Wilson Series Winner

Craig Wilson completed his season long campaign to win the LVRC Tricot Jersey Series on Sunday in the final race on the Walliswood circuit - here's Craig's race report ....

The Ciclisti Vecchi (CV) team lined up for the 50 mile race at Walliswood. The 8th and final race in the South East Veterans Race series had double points on offer so the pressure was on to protect individual positions in the overall.
Prior to the race the overall had Gianluca in 3rd in the As (youngsters) and Craig Wilson and Keith Jarrett 1st and 3rd overall respectively in the Bs (less young but not really old!).

The race saw frantic activity from the start with the CV team managing to infiltrate any breaks. With non working CV passengers in most moves the breaks failed. Any dangerous move without a CV in it was promptly pulled back by the blue and green train of Tim Costello, Rob Cranstone and Colin Addison whilst Jarrett tried to wear the main B threat, 2nd placed Martin O’Grady, down by jumping away and forcing him to chase.

With 2 laps to go Colin McDermott jumped away with another strong rider. No threat to the CVs they let the break go without realising that McDermott threatened Gianluca’s third overall! Gianluca led the chase but paid for the effort on the drag to the finish.

With 2 still away the CV lead out team wound up the pace knowing that Wilson still had to beat O’Grady to win the series. Into the final 1km and Addison, Cranstone and Costello were on the front of the bunch. With 400m to go Jarrett, not worried about protecting his own overall position, jumped with the honourable aim of leading out Wilson. Into the last 200m and Wilson came from behind the 11 sprocket whirring Jarrett to take the bunch sprint from overall winner of the A series Andrew Meilak.
3rd in the race and 2nd B was enough for Wilson to take the overall with the rest of the CVs and Gianluca finishing close behind in the bunch.

The final placings in the overall are still being calculated but a big thank you to all the CVs who raced, supported and encouraged the team throughout the series. A great team effort and fun to be part of with team tactics and selfless riding to be proud of!