Carling by a whisker

JIMMY CARLING beat John Mapley by 1sec. to win the first downhill championship event organised by the Guernsey Velo Club. Forty-one riders braved the descent through woods at Petit Bot and conditions were good on a new course which included wooden structures as well as a 21ft long table-top jump.

A qualification run followed a two-hour practice session and for the finals the quickest qualifiers went last.

In the seniors section Carling, Mapley and Ant Renouf qualified and finished in that order, while in in the juniors Pierre Lowe took the honours from runner-up Jack Sunderland and James Mapley in third.

Paul Setters won the veterans.