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Over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, Southend Wheeler’s 15 years old Simon Alexander traveled to Belgium with a composite youth team of five riders in order to gain experience in continental racing. Cycle racing is the national sport in Belgium where most budding Professional riders learn their trade. The race on Saturday was 49 miles, twice as far as Alexander had previously raced. It was very fast right from the off on normal roads. However, unlike UK events, the police closed the roads and streets to other traffic, using the rolling road system as the race passed through. Alexander was prominent at the front of the race early on, but with a field of 60 riders there were the inevitable crashes which made him very wary. However he finished in a creditable 31st place. Another member of the team, Jonathon Dibben, riding for D H Cyclesport, finished ahead of the main pack to claim another win in Belgium. The race on Sunday was over a 52 miles course with a daunting field of 170 riders. The race again started at a very fast pace indeed and early on Alexander found himself near the back of the field. When there was a major crash ahead involving another team member Sam Connolley who seemed badly injured, Alexander pulled up to render him assistance until the medics arrived. By this time he had little chance of regaining the quickly moving main pack and as the rolling road closure had passed, he wisely decided to call it a day. Jonathon Dibben achieved another excellent 12th place and was the leading team rider. Back on home soil, Simon Alexander applied for dispensation to compete in the Ford Cycling Club’s one hour senior 4th category race at the Dunton test track on Thursday. He was backed up by a strong team of five rider, David Bryant, Graham Pearl, Mark Elms, Mike Knott and Southend Wheelers club president, Dave Whybrow. Alexander made several early attacks but was unable to shake off the alert main pack of riders and was then content to stay with the bunch in order to wait for a suitable opportunity later in the race. Graham Pearl and David Bryant also launched a number of attacks but were soon brought back in the windy conditions. With about 12 minutes left to race, Alexander seized his opportunity and raced away with another rider to catch two riders already ahead. The four then defended their slender lead of ten to fifteen seconds for the last few laps. However, approaching the long finishing straight, the main pack was quickly bearing down on the leaders. Realizing this, Alexander made the correct move and went for a long sprint to the line and with the aid of the following wind, held off his pursuers to claim victory. The other Southend riders, except for Mike Knott, finished with the main pack, but out of the podium places. Knott suffered cramp on the last lap and finished thirty seconds in arrears. In all it was a very satisfactory evening for the Southend Wheelers. |
