The racing season has now started for the Island’s top cycling team, with races across the south last weekend.
This opening weekend of racing comes off the back of a successful training camp in Tenerife, where riders from Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team built form and got a bit of early-spring sunshine.
Eight members of the team went over to the volcanic island for a week of mountainous riding and valuable team bonding. After 5 days’ riding, they had ridden for 24 hours, climbed the equivalent of almost twice the height of Mount Everest and included an epic eight-hour ride up over the island’s top attraction, Mount Teide.
On Saturday 28th March, two Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team riders kicked off their season with a trip to West London, where Ian Hayden and Stuart Waite lined up for the criterium races on the purpose built circuit.
Waite took the start in the 4th category only race. After several breakaway attempts, Waite found himself back in the bunch for the sprint finish where he took a well-earned 4th place. This result gave him an early 6 points towards his 3rd category racing licence, and means he only needs another 6 points to progress.
Hayden then lined up for the combined 2nd and 3rd category race. The pace was high from the start, meaning that no breakaway attempts were successful. Coming into the last lap Hayden was well positioned for the sprint finish but was forced onto the grass by another rider. He was able to re-join the race, but too late to contest the sprint. He finished safely in the middle of the remainder of the peloton.
Team captain James Ebdon travelled to Winchester on Sunday 29th March for the James Atherton Memorial road race. Consisting of eight laps of a very hilly course with a very good quality field, Ebdon struggled with the high pace over the 60 mile race. On the second lap Ebdon was distanced from the bunch on a climb and never managed to get back on. He finished safely in 45th place, and will be looking to build on this over the coming months.
