Curran leads new squad by example

PAUL Curran, a member of England's gold medal-winning squad in the 1986 Commonwealth Games team time trial, put his experience to good use on Sunday.

The Thornaby rider, backed by Wayne Randle, a bronze medalist in the same event in Auckland four years later, led his new club, Optimum Performance RT, to victory in the Atlanta Saw Company 50km four-up event at Birmingham.

With British time trial best all-rounder Kevin Dawson and road racing international Mark Lovatt also in the squad, they set a course record time of lhr 4min 8sec to beat the Welsh national squad, themselves preparing for the Commonwealth Games, by just two seconds.

RESULTS

1. Optimum Performance RT (Curran, Randle, Dawson, Lovatt) 1-4-08
2. Welsh National Squad 1-4-10

By GRAHAM SNOWDON