Lindsay Watson (orange helmet) leads the peloton home in the John Haldane Memorial yesterday, Sunday. The Plush MTB man said he could feel there was a result in him at the weekend and he was true to his word. (Picture: Toby Watson)
By Brian Canty
Lindsay Watson took his first ever win in a road race yesterday, Sunday, the Plush MTB rider winning the bunch sprint that decided the John Haldane Memorial.
The Newry Wheelers-promoted event attracted a quality field but Watson said he knew he had it in him to win.
“I could feel it was coming and I knew I had the form to do it,” he reckoned.
“In the Annaclone GP last week I was feeling strong when we caught the A2 and A3 groups but someone broke my back wheel when they rode into me and though I was out the back, I chased back on and that told me I was strong.
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“Last Saturday I rode well in the John Moore Memorial and though I said I’d mind myself for the sprint, I had an instinct to attack from far out.
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“Okay, it didn’t work but I thought I could do it,” he added in relation to how he jumped away from a strong break that was coming to the line to contest the finish.
And yesterday, he finally got the winning combination of legs and luck right.
“I knew I wasn’t just going to ride around the carriageway,” he reflected of how the John Haldane often finishes in a gallop, given the fare is contested on the Warrenpoint dual carriageway – a wide open section of road.
“I always like getting up the road but everything was being chased down; I tried with Gareth McKee (Banbridge CC) once and he actually ended up with three Newry guys in a move but I knew they’d be caught.
“So I just followed the moves and coming into last lap I was feeling confident.
“Newry got organised for the sprint but I took the wheel of (Mike) Millar (Velo Café Magasin) and I could see he wasn’t picking up the pace when the sprint started so I went around him and managed to take it.
“It’s been one of my goals to win a road race so it’s great to get it so early.”
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