A PAIR from Mid Devon Cycling Club took to the podium during the return to racing at Calshot Velodrome, outperforming the local riders.

The event consisted of four races. In the first race, the Mid Devon duo showcased excellent teamwork, with Bayley taking the lead on lap 3 of 25 and maintaining the advantage. Meanwhile, Matt Holmes effectively blocked competitors from closing the gap. Ultimately, Matt finished in third place.

Race two was a tempo race where points were awarded to the first-place rider only on every other lap. Bayley finished in second, and Matt took third.

In race three, a points race, Bayley secured the win, with Matt coming in second. With only one race remaining, Bayley was in the lead by one point, while Matt was in third place, just eight points behind Bayley.

This set the stage for an exciting race four, which had an unknown distance. The riders would race until they were informed that there were three laps to go.

Both riders believed it might be a quick race, so they devised a plan and executed it effectively. Matt took off from the front, and Bayley blocking their competitors from closing the gap. As a result, Matt won the race.

Meanwhile, Bayley needed to finish ahead of the local Southampton rider. Once Matt established a 100-meter lead, Bayley stayed behind the local rider. When they singled for three laps, Bayley sprinted past to claim second place in the race. This secured the overall win for Bayley, with Matt finishing third overall.

Both riders performed exceptionally well in the four races. With their local track located two hours away in Newport, they took on the challenge of training there once a week throughout the winter.

Their hard work paid off, and they have additional track races scheduled across the UK for the new year.