7:00pm Thursday 4th March 2010
SOUTHEND Wheeler George Pearl enjoyed his first victory in his first proper race of the season.
The event was a category two/three competition organised by the San Fairy Ann Club over the Redbridge circuit at Hogg Hill.
Pearl had previously completed his pre-season training in Belgium with other youth and junior team-mates representing the British Cycling eastern region development team.
Having settled into the pace of the race Pearl and fellow Eastern region rider Matt Cook, also 17 and riding for API Metrow, tested themselves and the field by opening up a gap on the bunch.
Having stayed away for a few laps and increased their lead, they reached the point where they had to choose between going back into the bunch and biding their time or pushing on alone and running the risk of expending all their energy too soon and getting caught and overtaken.
The duo, two of the youngest in the race, bravely made the commitment to push on.
A few laps further and Cook knew it was not going to be his day and drifted back into the chasing bunch.
Hogg Hill is renowned as the toughest circuit in the country and on such a windy day, particularly hard for a lone rider. Pearl, with still 12 laps — over 30 minutes — remaining, decided to totally commit to win or bust and drove himself on alone, stretching his lead out to 37 seconds at one point.
Towards the end of the penultimate lap two riders who had been bridging the gap from the main bunch for several laps eventually caught him.
Pearl kept his head and tucked in behind them for a further lap and 300 metres from the finish line dug deep and launched one last perfectly timed attack.
Only one of the riders was able to respond, but it was too late as Pearl crossed the line for his first victory by three seconds and a full 37 seconds ahead of the main field.
Cook had recomposed himself and charged away from his nearest rival to take sixth place.
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