Two-time Pearl Izumi Tour Series champions JLT Condor presented by Mavic got their 2016 campaign off to a perfect start in the Isle of Man with a pair of team wins in Ramsey in both the Team Time Trial and criterium.
The brace of wins mark the 20th and 21st victories for the team, who have competed in every edition of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series to date, and won the title in 2011 and 2014.
The night was rounded off with further success for the men in black as Chris Lawless took the individual race win in the criterium, and former World Track Champion Alex Frame the Brother Fastest Lap award on his debut in the Series.
Reigning Chain Reaction Cycles Points champion Morgan Kneisky of Team Raleigh GAC also got his Series off to an excellent start, resuming where he left off by claiming the jersey again after Round One.
Sunny skies and the warmest day of the year so far on the Isle of Man greeted the Team Time Trial which kicked off the Isle of Man Cyclefest presented by the Isle of Man Bank.
Going second, after the Isle of Man guest team, JLT Condor blasted to the fastest time from the off with a 3:54.520 over two laps of the 1.5-kilometre Mooragh Park circuit.
Next nearest were defending champions Madison Genesis, just under two seconds back with NFTO in third.
Come the evening's circuit race, windy conditions eased on the seafront circuit allowing an exciting race shaped by a six-rider break of Lawless, Kneisky, Rory Townsend, Felix English, Liam Stones and Owen Dudley that represented all of the teams present.
Their maximum advantage peaked at 42-seconds, with a further five chasers, one from each of the full season teams present, joining them.
The race had a cat-and-mouse element, with every move being closely marked until five of the leaders escaped, again their combination representing all teams equally and including Lawless and Townsend from the original quintet, added to by Frame, Sebastian Mora, Alex Paton, Dale Appleby and Alex Blain.
The five became a six with a valiant attempt from Owen Dudley of the Isle of Man team to rejoin the leaders, but it was Lawless that came out on top, edging Mora and Appleby in the dash to the line.
Aided by Russell Downing and Alex Frame both finishing in the top eight, JLT Condor edged Madison Genesis by just two seconds when cumulative times of the best four from each team were added together, with Team Raleigh GAC a further second in arrears.
The pair of wins give JLT Condor presented by Mavic a two point lead over Madison Genesis, with NFTO a further three points down in third.
Highlights of the Isle of Man event are on ITV4 at 1900 on Monday 16 May with a repeat at 1300 on Tuesday 17 May.
The next round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series is in Motherwell on Tuesday 17 May, which will also see the opening event of the women's Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series. Week two of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series will see a pair of Scottish events, with Edinburgh hosting Round Three on Thursday 19 May.
Round One Thursday 12 May Ramsey, Isle of Man
Round Two Tuesday 17 May Motherwell (includes women's round)
Round Three Thursday 19 May Edinburgh
Round Four Thursday 26 May Redditch (includes women's round)
Round Five Friday 27 May Aberystwyth
Round Six Tuesday 31 May Durham
Round Seven Thursday 2 June Stoke-on-Trent (includes women's round)
Round Eight Monday 6 June Stevenage (includes women's round)
Round Nine Tuesday 7 June Croydon (includes women's round)
Round Ten Thursday 9 June Portsmouth (includes women's round)
Source: DSG
