Archived News
  2008
     July
Riders Battle Blustery Conditions
15.07.08
Riders battled extremely strong gusty winds during the 47.3km handicap race to the Iron Baron turn off and returned to the finish at the Wetlands on Saturday.
The riders were really buffeted by the winds as they came along the straight past Nonowie Station and had to stay alert to make sure they didn’t clip the wheel of the rider in front.
Neil Paterson, Darren Anderson and Steve Brown were the first bunch off and were followed seven minutes later by Ron Versteegh, Ben Young, Adrian Wilson and Wil Symons.
Symons missed his start as he hadn’t returned from warming up when his group was sent off and had to sprint after them as they had a 40 metre lead.
Scratch riders Malcolm Clasohm, Matthew Daum and Paul Berkett started at 12 minutes and had their work cut out to reel in the other two groups and when Daum retired before the turn around this made their task even harder.
Paterson dropped off the back of his group on the climb up the falls.
Anderson started to lose contact with Brown on the hill before the Iron Baron turn off coming 11 seconds behind him as they turned to head back to Whyalla.
Brown continued to open up his lead on Anderson and Paterson who had joined on the Nonowie Station straight.
Versteegh, Young, Symons and Wilson reached the turn around four and a half minutes behind Brown and made up a further minute by the time they reached the Motor Cycle Club.
They were still three minutes behind him at the Jenkins Ave extension.
Clasohm and Berkett reached the turn around two minutes 20 seconds behind the group in front and made up another 30 seconds by the Motor Cycle Club.
Young, Versteegh, Wilson and Symons caught Anderson and Paterson on the dual road but it was too late for the six riders to catch Brown before the line.
It was a bunch sprint finish for these six riders with Versteegh and Young leading the group and fighting it out for second and third place.
It was Young who narrowly beat Versteegh followed by Wilson, Paterson, Anderson and Symons one minute 40 seconds behind Brown.
Just over a minute later Clasohm, who took out the fastest time, and Berkett crossed the line.
There were no Juniors racing as many were in Adelaide competing in the Central Districts Junior Tour.