CYCLING: Phil Roach's 21st win of the season

Victory at Misterton Hall for Rugby cyclo cross rider
Phil Roach racing earlier this seasonPhil Roach racing earlier this season
Phil Roach racing earlier this season

The 2018/19 cyclo Cross season is drawing to a close, but victories still keep coming for Team Jewson-MIRacing-Polypipe-McCann.

On Sunday the action was at Misterton Hall, near Lutterworth as part of the Central series.

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MI Racing Academy rider, 16-year-old Ed Woodward, followed up from last weekend’s storming ride in the British Championships with a resounding victory in the Under 16 years boys’ event, leading from start to finish and winning by one minute, which bodes well for next season as Ed is only just into his Junior Class and being a year older should make a lot of difference. He is certainly a rider that Team Boss Mick Ives will be keeping an eye on.

Lindsay Newman finished off her season with a brilliant 3rd place in the hotly contested Lady Veteran event. Lindsay had already won the Leicestershire Cyclo Cross series.

But it was the Race for riders 50 years and over where the Team showed their overall strength, following their retaining of the British Team Championship title last weekend.

Phil Roach, the British 55+ Champion, and Kirby Bennett the runner-up in the British 60+ Championships were both gridded on the front row of the 100+ field.

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Not so lucky were Steve Knight and Peter Busby, who by entering on the day had to start on the back row.

Roach stormed into the lead with Bennett in sixth spot, while Knight had to fight to get past the entire field if he was to get onto the podium, an almost impossible task. But as Roach set a terrific pace up front, Steve started to weave his way through the field.

At half distance Roach had a clear lead, and even a rear wheel puncture at three-quarter distance and a change of bikes did nothing to stop him winning his 21st race of the season. Behind him, Bennett had fought his way into 3rd sport, fighting it out with World Masters Champion McMullen until a fall in the wooded section of the course changed things. But charging along behind came Knight, the fastest rider on the circuit, passing Bennett and McMullen in the closing stages, but running out of time finishing an incredible 3rd, a position few would have considered possible considering his starting position. Bennett finished strongly in 5th place.

Another great performance from the Jewson—MI Racing Team.