Shropshire Star

Alfie Mortimer makes his mark in the road race league

Junior rider Alfie Mortimer made an impressive start to the Shropshire & South Staffs Road Race League.

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The Mid Shropshire Wheelers ace powered his way to the junior category win on the night and was mixing it with the fastest riders at the finish as he came home sixth overall in round one of the competition.

Matthew Morris used his experience to claim victory. The 42-year-old from Codsall won a close uphill sprint after a fast 38 miles of racing around the Shropshire countryside near Newport.

The handicap format led to an exciting finish with the majority of the 72 riders finally merging with just three miles remaining on narrow country lanes.

Morris was the fastest finisher and held off his rivals to clinch the Coaching Revolutions sponsored leader’s yellow jersey.

Chris Pook (Rhino Velo RT) led the charge behind for second finishing inches ahead of Ben Joughin (Pro Vision RT) for third.

Fastest woman on the night was Leah Dixon (Wolverhampton Wheelers) and she will start the next race in the leader’s pink jersey.

With Morris taking the overall leader’s jersey Rob Childs (Stourbridge Velo) will ride in the veteran’s leader red jersey.

“I thought it was a tough race and we did well to catch the front group with about three miles to go,” said Morris.

“At the finish it was just eyeballs out really trying to keep towards the front, when a gap opened in front of me on the left-hand side I just kept going with my head down and luckily managed to get the win.”

Organised by Newport Shropshire Cycling, riders completed six laps of a six-mile circuit around an undulating circuit finishing in Knighton.

The handicap format saw the 72 starters split into four ability groups with the first group starting over nine minutes ahead of the last group (scratch) which featured some of the fastest riders in the region.

The 23 riders in the scratch group worked hard together and gradually reeled in the groups ahead of them.

However, with six miles to go the first starters still had over a minute advantage over the chasers leading to an exciting finish.

Their hopes were dashed in the final miles as the scratch group came powering past and took the first five places.

Morris who won the over-40 age category overall in the series last year will line-up in the yellow jersey in round two on a flat course around Charlton.