The Bermuda Bicycle Association first road race of the season got underway on Sunday morning with the Winners Edge Road Race, staged in the east end of the island.
With four categories being contested, there was a sense of excitement on the start line as over 50 riders prepared to challenge the rolling course that would see them leave the start and finish line on Kindley Field Road, travel into St. Davids before returning past the start/finish line, across the Causeway, climb Blue Hole Hill to Swizzle Inn roundabout, where they turned and back to the finish.
With the top ‘A’ category, combining with the ‘B’ category to contest the 5 laps, 47.5 mile event, there was a buzz of anticipation with the first appearance of recently arrived Australian rider Matt Boys, who with a wealth of past experience racing at international level, quickly got the attention of riders on the off season rides with some very strong riding.
Racing for Team Winners Edge, Boys would put the rest of the field to the test after the first lap when he broke away solo, from the field and quickly opened a sizeable gap. In the main pack, Dominique Mayho, looked calm and focused as he gathered his VT Construction team, on the front, and after keeping the gap manageable, and with Boys perhaps feeling the effects of being off the front alone, the combined strength of Mayho, Phil Mace, Steve Smith, Jamie Bedford and Jackson Langley saw the field come back together at the end of the third lap. Immediate attacks would see Boys, and teammate Alexander Miller, Mayho and Langley separate themselves from the rest of the field.
On the final lap, with Mayho and Langley trying to take control, Miller was gapped, leaving three to contest the win. Inevitably it would come down to a sprint, which is Mayho is renowned for, and he would live up to his reputation by taking the victory ahead of Boys, and Langley, setting up some exciting battles ahead. A clearly happy Mayho said “Today was a great team performance.
The team rode well from start to finish. Once Matt (Boys) was off the front solo, Phil Mace, Steve Smith, and Jamie Bedford rode extremely well to close the gap. Once we regrouped Jackson (Langley) and I tried to ride as aggressive as possible, but Matt was clearly the strongest rider in the race. Our last card was to bring it down to the sprint finish and I was able to finish off a great team performance”
In the chasing pack, which contained the ‘B’ category contenders, less than a second separated Winners Edge rider, Andrew Thomas, in his first race in the ‘B’ category, since moving up from ‘C’, Alan Mooney, and VT rider Panzy Olander, who goes from strength to strength in just her second season of racing.
The biggest race of the day, the 3 lap, 28.5 mile ‘C’ category, with 22 riders, was hotly contested throughout the race, and despite numerous attempts to break up the field, it would all come down to the final straightaway and an all-out sprint to the finish line for the podium places to be decided. It was Bicycle Works rider Frank Ming that would snatch to top spot, just two seconds ahead of teammate Gordon Smith, and Winners Edge rider Dylan Eiselt who we separated by less than a second. The eldest rider in the race, Paulo Medeiros finished 4th one second behind.
It was another exciting race in the Women’s category. Three riders, Jennifer Lightbourne, Bicycle Works, and Winners Edge teammates Skye Ferguson and Poly Longmire broke away from the other riders. With none of them able to get an advantage it would come down to a sprint finish on the final lap of their 28.5 mile race with Lightbourne taking the victory, Ferguson second and Longmire third, with the three all within a second of each other.
The next event on a busy race calendar, is the Winners Edge Time Trial next Sunday.
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