Huw Pritchard of the Linda McCartney - Welsh Cycling Union development squad won the final stage of the Tour of Serbia yesterday.

Huw out-sprinted his four breakaway partners - two Russians, a Ukrainian and a Yugoslav - to win the 155km stage. It's a great result for the Welshman, who has suffered some bad luck recently, like his early crash in Holland when called up to the GB squad. He is now demonstrating that he has excellent form, and will be a doughty foil for the twin-pronged Max Sciandri / Matt Stephens taskforce that is heading for Birmingham and the National Road Race Championship on June 25th.

It made up for the trauma of the first day here, when the boys were forced into action on borrowed bikes and equipment. It's every air-traveller's nightmare to stand by the carousel waiting for baggage that never appears, but when you're expected to ride a couple of hundred kilometres on thin air the following day, it's even worse. To rub salt in the wounds, two crashes and a puncture left Huw and James Griffiths 18 minutes adrift of the field, threatened with elimination on the first evening of the race. Fortunately, the authorities agreed with team managers Chris Lillywhite and Keith Lambert, and the extenuating circumstances surrounding the suspect equipment meant that they were free to begin Stage 2.

With their real Principias arrived and under them once more, the team could set about racing for real. Matt De Canio, enjoying a spell with the other younger riders after his American study leave, would turn in a fine ride. He went on to finish 26th overall, but promised much more. A puncture and poor service provision by the organisers left Matt at the roadside waiting for a wheel change as the break he had been in sailed off into the sunset. With it went his hopes of a high overall finish.