Forces downhill cyclists tackle new course as part of Pearce Series in Shropshire

Forces downhill cycling competitors have battled the challenges of a brand new course during the national Pearce Series in Shropshire.

The military cyclists were at Redwood Park in Bucknell and raced through challenging conditions of dusty trails and rain during the events.

RAF competitor James Woods finished in seventh in the Senior Open 19-29 category and was just 5.95 seconds off the lead won by Matt Bower, while Zak Woodman secured the most impressive result from the Army, finishing 16th.

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Liam Johns and Harry Barker (both RAF) and Joseph Manley (Royal Navy) finished towards the back of the pack in the same race.

In the Masters Open 50+ race, Andrew McMillan from the RAF finished in eighth while James Heal, in his 200th race for the Army, finished in 29th in the Masters Open 40-49 category, 16 places higher than his Army teammate Matt Ford.

Darren Redfern, representing both the Army and Cykel House 6Seven Factory Racing, came in 17th in the Masters Open 30-39 category.