Crawley and Stuart battle to victories in Preston Wheelers 25
Veteran rider David Crawley (Velotik Racing Team) clinched victory by just five seconds in a close battle for victory in the Preston Wheelers 25, while Sammie Stuart (Crimson Orientation Marketing RT) won the women’s event.
Four riders were separated by just 20 seconds in a close finish in the charge up to the finish in Winmarleigh in Lancashire.
Crawley, aged 45, won the Lancashire Road Club 10 last weekend and continued his winning form clocking a time of 54 minutes and 18 seconds.
The L2521A saw riders complete two laps of a coastal course near Garstang starting and finishing in Winmarleigh.
The toughest part of the course came away from the start on the B5272 into Cockerham before the coastal road along the A588 and then looping around to the finish on Garstang Road.
On his first attempt over 25 miles this season Crawley was victorious recording an average speed of 27.62 miles per hour.
Just five seconds behind Crawley in second place and clocking 54-23 was Patrick Hickey (Rossendale RC) who was also runner-up in the Lancashire Road Club 10.
Rounding off the podium positions was veteran Derek Parkinson (Springfield Financial Racing Team) in 54-36 just two seconds faster than fellow veteran Richard Bideau (Pendle Forest CC).
Meanwhile in the women’s event Stuart recorded her first victory of the season clocking a time of 1-00-02.
Anna Weaver (East Lancashire RC) finished second a further three minutes back (1-03-03) while veteran Theresa Taylor (Ribble Valley Crossroads Care Cycling Team) finished third (1-09-08).
Second veteran woman on scratch was Lynsey Astles (Congleton CC) while Carol Westmorland (Border City Whs CC) finished third (1-10-34).
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