McLaughlin's sore back is bad news for his rivals

JAMES MCLAUGHLIN shrugged off a troublesome back to destroy the rest of the field to win the Easter Sunday road race at Pleinmont.

Now racing professionally, McLaughlin is on a trip back to the island to sort out a season-long back injury, and it conveniently coincided with the Guernsey Velo Club's Easter race programme.

On Saturday, he smashed the island all-comers' 10-mile time trial record with a superb 21min. 5sec. and yesterday, over the 31km distance, he was too strong for the rest and came home in 1hr 20min. 58sec., having pulled away from nearest rival James Roe early into the fourth and final lap.

With the race divided into four starting divisions, but with no finishing handicap, McLaughlin and Roe started six minutes after the first group and soon caught them.