Winter's hard work pays off for Ogier

LEON OGIER claimed his first road-race victory with a win in the Velo Club's handicapped event held over two laps of the L'Eree circuit. In horrendous conditions, Ogier showed that his winter training, much of which was undertaken alongside the Island Games team, had paid off.

He was set off in the first group along with Daniel Arblaster, Gary Robert, Gary Wallbridge, Josh Owen, Ban Walden, Tracey Dowinton and Oliver Tracey.

The group was given a three-and-a-half-minute advantage over James McLaughlin, Tim Holmes, Chris Le Page, Matt Osborne, Jamie Burtenshaw and Tim Martin.

Island Games riders Rob Smart, Stuart Le Tissier, Paul Brehaut, Tony Bleasdale, Josh Gosselin and reserve John Osborne were given a massive handicap of a seemingly insurmountable 10 minutes, which in such a short race would prove too great to close.

It was soon obvious that Ogier was the strongest rider within the lead group and riders were soon distanced by his efforts.

Similarly, McLaughlin in the second group on the road used his climbing ability to great affect to split his group of riders in half.

Meanwhile, the Island Games riders were doing their best to peg back the huge deficit given to them - Smart and Gosselin in particular were showing their strength and along with the others managed to reduce the gap to the leaders significantly, though not enough to impact on the race for a win.

Brehaut and Le Tissier both showed flashes of strength in the chase while Bleasdale, who has had a winter dogged by illness and injury, was happy to be able to stay with his Island Games counterparts.

Approaching the line, Ogier had carved out a lead of almost a minute to take the win comfortably from Arblaster.

McLaughlin led his group home a further minute back while Smart finished best of the Islands Games riders. Tracy Dowinton was the first woman home.