice with a distance of 257.65 miles, in the 12-hour time trial.

He also came third in the BAR handicap, the FV Banks Memorial Trophy.

After a strong winter of endurance-based training and long winter rides, Dearing rounded off her 2016 preparations with a training camp in Mallorca, which set her up for a fantastic season of racing in 2016.

She set her sights high, entering the SPOCO league, the VTTA standards league, whilst also targeting the Ladies ECCA Championship and a top-ten place in the Ladies National BBAR.

Dearing said: "My results were so much better than I'd hoped and this encouraged me to keep going with the racing for the season, even though at times it was difficult with travelling every weekend.

"Sometimes two events in a weekend can be quite tiring both physically and mentally but I'm glad I stuck in there.

"I never thought I would have this success and it's an amazing feeling!

"I know I am lucky to have an incredible support team behind me - without which I know I would not have been able to achieve what I have.

"My partner Antony Stapleton, my mum and my two incredible boys are the best cheerers-on ever!"

Dearing was Counties ECCA Ladies Best All-Rounder and won two gold and a silver at the VTTA awards for handicaps in her age group for the VETs awards.

She secured two first-place RTTC Championship medals in her age group in the 50-mile and 100m National events and was seventh in the Ladies National British Best All-Rounder.

Dearing also secured new Rovers club ladies' records in all distances apart from the 30-mile event.

Dearing's only disappointment was being unable to compete in the Leo 30-mile event, which was cancelled because of rain.