Archived News
  2010
     January
Cycling
22.01.10
Senior A grade opened the night's racing with a 15 lap scratch race and set a fast, steady pace from the start but with four laps to go the pace slowed.  This may have been because the stiff head wind on the western bank had taken its toll and the riders needed to recover or they may have just been sorting themselves out before the sprint.  It was a bunch sprint for the line with Ben Young first from Tim Fulton, Daniel Anderson, Dylan Starkey, Jai Sutton, Ryan Ware and Darren Anderson.

The finishes were close in all of their events but it was Fulton, Darren, Daniel and Young who shared the first three places throughout the evening with Starkey, Sutton and R Ware not far off the mark.

It was a close competition between Scott Ware and Wesley Fisher in Senior B grade with S Ware taking out the 12 lap scratch race by a bike length while Fisher, off 45m held off S Ware (0m) in the three lap scratch race. While Nicole Goldring struggled to match it with S Ware and Fisher in the previous two events, when it came to the elimination she broke away from the rest of the field almost from the start to have a handy lead and was well clear of the other riders at the end of every sprint lap.  In the final sprint she was up against S Ware and as she still held a good lead, it was going to be a real challenge for S Ware to be able to reel her in before the line, however her advantage was too great.

Adrian Wilson was the only C grade rider, so he raced with B grade matching the pace of other riders and gaining a second in the 12 lap scratch race and third in the handicap.

Jacob Hughes rode well and was on the wheel of Charlotte Wakeling during the final lap of the junior A grade scratch races and Liza Wakeling in the handicap, but wasn't strong enough to take the lead.  He positioned himself well during the sprint laps of the elimination and in the final sprint against Charlotte held her off to win the event.  Jessica Shore made her move with a lap and a half to go in the 12 lap scratch race gaining a 20m advantage but that wasn't enough and was slowly reeled in before the line. 

It was a three way tussle between Dana Prater, Connor Margaritis and Justin Burke in junior B grade for first place with Burke winning the six lap scratch race and Prater the handicap and seven lap scratch race.  Bailey Kesby, off 60m, was unlucky not to take out the handicap as he held the lead until the last 20m and was side by side with Prater as they crossed the line with her wheel a mere tyre width in front.

In the 24" bikes group Holly Farrell wasn't quite as strong as Leyton Gould, Hudson Barsby and Chris Margaritis but she gave it her all right to the line and was rewarded with a second place in the handicap and final scratch race.  Margaritis won both scratch races and Barsby the handicap, while Gould finished with a second and third place.

Novice rider Scott Litchfield recorded a time of 49.34seconds in his one lap sprint, which while not his fastest, was a good time considering the windy conditions.  He also joined Mini riders Jasmine Ledington, Braden McLeod and Sebastian Hubner for a series of one lap handicap races making the most of his advantage just holding off the other riders.

 FULL RACE RESULTS HERE