Cicle Classic winner eyes Commonwealth Games

Scot Finn Crockett says the Birmingham course is 'ideal', reports Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

The winner of Sunday's Cicle Classic Finn Crockett has set his sights on riding for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Crockett, who stepped up to the UCI Continental level with Ribble-Weldtite this season, took the biggest win of his career in Melton Mowbray on Sunday.

He told Cycling Weekly: “The race just went perfectly and to come away with a win like that, especially at Rutland when it was a bit of a lottery, was amazing."

He added: “It is probably the most prestigious UK one-day race, it's the only one-day UCI race in the UK so it's competitive that's for sure. And now it's got my name on there [the list of winners] which is awesome."

A strong Ribble-Weldtite team had a rider in the day's break, which allowed Crockett to sit in the wheels as the group he was with bridged up to the break. Once he was in the front group he knew his sprint would be good in the finale and it delivered the British team's best result this year; they also had Stuart Balfour in fourth place.

An all-rounder with a good sprint, he'll now ride the Tour Series and has his eyes on a second win at the Lincoln Grand Prix. But the big goal, now he has met the criteria with his win in Rutland, is selection for the Commonwealth Games in August.