CHARLES Walker put in a fine performance to win last Saturday’s West Midlands Regional Series race in Stourport for Halesowen Athletics and Cycling Club.

The two-day stage race last weekend was put on by Stourbridge Cycling Club and again saw Hales maintain their fine season so far.

The club was well represented with Charles Walker and Jack Stanton-Warren leading the charge.

It was Walker who took first honours by winning the prologue at the Stourport circuit in three minutes and 47 seconds.

The Saturday afternoon racing was split into two criteriums, with the fastest prologue riders in the first heat consisting of an hour of racing and five laps.

The riding was aggressive with Stanton-Warren forming a break and Walker bridging across to eventually form a group of five riders. On the final sprint it was Walker again who showed his finishing speed to win the race ahead of Halesowen old boy Callum Ferguson, with Stanton-Warren coming in fourth and another old boy Cameron Biddle in fifth.

Oliver Dighton showed his increasing strength by coming second in the bunch sprint with fresh air between him and the pack.

The second criterium was tricky with the weather playing a large part in the racing throughout.

Patrick Fotheringham hit the front of the race only to slide off in the wet and Forrest Lambert-Humphries was a similar victim to the conditions. Joe Hobbs sprinted well out of the final corner, taking second place behind a lone breakaway rider.

The Sunday road race was held on the Astley circuit and consisted of five laps over a distance of 70 miles.

The circuit is familiar to the Halesowen team as it is also used for their annual race held in May.

The course lends itself to aggressive racing and it was Walker again who worked hard in bringing back the inevitable breakaway group midway through the race.

No sooner had the break been caught then Stanton-Warren attacked taking with him Callum Ferguson and a handful of other companions.

In the end it was Ferguson who won with Stanton-Warren in second place.

Although waiting for final confirmation from British Cycling, Walker gained enough points to get his first category licence – only the second rider this year to reach this milestone. Oliver Dighton also reached the points required for his second category licence.

This week, courtesy of financial support from Wenlock Springs water and fuelled by sport nutritionists OTE Sports, Hales have entered a strong team for the five-day stage Ras de Cymru held in South Wales as well as another team for the three-day Tour of Newry.