WORLD Masters Champion Phil Roach began the new year in great form by putting a difficult Christmas period behind him and winning two races over a busy weekend for Coventry-based M.I.Racing.
Roach had suffered a bad spell of luck over the winter period after puncturing twice in three races.
But he bounced to win the latest round of the Nottingham and Derby series with ease on Saturday and the following day he followed that up by securing his tenth win of the season at the Snetterton Cyclo Cross event.
There was also success for Steve Knight who won the veterans race at Baggeridge County Park near Dudley.
Despite starting one minute behind his rivals, Knight managed to catch up with all but two of the senior riders in the field on what proved to be muddy and wet course.
Kirby Bennett found the conditions tough and not to his liking and after leading for most of the race, he was eventually overtaken by rival Mick Davies.
This weekend M.I.Racing will be taking two teams to the British Cyclo Cross event in Shrewsbruy – one of the most important races on the cyclo cross calendar.
Current Midland Champion Darren Atkins will be hoping to victorious in the veteran race (40-49) on Saturday and Laura Humphries will be riding in the Ladies Under-23 Championships.
Experienced rider and six-time World Masters Champion Mick Ives will be sitting this event out but he is confident that the team will come home with silverware.
“Realistically we should get at least one rider on the Podium and we will be out to get the team championship,” said Ives
“In the afternoon the 40+ riders have their championship and again M.I.Racing have riders capable of getting up there, and a slim chance of victory as well, but they will only have three riders in the race, one mistake or problem and the Team victory will be gone.
“The course which has been used for several high profile events in the past will suit our riders. There will be plenty of Mud, greasy tree roots in the wooded sections and several steep grass banks to negotiate each lap.
“It’s a really testing course – it should be very hard going.”