The English and Wilson reservoir show
MADDIE WILSON vied with Jack English for the star turn as the Velo Club’s truncated road race season took to the Reservoir circuit yesterday.
While English stole the Division One honours, denying, among others, Sam Culverwell, in a sprint finish, Wilson won her own sprint for the line and with it claimed the best win of her young career.
Only last October mountain-bike specialist Wilson, 25, broke a leg.
But good early season form moved up a gear with a third place finish among the women last week and, seven days on, she pipped Danielle Hanley, Chantelle Green and Karina Bowie on the uphill finish at Mont Varouf.
Wilson agreed with father Andy’s assessment that it was the best road performance of her life.
‘I was off the bike until January,’ said the smiling winner.
‘I’ve always struggled with hills in previous years but I changed coach at the end of last year and now seem to be keeping up alright.
‘I really want to get in the [Island Games] mountain bike squad, but we will see what happens.’
Facing seven laps of the 8.6-mile circuit, Division One comprised 11 elite men, the only ‘big name’ missing from the list being an unavailable Seb Tremlett.
For much of the race the bulk of the top division remained together, although by as early as the end of lap two, Steve Dawes was showing signs of dropping off the back and Andy Colver already had.
By the mid-point the group was down to seven and six were in contention going into the final circuit.
Culverwell had won convincingly a week earlier but this time the budding pro. failed to shake-off the challenge and in the sprint English just had the edge in a time a shade over 1hr 51min.
The Division Two race over five laps was no less intriguing and young Jack Hoskins won by a wheel length from Tony Bleasdale.
More in Monday's Guernsey Press.
