Riders chase the trophies
CLUB racing was held on Sunday morning from Pound Creek with a 9.30 start to racing.
For those riding to the start it meant a warm up ride across frosty country side with the thermometer at around zero degrees. The morning did warm up to be pleasantly sunny and race conditions were pretty good.
The Senior field raced for the Lex Watt Memorial Trophy whilst the B Grade riders raced for the Watchorn Trophy.
The scratch duo of Austin Timmins and Thomas McFarlane had another duo – Harrison McLean and Steve Allen – on three minutes whilst on eight minutes there was a trio – Kevin Feely, Chris Rowe and Leigh Stott.
Out on a limit of 12 minutes there were a further three riders – Oliver McLean, Brad Bouquet and Bernadette Fitzgerald. The riders faced two laps of the 24 kilometre circuit.
By the time the riders raced round the corner from the Koonwarra Road back onto the Bass Highway, the limit group had lost three minutes of its lead to the chasing trio whilst the back markers had closed up but not as markedly.
By the time they reached the same corner on the second lap the eight minute and 12 minute bunches were together and moving well but they only had around 30 seconds on the backmarker quartet and still had around eight kilometres to race.
Perhaps it was the Saturday race for Thomas McFarlane (he competed in the Melbourne-Ballarat Race) or perhaps it was a little more desperation by the limit riders, but they reached the line about 100 metres ahead of the chasers.
In the dash to the line it was the limit trio who out sprinted the middle markers to claim the podium places.
Oliver McLean claimed the trophy from Bernadette Fitzgerald and Brad Bouquet.
Kevin Feely was fourth, Chris Rowe fifth and Leigh Stott sixth.
Harrison McLean led the back markers in for seventh then it was Thomas McFarlane eighth (and with the fastest time 1 hour and 20 minutes).
Next in were Steve Allen and then Austin Timmins.
The B Grade riders raced up and back on the Pound Creek Road twice for an approximately 17 kilometre race.
Thomas Fitzgerald was back from his successful racing at the Eildon Junior Tour and racing from scratch.
He was chasing 1.30 minutes to Kaleb Jans whilst out on 3.30 minutes was Zach Stubbs-Teylor, Jack Allen and Gregg Bradshaw.
With no wind to contend with, the limit group used its numbers to keep the pace steady and with a lack of commitment from the back markers it was again a limit rider bunch contesting the Watchorn Trophy.
Zach showed his break from racing over the school holidays was no disadvantage as he scored his first win and a trophy as well. A close second went to Greg Bradshaw whilst Jack Allen was third.
Thomas Fitzgerald was fourth but fastest 36.58 whilst Kaleb Jans was fifth.
The club was expecting some more riders for the Sunday race however the Saturday morning training bunch ride suffered some mishaps with one rider trying out the Chris Froome position for some downhill descents.
Club members are reminded there is a club meeting on Tuesday night at the RSL rooms.
Next Saturday also sees the club host the next round of the State Time Trial series at the Outtrim Reserve.
Club racing will start at 9am with the State Series at 10am.
The afternoon will see members tackle the hill climb dash up Mt Misery.
If riders are not racing we can use your help run the racing.
Shining: from left, in second place was Bernadette Fitzgerald; the winner of the Lex Watt Memorial Trophy, Oliver McLean; third, Brad Bouquet; and Zach Stubbs-Teylor, the winner of the Watchorn Trophy for Juniors made an impressive winners’ group for the Leongatha Cycling Club held at Pound Creek on Sunday.
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Posted by Sarah Vella on Jul 19 2016. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
