Justin Hoy (Felt Colbornes RT) got his season started with a well timed sprint finish on the first day of spring at the Thruxton motor racing circuit in North Hampshire.

The circuit lived up to its title of the fastest circuit in the country when the feature race got underway with the first couple of laps taken at an average of 45 km/h. The sun came out for the racing and despite a slight wind it was relatively warm.

Once the racing settled down there were many attacks on each of the fourteen laps but the biggest gap anyone managed was no more than ten seconds. Harry Bulstrode (Peter Hansford Racing) and Tom Stockdale (Primal Europe) managed to get a lead around mid point in the race but a very attentive bunch soon pulled them back in.

Despite many attacks the race came down to a sprint finish, the bunch streamed through the chicane at high speed and when they opened up it was Justin Hoy from Anders Christensen (Pedal Heaven) and Harry Bulstrode third.

There were races for all categories, including a women’s race which was very well supported, producing some close riding with all breaks well managed by the bunch finishing in a closely fought out sprint.

The third category race also ended in a very close sprint for the line with three riders contesting the final metres but it was Gwain Bailey (Zappi’s CC) taking the win right on the line.

The fourth category race was the usual frantic cavalry charge with no one particular rider or team wanting to attack and all prepared to circulate the circuit and then contest the sprint finish.

British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.