GP Archer, Cat 1.5

Report Chris Walker of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team took his fourth major win of the 1999 season in Buckinghamshire yesterday in the Archer Grand Prix. 33 year old Walker is now back to his best form and the former Milk Race winner has taken the Grand Prix of Essex, two stages of the Girvan 3-day and now The Archer within one month. Welshman Julian Winn, (Linda McCartney), who finished third overall, initiated the winning move along with national road race champion Matt Stephens of Harrods. They had been part of a six-man break that had dominated the second half of the race. As the break began to tire with all the climbing, Chris Walker bridged the gap from the main peloton with pany of Men’s Health rider Gordon McCauley. Walker rode straight past the break once he caught them, leaving McCauley. He was joined by Winn and Stephens. Stephens was always going to be up against it, and try as he might on the hills, there was no shifting the McCartney duo. At the line, Chris Walker sprinted to the win with Stephens took second. After the race, Chris Walker was asked whether his form compared to his best years. He said: "Nowhere near! We’re going to Settimana Bergamasca in Italy on Wednesday, where I won four stages in 1991. I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level again! The team is so good now, that it makes things very difficult for our rivals. They can’t mark all of us, and they know that any one of us is capable of winning. At any given time we had at least one rider in every move today, which is exactly what Keith Lambert asked us to do." Buckinghamshire, 170 kms: 1. Chris Walker (GB) Linda McCartney 2. Matthew Stephens (GB) Harrods 3. Julian Winn (GB) Linda McCartney 4. Julian Ramsbottom (GB) Harrods 5. Gordon McCauley (GB) Men’s Health 6. Mark Lovatt (GB) ProVision 7. Rowan Horner (GB) 8. Darren Barclay (GB) Arctic 2000 9. Matthew Rogers (GB) Amore e Vita 10. Danny Axford (GB)