CYCLING: Jack completes hat-trick of titles

The Mildenhall Festival proved to be successful again for Spalding’s grass track team.

With activities spread over three days, the usual programme devised by Max Pendleton and the team from Mildenhall offered chances of good competitive racing.

Numbers appeared to be down but the usual high standard of racing went off.

Teams from Bourne Wheelers and Colchester Rovers, West Suffolk Wheelers, Chelmer, Fenland Clarion, VC Londres, Ashwell, South Pennine Road Club and Team Terminator were all present in varying numbers and across the age groups.

Spalding’s Jack and Velvet Bowser and Tom Wright rode exceptionally well.

The juvenile omnium and Mildenhall is a special event for Jack.

In 2015 he won the under-8s event, 2016 saw him on the top step of the podium again and this year in the under-10s category event it was another return to the top ahead of Evander Wishart of Fenland Clarion and South Pennine’s Aidin Pettitt.

In the under-12 girls omnium, Velvet could not quite make a repeat of her 2016 third place as very fast and competitive racing in a strong field made this one of the most exciting of the day to watch.

Both Jack and Velvet are talented and capable athletes with great futures in cycling – showing form for the club’s own grass track meet.

Wright was third in the under-16s omnium after finishing fourth last year.

Presentation duties were again carried out by former Grand Tour stage race rider Vin Denson.