ON a wet and windy Sunday, 150 cyclists took to the roads around Hatherleigh, Dunsland Corner, Halwill Junction and Beara Cross for the annual Primavera Road Races promoted by the Mid Devon Cycling Club.

Despite, or maybe because of the wind, the racing was top class with many attacks being launched from the start. The main race for the top category riders was over 55 miles.

By the time 18 miles had been covered a sextet had broken clear. In pursuit, and 25 seconds behind, was Matt Langworthy of the organising club. He soon closed down on the front runners.

The relentless pace and the constant attacking saw the number in the lead go down to four. On the final circuit Langworthy put the hammer down splitting the group apart.

As befits a former national time trial champion and with the wind on his back, he flew to the finish line in Hatherleigh for a fine solo win.

Michael Mottram from Wallingford came second 16 seconds later with Jonathan Fowles of Manchester some 40 seconds further back. The last member of the lead quartet was Cornishman Jake Alderman. The bunch finished two minutes behind the winner.

The 44-mile race for the third and fourth category riders was nearly as aggressive. After the initial skirmishes, Harrison Wood of Mid Devon Cycling Club set off alone, perhaps in the hope of being joined by others, but no one took the bait.

The strength of the wind made him desist and after building a lead of nearly a minute he sat up and waited for the fractured bunch to catch him.

The riders from Wood’s club kept the remnants of the bunch together until the finish line was in sight.

Wood once again showed his early season form by winning the sprint by a good four lengths from team mate Steven Jones with Oliver Cooper, University of Bath in third place.

Fourth was Mid Devon’s Gareth Bushnell ahead of Morgan Curle of Frome, Ewan Rouse from Barnstaple, Paddy Scullios, Mid-Cornwall Cycling Club and Louie Priddle of the promoting club.