St Ives CC Press Report

8th March 2010

St Ives cyclists got off to the best possible start with a controversial win in the first event of the season.

The Crest Road Race is the first round of the Eastern Road Race League and always promised to give interesting results with the winters bad weather hampering riders training programs

St Ives road race team of Paul Fielding, Malcolm Smith and Josh Ibbett set off on the 71 mile race around the lanes of Essex and Smith was first to get in the action.  Escaping the chasing bunch, no sooner had Smith established a lead then he suffered a puncture ending his race on the spot.

As the race progressed the usual flurries of attacks came and went, with any breakaway groups being clawed back into the main bunch as the organised teams rode in turn to bridge the gap.

Fielding entered the last lap in the knowledge that one or two riders were still ahead of the chasing peloton and decided to take his chances during a lull in activity.  Pushing hard, Fielding built up a good lead and was closing on the riders ahead, whilst Josh Ibbett responsibly adopted the roll of loyal team mate and countered any attempts to organize a chase.

Sprinting the last hill, Fielding rolled over the line in what he thought was second place, however controversy was soon to follow.  After a clarification of the rules, the leading rider was judged to have accepted help from a disqualified team mate and the Chief Commissar decided the only possible outcome was to award Fielding with joint first place.

Fielding modestly said afterwards "It's not the way I would like to win a road race, to be honest I would have been happy with 2nd"