TORQUAY junior Matt Hill produced the best ride of his young career to pull off a solo victory in the first Springtime Pursuit Race organised by his own Mid-Devon CC/Colin Lewis Cycles near Exeter.

Hill, a Westlands School student from Babbacombe, was in a strong group of junior riders who were first away in the 32-mile 'handicap' race based at Rockbeare on the old A30.

Half a dozen of them were never caught by the fastest senior riders, who had a seven-minute gap to make up.

Hill held off teammate Brennan Townshend and Sean Wheddon (Bristol Cycle Development Squad) to take the first-lap 'prime' prize.

Then, with 13 miles to go, Hill launched the winning move.

"On the last prime, I attacked and got it," he said.

"I looked back and realised I had a large gap.

"So I just kept going as hard as I could to the finish line."

Teammate Nick Avery and Somerset RC's Sam Deakin were second and third in the 'prime'.

Behind the leaders, the second and third, and also the fourth and fifth, groups came together.

And it wasn't long before Hill was out on his own, chased by the remaining junior group and one big bunch around 90 seconds back.

With the wind at his back for the last five miles, Hill stayed away, eventually winning by more than a minute from Deakin, with the Mid-Devon trio of Tom Dracup, Townshend and Avery taking the minor placings.

Hill covered the 51 kilometres in one hour 14mins 59secs.

Gary Chambers (South Fork Racing) was the first of the 'scratch' riders to finish, just over two minutes behind Hill in seventh place.

He complained that his colleagues had not worked hard enough to pull back the leaders.

The last time that the junior group won so convincingly was around 30 years ago.

The winner then and the runner-up, Chard Wheelers' Paul Barratt and Mid-Devon's Andy Hitchens, were also in the latest field.

Hitchens, still going strong, was tenth, in a group which also contained clubmates Jake Durant, the 2009 winner, and Andrew Parker.

Mid-Devon's Ashley Watts was also 13th, just ahead of former Torquay rider Darren Moore (Le Col).

The event featured the first-ever ladies' race, won convincingly by Shred Racing's Ali Holland, who covered the 38K in one hour 13mins 37secs.

Holland was 23 seconds clear of Miriam Freemantle (Team Tor 2000), with Marldon's Holly Russell (YOGi Cycling) third.

Jo Edwards was the first Mid-Devon rider home, in fifth place.

Another full field, plus a bigger ladies' contingent, is expected for this Saturday's second leg of the three-race Pursuit series.

The 'handicap' may well be adjusted after the outcome of race one.