Sam lives up to ‘favourite’ billing

The 17-year-old Guernsey Velo Club star broke a strong combined field to win the South, South West and Central Regions Junior Road Race Championships and add further gloss to an already superb season.

Although paling in comparison with some of the mountainous routes on the British Cycling rota, Culverwell had ample opportunities to show his characteristic strength over 60 miles of deceptively undulating and windswept Wiltshire roads.

The field remained intact for much of the early stages before Culverwell found his place as part of a four-man breakaway effort shortly after the first lap.

Punishing winds proved the eventual undoing of two of these riders, leaving the Guernseyman to orchestrate a further break alongside central region rider Oliver Knight.

The pair entered the third and final lap with over four minutes on the main field and Culverwell even had time to address a puncture and work back up before making his decisive attack with just over a mile to go.

Culverwell’s attack succeeded and he passed the chequered flag with his arms raised to seal a superb, although not altogether unexpected, victory.

‘I knew I had the potential to win it and that I was the favourite, but that means you are marked and it can make the race very difficult,’ he said.

‘I’m really happy to have got the result I came out to get and it felt really good to win the race.’

More than just a mark of his class at regional level, Culverwell’s form in Wiltshire bodes well for the upcoming SD Sealants Junior Tour of Wales.

The stage race begins on Friday and is a big late-season goal for the youngster, who put in a specific show of strength earlier this month by taking second in the general classification of the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen.

‘It’s five stages in four days, so that will be a really tough race and I’m really happy with my form going into it,’ added Culverwell.