Results and Reports for January 24

Westral Track Carnival

Perth, Western Australia, January 21, 2000

Courtesy of Tony Douglas

Friday night at the Speed Dome in Perth saw the running of the Malaysian Airlines Westral Track Carnival. For the men's open a strong field of local riders including ex-world champion Darryn Hill, Eddie Hollands, Ryan Bayley, Scott Suckling and Michael Sims and interstate riders Troy Clarke (Vic), Gene Bates, Nic Graham (SA), Darren Young and Paul Dobson (Tas) lined up.

A good sized crowd enjoyed some exciting racing in a variety of events leading up to the finals of the Westral. In the women's final Lyndelle Higginson (Vic scr) looked like the winner coming into the home straight but local rider Sandra Smith (scr) proved too strong as she overpowered Higginson in a desperate lunge to win on the line. Young WA rider Amber Malone (50m) finished a very creditable third.

The men's final saw another fast and close finish with Darren Young (Tas) off scratch just catching Ryan Bayley (20m) and Michael Sims (40m) on the line. Coming into the home straight Bayley was looking every bit the winner but an outstanding turn of speed from Young in the final meters saw the Tasmanian win his second Westral.

Results

Women

1 Sandra Smith (WA, scr)
2 Lyndelle Higginson (Vic, scr)
3 Amber Malone (WA, 50m)

Men

1 Darren Young (Tas, scr)
2 Ryan Bayley (WA, 20m)
3 Michael Sims (WA, 40m)

WA Criterium Championships

Perth, Western Australia, January 23, 2000

Courtesy of Tony Douglas

On a cool and windy Sunday afternoon the WA Criterium Championships were held in Manning, with all of the riders from the Westral competing.

The women's race was a cat and mouse affair with several unsuccessful early breaks coming back to the field, and on the bell lap the riders were looking for a move. In the long home straight into a headwind, the sprint to the line saw Lyndelle Higginson out-bustle Sandra Smith to win by a wheel with Hayley Rutherford third. Annabelle Vowels was fourth and Theresa Cliff (US) fifth.

The men's event saw the bunch split early when Scott Suckling initiated a break that grew to seven riders. This group of Suckling, Eddie Hollands, Brodie Cullen, Peter Dawson (WA), Paul Dobson (Tas), Jarron Poad (NZ) and Ben Godridge maintained a gap of about 15 seconds over the bunch. Several attempts by riders to get across proved unsuccessful until with two laps to go, Hilton McMurdo joined the leading group but this big effort proved costly for Hilton at the finish. The crowd looked up the finish straight to see Paul Dobson leading the breakaway and at the line it was Dobson (Tas) from Eddie Hollands and Scott Suckling (WA) followed by Jarron Poad (NZ), Hilton McMurdo, Ben Godridge, Peter Dawson and Brodie Cullen getting across the line from the fast finishing but splintered bunch.

Results

Women

1 Lyndelle Higginson (WA)
2 Sandra Smith (WA)
3 Hayley Rutherford (WA)
4 Annabelle Vowels (WA)
5 Theresa Cliff (US)
 
Men

1 Paul Dobson (Tas)
2 Eddie Hollands (WA)
3 Scott Suckling (WA)
4 Jarron Poad (NZ)
5 Hilton McMurdo (WA)