Young Claims Narrow Victory
27.02.09
It was a fast, steady pace from the start of the senior A Grade 20 lap heart starter on Friday night at the Velodrome.  Nicole Goldring slipped slightly off the back of the bunch after five laps and found it impossible to get back on.  The riders bunched together with two laps to go and were watching each other to see who would make the first move. However it was Tim Fulton who was first to go from high on the bank as they got the bell with the rest of the bunch responding immediately. They easily brought him back.  It was a close finish with Ben Young first from Malcolm Clasohm, Fulton, Rhyse Carpenter, Darren Anderson, Ryan Ware and Goldring.

In the senior B Grade 15 lap heart starter Kelvin Rohrlach used his turn at the front to gain a gap of two bike lengths over the rest of the field and slowly increased it, while Keith Gibbons went after him and bridged the gap.  About the same time Darryl Fulton and Pierce Sutton lost contact off the back and Adrian Wilson, Peter Werner and Jai Sutton worked together to reel in the two lead riders in the next two laps.  Gibbons lead J. Sutton, Werner, Wilson and Rohrlach onto the final lap and had to work hard to hold the others off to the line to finish ahead of J. Sutton, Wilson, Werner, Rohrlach, D. Fulton and P. Sutton.

Charlotte Wakeling had a bike length advantage over Sam Campbell and a 15-metre lead on Liza Wakeling and Jessica Shore as they got the bell in the junior A Grade 10 lap heart starter.  She tried to hold off Campbell, but he was too strong and took the lead just before the line with L. Wakeling third and Shore fourth.

In the junior 2 lap race Justin Burke took off as soon as he heard the bell with Dana Prater two lengths behind him and Tegan Wood unable to match their pace.  Prater came along side Burke down the home straight, but he took out the event by a wheel over Prater with Wood third.

The junior C Grade riders were together as they got the bell in their 4 lap race when Jacob Hughes took off and had a good 20-metre lead.  Corey Gibbons was flying as he reeled him in to take the lead and be first to the line followed by Hughes, Bailey Kesby, Ryan Bodinner and Chloe Hellowell.

Scott Litchfield set a time of 47.60 seconds in his one lap sprint.

The seniors had a round of team pursuits followed by elimination races while the juniors competed in handicap races and Scott Litchfield was joined by Baden Wilsdon for a one lap handicap.

All of the juniors including Wilsdon and Litchfield were divided into two teams, one on each side of the track, for an Italian pursuit.

It was then time for the final round of races with Wilsdon (30m) taking out the one lap handicap from Litchfield (30m).

Hughes had a handy lead half way through the junior C Grade 4 lap scratch race and although C. Gibbons chased him down Hughes held him off while Kesby was third from Hellowell and Bodinner.

In the junior B Grade 6 lap scratch race Burke again took off on the bell to gain a four-length lead over Wood and Prater with Prater putting in a strong sprint to be just half a wheel behind Burke as they crossed the line and Wood Third.

C. Wakeling outsprinted Campbell in the final lap of the junior A Grade 10 lap scratch race to take out the event from Campbell, Shore and L. Wakeling.

The seniors combined for the final race of the evening, a 30 lap scratch race, with some riders unable to maintain the fast steady pace and dropping off while the bunch was split with 11 laps to go. Anderson, T. Fulton, Young, Ware, Clasohm and Carpenter bunched up as they came around the bend as they got the bell before beginning their sprint for the line.  The pace lifted even further as they came down the back straight for the last time, but it was Clasohm who lead Young, Carpenter, T. Fulton, Ware and Anderson across the line.