Issy Zimmerman dedicated his debut win in Verulam Really Moving colours to his mother Haviva – who is currently fighting a critical illness in a Jerusalem hospital.
The category four race at Hog Hill was Zimmerman’s first chance to compete in a British Cycling sanctioned road race since coming over from South Africa in late 2016.
He jumped clear on lap five with 10 miles to go and was able to solo in despite a concerted effort from the chasers.
He said: “Drawing upon the warrior spirit that my mother imbued in me and inspired by her fearless, fighting attitude, I powered onwards. The gap to the pursuers grew to 15 seconds, then 20, then 25. They thought I wouldn’t keep it up to the end, but they had miscalculated.
“I am honoured to achieve the team’s first win of 2018, and very much look forward to contributing to the team’s racing objectives in 2018.”
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