Time-trial marks smashed

ISLAND Games medal hopes Ann Bowditch and Paul Brehaut have broken Guernsey's 10-mile time-trial records. Brehaut, who is in the best form of his life, took 12 seconds off the men's record by completing the course in 21min. 19sec.

Meanwhile Bowditch took 26 seconds off the women's mark to finish in 24min. 4sec. and 8th place overall.

For both riders, this came at the end of a heavy training schedule and is a major confidence boost with the Island Games so close.

Brehaut's ride overshadowed a superb effort by Terry Wright who posted 21min. 37sec. for second place. Again this bodes well for Guernsey team medal prospects in the time trial.

Meanwhile, Carl Thomson showed a welcome return to form and placed fourth in 22-54.

The scheduled final race on the NatWest Island Games road race course was changed at the last minute to the Vazon circuit to avoid clashing with the Healthspan Half-Marathon.

With the start and finish places being altered the race distances were approximately 65 miles for the elite and first category riders, 43 for category two and 32 for category three.

Quite pleasing was the fact that race numbers were up on recent weeks and therefore there would be more tactics out on the course.

The elite and first category riders started at the same time but by the end of lap two the elite riders had shaken off all the first category competitors, except for Bowditch.

Despite a number of attacks, by the time the riders completed each lap at La Houguette School they were all back together, led by either Paul Brehaut or Terry Wright.

On the sixth climb to the finish it was down to a five-men-plus Bowditch sprint with the riders all being credited with the same time.

However, it was Brehaut who crossed the line first, followed by Marcus Elliott, Tony Bleasdale, Aaron Bailey, Wright and Bowditch, all five nearly seven minutes in front of the next bunch led by Tim Martin.

Only three riders contested the second category race but as the abilities were evenly matched it was always going to be down to a sprint finish and at the end of four laps Lars Persson again edged out Bob Green and Jeremy Poole.