Bowditch claims a second soggy gold

THE inaugural mountain bike criterium of the Island Games brought more glory for Guernsey and, most notably, Ann Bowditch again. In pouring rain at Delancey Park the women had the doubtful honour of starting the proceedings.

With just five entrants it was decided that the race would be for 20 minutes plus five laps of the 2,000-metre track, with the surface consisting of both grass and tarmac areas.

The start was delayed by 10 minutes due to the downpour that was still falling as the start flag was waved.

The end of lap one saw Isle of Man's Jacquie Fletcher in the lead followed by Bowditch .

The two riders swapped places throughout the 20min. period with neither prepared to commit. Guernsey's Shanine Wray was some distance back in third place as the five-lap marker board was shown with Bowditch in front by a wheel's length.

Fletcher held the lead though the next three laps and received the bell for the last lap with both riders in nose to tail formation as they raced on to the tarmac section before dropping down passed the school into the technical section for the final climb through the pine forest.

With the home crowd roaring her on Bowditch timed her challenge to perfection to take the outside line and sweep past Fletcher on the last corner and win gold for the second time in two days.

Fletcher took silver and Wray third, but not the bronze due to insufficient entries.

No such problems existed in the men's race with 24 riders lining up in the same awful conditions.

The race consisted of 45 minutes racing before a final five laps.

The race very quickly became a two-part affair with Baxter of the Isle of Man opening a gap between himself and the chasing pack headed by Ben Cooke-Hannah of Prince Edward Island.

But the good news for Guernsey was that both Nick Mann and Rob Smart were in this chasing pack.

As the rain eased, then stopped, so Baxter extended his lead and began to lap and automatically KO riders, leaving just the battle for the silver and bronze medals.

After eight laps Baxter had opened a lead in excess of one minute, but more important was the fact that Mann was in second place and Smart was in the hunt for the medals with Charlton-Smith of the Isle of Wight, Jersey's Ovenden and Cook of the Isle of Man.

No one was prepared to make a break until Cook tried to break away with two to go.

Mann was determined not to be shaken off and was back in second place as they received the bell for the final lap.

Ahead Baxter had the gold sewn up.

Driven on by the home support Mann was determined to hang on to the silver medal place and was roared on as he sprinted up the final grass section to hold off Charlton-Smith's challenge and cross the line a wheel's length ahead of his rival.

Smart capped a fine race to place seventh.