ROUND Two of the Moreton Road Race series saw Darren Orchard and Phillip Cole involved in a sprint finish and successfully showed that Mud Sweat ‘n’ Gears new race team plans are progressing well as they both finished well in the top 10.

The duo have been training more and more together recently and have commented that it has provided a useful time to get to understand how one another ride, and to test each other’s fitness.

Cole is no stranger to doing well on two wheels as last season the Weymouth cyclist won the Ridgeway hill climb for the club.

However, this is his first year of competing on the road and he has already managed to climb through the ranks of British Cycling with a very early season promotion to gain his category three race licence.

Cole said: “I have learnt loads so far this season, and with experience within the club I am sure to continue to progress.”

So far he has managed a third, fifth, 10th and 11th in local road and circuit races.

Round two of the Moreton race series started at a high pace.

Riders choose to handicap their ability each week based upon their own performance.

Cole and Orchard both started alongside each other in the ‘red’ group which is the group for the most experienced and well trained riders.

Orchard added: “Last season I did well at circuit racing and managed to get promoted to category two race licence with British Cycling.

“Road racing did not prove quite so fruitful and my aim this year was to start and finish with the red group at the Moreton series as I just could not manage it last year.

“I have trained quite hard since the beginning of the year and really did not expect to start with the most experienced riders and place in the top 10 two weeks running – it really is a perfect start to the season.”

The pair were aiming to continue their good form to compete together representing the club in the Tavistock Wheelers race in Devon.

“The competition will be about as strong as it can get at this level as we be racing against the ex-team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke,” said Mud Sweat n Gears joint team manager Orchard. “Tiernan-Locke has always been a quality rider and it will be brilliant to ride alongside somebody with such experience.”