WHILE the Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby saw the emergence of youth, it was 42-year-old Neil de ste. Croix who “shockingly” won the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Cycle Race yesterday morning.“It was more than a complete surprise,” said de ste. Croix after crossing the finish line on Cedar Avenue beating out the likes of second-place Ricky Sousa Jr., third-place Wayne Scott and pre-race favourite Garth Thomson who ended up in fourth place. Vic Ball rounded out the top five.

After finishing second and third in his previous six outings, the win was especially sweet for de ste. Croix as he hasn’t been training that hard for the race.

“I am opening a pedal bike shop next week and I have been doing construction. I have been working every day for the last two months so I am exhausted.

“I haven’t spent much time on the bike — I have been falling off ladders!”

The winner paid tribute to his teammates, one of whom was Thomson.

He made his surge on Harbour Road by Inverurie Hill. “I was doing a surge and my boys protected me. I just kept going and tucked down and looked back and realised I had a gap and time-trialled it through town. My teammates protected me.”

Of the strong wind blowing in off Harbour Road, de ste. Croix said: “The wind was hard. I used the walls to tuck in. It was pretty strong but the temperature was good and there was low humidity. And I am happy that it was a safe race.”

Of Thomson, he said: “He was totally marked. He couldn’t sneeze — they would be on him.

“This is a lovely feeling. I was a little nervous coming up Queen Street. I was looking behind me and there are some good sprinters in there and Garth is very strong.”

After he made his surge de ste. Croix said: “I thought they would catch me at one point. I looked back and then gave it all I had.

“It is nice to be able to say I won it — at 42 I don’t have many chances left. It is a big race for Bermuda.”