Ball rides away from the peloton to claim maiden win
Teen cyclist makes solo break
A young Linlithgow Bridge cyclist grabbed his first senior road race victory with an emphatic win in the 85km British Eagle Road Race.
Alex Ball (19) crossed the line 30 seconds ahead of the chasing pack after soloing in front of the peloton in the East Lothian road race.
The teenage ace grew up as a member of his local cycling club, West Lothian Clarion, but now rides for the Vanelli-Project Go racing team.
It was double delight for local riders as Linlithgow’s James McCallum was second in the bunch sprint which saw the 2006 Commonwealth Games medalist seal the first Veteran prize.
The competition, organised by the Musselburgh Road Club, had a field of 60 riders and followed a rolling circuit around East Lothian.
Team work paid off in the race for Ball as his team-mates disrupted the chasing bunch so he could keep his lead to the finish line for his maiden senior road race triumph.
He said: “I felt good and followed attacks where necessary, then with 15km to go I attacked with two other riders and managed to get a 50 second lead. Before the last climb I was able to drop my breakaway companions to finish solo and get the win.
“As the finish line approached my legs started to lock up but I looked over my shoulder and realised I had a big enough lead to enjoy the moment as I rolled in first.”
The youngster spent the summer racing in Italy as a guest rider for the Zappi Racing Team and reflected on that experience, commenting: “The racing in Italy was much harder than I’m used to with races as long as 180 km in 40 degree heat, but I enjoyed the experiences and learnt so much about the tactics of road racing and came back feeling fitter.”
His next race will be the the local Battle of Black Loch based around Slamannan.
He also has plans to challenge himself by riding the height of Everest up a local climb multiple times for the Project Go charity which raises money for people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.