ST IVES Cycling Club hosted the latest round of the Eastern Road Race League at their Upton circuit on Sunday and were keen to defend their lead in the championship.

ST IVES Cycling Club hosted the latest round of the Eastern Road Race League at their Upton circuit on Sunday and were keen to defend their lead in the championship.

Covering 5 laps of the circuit, most riders were expecting the strong winds to split the field.

Despite average speeds of 24 mph on the technical course and some spirited attacks from rival clubs, a breakaway group wasn’t established until the last lap.

Jack Davies (Finchley RT), Keir Applerley (CC Hackney) and Mark Howard (PCH UK Racing Team) eventually broke the elastic to their pursuers and managed to stay away until the finish.

Entering the home straight with a 300-metre advantage on the chasing bunch, it was Davies who timed his sprint to perfection to take the win, leading Applerley and Howard in third spot.

Promoting club St Ives were frustrated to miss the decisive move of the day, but Stuart Lindsey upheld club honour in the bunch sprint.

Launching his sprint against the 60 remaining competitors, Lindsey took sixth and gained valuable league points to keep St Ives at the top of the championship table.

Tom Caldwell and Mick Watts - also riding for St Ives - got tangled in a last lap crash, whilst Leo Falkner managed to avoid the mayhem to finish safely in the bunch with a confident performance.