TALYBONT cyclist Gruff Lewis made a very impressive debut for his new team, Madison Genesis, when he joined the lead group and finished seventh at round one of the 2016 Motorpoint Spring Cup.

It was a superb effort from the former Ystwyth Cycling Club rider at the Chorley GP, and the 28 year-old was quick to praise his teammates for giving him the confidence to record his best ever British Cycling Premier Calendar result.

“I knew I was going quite well, so the plan was for the guys to look after me if I could get over the main climb,” said Lewis, who grew up in Penrhyncoch.

“Ahead of the race Matt and Tobyn were telling me I can do it and get up there – that gave me a lot of confidence on the road and once I saw I could follow the climbers I knew I was on a good day.”

His result was the reward of a race-long effort from the team to bring back a flurry of attacks, which began after the first breakaway was reeled in at around the halfway point of the 187-kilometre race.

A group of four were allowed to form at the front, but the Ceredigion man infiltrated an 11-man chase group, that made contact and formed a 15-strong band on the fifth and final lap over Rivington.

The group was whittled down to eight riders as the race entered its definitive stages, but with NFTO making up half of the number it was their race to lose.

Making numerical advantage count in the closing stages, NFTO set Ed Bradbury up for a solo escape to win the race.

Despite being exposed in the closing stages, the team took plenty of positives from the performance and will be looking forward to round two of the Spring Cup, which takes place on 10 April, with the Manx International GP on the Isle of Man.

“At the end of the race, when NFTO held all the cards it was a case of closing things down until I ran out of legs really,” added the former Penweddig School pupil.

“Craig Wallace (Raleigh GAC) and I sat on the front, trying to bring it back, but ultimately we were outnumbered.

“We have some riders at the Tour de Normandie at the moment, but I think it has given us confidence that, once we have our full squad, we can be challenging for the win at one of these events.”