Friday, 05 February 2010
EASTERN Bay Cycle Club’s trend of sprint finishes continued last week as a flat course provided tight racing.
Last Thursday’s race was a graded event from Valley Road out to Taneatua and return - a distance of 16 kilometres.
As usual the first group away were the A graders. It is was difficult for anyone to succeed in making a break on the bunch so invariably there was a bunch sprint for the win. This week’s sprint had Blair McComb take the win from Greg Jones and Mike Davies.
In the B grade, Dennis Sax continued his recent good form to win the grade from Wayne Nelson and Wayne Wills, while the C grade had Bret Wills win from Corrie Smit and Dave Wright.
On Monday night, the club race started at the Awakaponga Hall and took in an out and back lap of Braemar Road and then to Matata and back for a total distance of 32km done on a handicap basis giving everyone a reasonable chance to take line honours. What resulted was some exciting racing.
The first group away included Alan Jordan, Inga Koevoet, Tania Smit and Mark Hofert on a 10-minute start. The second group of eight riders went on four-minutes followed by six riders on two-minutes. McComb and Willy Harris left on scratch.
At the turn at the southern end of Braemar Road there were still reasonable gaps between the groups, although the two-minute group had closed the gap.
Coming back down Braemar Road the two-minute group hauled in the group in front of them and set about chasing down the front group. Meanwhile, up front the first group away were working well together.
Just after passing the Awakaponga Hall on the return trip the two scratch riders finally made contact with the combined group leaving only three riders still out in front. At the Matata turn it looked like the front three may stay away. But they didn’t make it with Willy Harris sprinting past on the line to win.
Alan Jordan and Tania Smit from the front markers were second and third respectively and McComb led the rest home to take fourth.
Tomorrow the club is holding a criterium race at Coastlands, as part of the Bike Week activities, starting at 4pm. Club training rides leave from near the Pak ‘N Save car park at 8am every Sunday morning.