This in from Jack on behalf of the Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team. Ed
On Sunday 31st August, three members of Wightlink-LCM Systems Cycle Race Team travelled to Winchester to take part in the VC Venta Winchester Park and Ride Criterium.
Sam Baker (pictured), Kev Foster and Ian Hayden lined up with 35 other rides for the start of the 40 minutes plus two laps race.
Fast start
It started off very fast and straight from the gun a three man break formed. Baker, Hayden and Foster all set out to chase down the three leaders but enthusiasm for the chase was lacking from the other teams and it wasn’t looking likely that the break would be caught.
Due to the fast start, the field got split to pieces and the peloton had only 15 riders left by the half way mark. With Hayden and Foster working hard for Baker, they kept the pace high to move Baker into a good position for the sprint before peeling off from the group.
A turn in luck
Once the bell lap came, Baker – now sprinting for fourth place – kicked down the back straight to put himself in a perfect position. Coming into the final corner, he then kicked hard to pull away and win the bunch sprint by a clear bike’s length. After a season of relative bad luck, this fourth place finish is a boost to Baker and gives him some well-deserved points.
