Barras' team makes amends on tour

2:06pm Tuesday 15th April 2008

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The Plowman Craven Racing Team came out on top in the Isla Vista Classic Criterium cycle race in California on Saturday, with Keighley's Tom Barras helping secure that prize.

But Plowman Craven narrowly missed out winning the race in Santa Barbara, with Barras's team-mate Tony Gibb edged out into second spot in the sprint for the line.

The team had been keen to get a good result under their belts after a disastrous first race in their American tour, with five of their six riders crashing heavily on the final stage and their best-placed rider finishing well down the field.

Plowman had riders at the head of the race throughout, and with Gibb and Barras being joined in the top ten by Simon Gaywood and Evan Oliphant, they finally secured their first win, albeit in the team category and not the individual race.

And the following day the team aimed to go one better and put one of their riders on the top of the podium, but with a classy field lined up for Sunday's Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix in Ojai, their best placed rider was Oliphant in 13th, while Barras - who had worked hard to get his Scottish colleague to the front of the race for a sprint finish, crossed the line in the main bunch.

The team will continue their bid for victory in the USA when they ride the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California - a four-day race taking in more than 200 miles of roads.