Montpellier ready for first big race of season

[veloriders]

Velo Club Montpellier’s newly formed elite racing team are ready for their first big test of the 2010 season; the 38th running of the Severn Bridge/Felt Bicycles Road Race. The tough 105km race is one of the closest elite races to their home in Cheltenham and will showcase some of the best riders in the country. Held over a tough hilly circuit near Ovelston (West Bristol), it will be the first time that the elite team will race together. The team, which consists of Wayne Coombs (Team Captain), Lewis Cowley (U23), Russell Falder (U23) and Colin Parry, have been busy preparing for their first big race of the season. Some members of the team have spent time abroad, training in warmer conditions, whilst others have been competing in some early season circuit races in the UK.

One such rider is Colin Parry, who comes from the Forest of Dean. Parry has shown some particular good form over recent weeks. In Saturday’s (27.2.10) elite circuit race at Upavon in Wiltshire, he produced an outstanding performance against some larger semi-pro teams. The conditions on race day were cold, wet and windy but this did not deter him as he wanted to compete in preparation for next Sunday’s Severn Bridge Road Race. The Wilier/Bigmaggys.com team also had the same idea and, overall, there was a quality field of nearly 40 riders in the fast 55km race.

Parry tried to break-away from the peloton in the early stages of the race but unfortunately failed to get in the main break of 8 riders. However, he did use his well known power to form a chase group with Gloucester based Jon Pain (Wiler/Bigmaggys.com) together with members of the Felt Racing Team. Eventually, the hard working group caught half of the lead group on the last lap and VCM’s Parry finished strongly to claim 6th place, with Jon Pain taking 5th on the line.

Another strong and consistent performance was also put in by VCM’s Jeremy Addis who took 13th place, adding some more points to his overall tally in the series.
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