Cyclists back on the road

Spalding Cycling Club members have been out in force as the new season kicked off with a real bang.

Neil Palmer got things going at the hard riders early season 25-mile time trial (TT), where he was the first veteran with a time of 1.04.13mins.

This was quickly followed up by Elliot Stones and Kieran Buffham competing at the first round of the NCRA Handicap series.

Stones started in the second group, while Buffham was in the scratch group, which worked well together and the race came together on the final lap.

It all came down to a bunch sprint and Stones positioned himself brilliantly out of the wind to go through the field and take home the win.

Buffham got tangled up in a skirmish before the line but came home with a very credible ninth.

Then came Spalding CC’s showpiece season opening Tulip Cup Road Race, organised by Adam Ellis, on March 20.

This saw two races take place on the new course, based out of Moulton Village Hall.

The first saw Spalding riders Buffham, Josh Wallis and Spalding native Matt Ellis, riding for SRCT MukOff, take on the 65-mile course.

The race started extremely quickly and the South Holland trio missed the break. Wallis and Ellis had a good crack and getting across the 50-second gap that had opened up, but their efforts were in vain.

All three finished in the bunch and the race was won by Corey Ashley and his team mates at PB Performance.

Race two was better for the locals as Stones and Frazer Wallis looked to make up for the morning disappointment.

They took on the 45-mile course, which again saw an early break sneak up the road. Both Wallis and Stones made countless efforts to bridge the gap, but couldn’t quite make it.

A fine team performance from COBL CC saw them take the first, second and fourth.

Stones ended up eighth, with Wallis back in 19th.