Newton Bounces Back.....! Winner at Darley Moor on Saturday.

At the club dinner not so long ago, Greg Nerwton was sporting the roundest of bellies.  At the track, folk were taking cover when he stood up in his skinsuit for fear of lycra whiplash.  It's fair to say that we've all had a snigger at the wise cracks and jokes, but Greg had the last laugh today.

It was very cold when I arrived at Darley Moor but it hadn't put anybody off.  There were well in excess of 100 riders and the first few laps were a little kamikaze to say the least.  I spent the first half of the race trying to find any bit of zip that I could to avoid being dropped from the long snaking bunch.  Greg was holding a good position and when a good sized group moved clear in the closing laps, he and two or three other riders went across.  But a field that big doesn't give up easily and they had to work bloody hard to stay away.  In fact the last lap saw them almost reeled in but it was too late, the riders in that group went on to contest the finish. 

Greg wouldn't dispute that there were some strong lads there and on any other day, any one of them night have won. Our ex-international might stand accused of a few bad habits off the bike, but he's still as shrewd as ever on two wheels.  For those few hundred metres, Greg was doing what he always did best way back when, and seems likely to comtinue doing for the forseeable futre.  Beating the rest in the sprint and winning the race.

A lot of people might look at Darley Moor as an unintersting venue.  I often hear people putting it down as not being a proper road race.  How can that be though, there was a field on the start line the size of the Tour of Britain, and they were all very eager to race.  In truth, a lot of people knock Darley Moor because they can't win there.  I for one would love to cross the line first and have tried very hard for a good few years now.  Full respect to Greg who won in fine style beating a lot of other keen riders in the process.

I hope this motivates some of you other would be racers to get out there and ride your hearts out. 

CR.