Mahoney thwarted by Pucci despite his final lap sprint

Shutt Ridley RT had a busy weekend with riders at the Equipe Velo MK bowl race and the early season Spring Chicken Road Race on Saturday before hosting its own Cotswold Cyclo Sportive the following day.

Justin Belcher, Mahoney and Simon Clarke were first off in the EV MK bowl race.

Mahoney and Belcher spent most of the race following wheels and conserving energy. Most active was Mahoney who could be seen chasing whenever anyone looked like going clear.

In the final few laps Isaac Pucci of Strada Sigma snuck off the front, escaping the notice of all three Shutt riders. On the last lap a strong pull by Belcher set Mahoney up with a superb sprint to take what he believed was the win, only to discover that the Sigma rider Pucci was out in front.

Saturday’s Spring Chicken Road Race was a comparative disaster for Shutt Ridley RT riders Ian Munday, Kieran Munday, George Day and Luke Souter.

In a truly cagey first lap, some dangerous riding in the pack saw an inevitable touch of wheels which sent Day crashing to the floor. Kieran Munday also hit the deck and Ian Munday had to take an off-road swerve to avoid the crash.

All three riders found themselves too far off the back of the rest of the group to play any further part in the race. Only Souter remained until a second lap puncture saw his chances also deflate.

Sunday was the Banbury team’s first foray into hosting an event with the Cotswold Cyclo Sportive.

More than 100 local riders braved the Cotswoldian climbs in what turned out to be a glorious spring day.

The riders praised the friendly approach of the organisers and the stunning but challenging course.