Smart money was on Rob and Aaron

AARON BAILEY and Rob Smart picked up wins in the latest Guernsey Velo Club events. Bailey won the re-scheduled 10-mile trial and Smart emerged victorious from the fourth and longest stage of the Champion Rider series, a road race which takes in four laps of the L'Eree circuit.

In good time-trialing conditions Bailey was a comfortable winner in 22min. 26sec. from runner-up Mike Dean and leading veteran Graham Le Maitre.

Seventh spot was taken by veteran Allan Renyard in yet another personal best and only 14 seconds separated the emerging under-16 riders, James McLaughlin, James Cameron and Nathan Baudains, who finished in that order.

Pleasingly more women are now racing and Sam Herridge achieved a personal best and edged the leading woman spot by just four seconds from Caroline Wickham.

Only 16 riders contested the four-lap road race and instead of going straight into the Pleinmont climb, the riders were taken back to L'Eree for the start, giving them a chance to wind their legs before hitting the climb for the first time where the race immediately split into two groups.

The race was not without incident as Tim Holmes clipped a wheel and disappeared over a garden wall and both Geoff King and Gary Wallbridge punctured.

On the third climb Rob Smart attacked and opened a lead on Stuart Le Tissier and Alan Rowe which was to grow to almost a minute. Behind them a group of three riders, one for each category, contested a sprint finish and it was the experienced veteran Graham Le Maitre who narrowly edged out Ben Burtenshaw and Mike Dean. A further sprint saw Matt Osborn outwitting Herridge, Josh Owen and Peter Horrell.

With four of the six-event Champion Rider series contested there are now only two title contenders in each category.

The senior group is led by Stuart Le Tissier who has a healthy points advantage over Leon Ogier and the same applies in the veteran group with Le Maitre having the advantage over Wallbridge.

However, only two points separate Josh Owen and Gary Robert in the under-18 group and they will now have to wait to the end of the season to contest the hillclimb and downhill events.

With no road race circuits being available next weekend, due to roadworks and/or traffic lights, the inter-insular road race has been moved to Jersey.