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By Rod Morris
With the 1991 Hobart Wheel listed as his most recent achievement, Burnie cyclist Darrell Eaves returned to the winner's circle after a 11-year hiatus yesterday.
Eaves (41) leapt out of retirement this season and capped off his decision with victory in the prestigious St Helens Wheelrace - only hours after also winning the St Helens Lightning Handicap.
Eaves was enticed out of retirement because of the racing interest in his nephew Ben Fielding and his own daughter Sarah Eaves, who are competing at junior level.
"If it wasn't for them (Ben and Sarah) I doubt whether I would be racing at all," Eaves said.
Well and truly bracketed in the veteran class, Eaves showed the young bucks what hard racing was all about and in the B Grade Scratch was also well placed before an untimely puncture put him out of the race.
But the St Helens Wheelrace belonged to the affable Eaves.
Riding from a generous mark of 190m, Eaves made sure his fellow front markers, Dane Leedham (180), Michael Wood (190), Nathan Hingston (190) and Ryan Johnson (200), were well oiled and working together.
With another group of nine riders within 50m of each other, many expected the winner to come from there, but Eaves had other ideas.
"The pace was on early and the St Helens track is not always easy to handle, so it was a case of making every turn of the pedals count," Eaves said.
In form Hobart rider Jason Johnson had to settle for second behind Eaves, while Nathan Hodskiss, who is also showing a return to form, took third spot.
In the Lightning Handicap, Ryan Sullivan and Jason Johnson filled the minor positions behind Eaves, while in the scratch races, Gareth Atkins (A), David Klyne (B) and Dwayne Smith (C).
The B Grade Scratch provided an interesting picture as it contained two former Austral Wheel winners in Craig Price (1975) and Matthew Atkins (1998) - a credit to the depth of Tasmanian cycling.
St Helens 2000m Wheelrace 1 Darrell Eaves (190) 2.15.03 2 Jason Johnson (120) 3 Nathan Hodskiss (130) 4 Karl Menzies (90) 5 Ron Crawford (130) Other finalists Stephen Rossendell (50) Abram Manion (60) Michael Skeggs (90) Scott Callow (100) James Atkinson (140) Craig Price (150) Josh Simpson (160) Ryan Sullivan (170) Adrian Morrisby (170) Dane Leedham (180) Nathan Hingston (190) Michael Wood (190) Ryan Johnson (200) Open 1000m Lightning Handicap 1 Darrell Eaves (95) 1.06.36 2 Ryan Sullivan (85) 3 Jason Johnson (60) 4 Gareth Atkins (scr) 5 Stephen Rossendell (25) Other finalists John Abblitt (15) Caleb Manion (25) Michael Skeggs (45) Abram Manion (30) Brendan Geale (50) Ben Elliott (60) Nathan Hodskiss (65) James Atkinson (70) Jarrod Burr (70) David Oliver (85) Ryan Johnson (100) A Grade Scratch, 10,000m 1 Gareth Atkins 12.28.90 2 Stephen Rossendell 3 John Abblitt B Grade Scratch, 7500m 1 David Klyne 9.38.93 2 James Atkinson 3 Josh Simpson C Grade Scratch, 5000m 1 Dwayne Smith 6.32.25 2 Ryan Johnson 3 Belinda Goss Junior 1 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Brett Schnitzerling (160) 2.34.28 2 Wes Sulzberger (100) 3 Cameron Flint (100) Junior 1 1000m Lightning Handicap 1 Brett Schnitzerling (80) 1.11.48 2 Cameron Flint (50) 3 Ty Winduss (30) Junior 1 Scratch 1 Matthew Goss 5.19.56 2 Ty Winduss 3 Wes Sulzberger Junior 2 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Thomas Robinson (260) 2.44.76 2 Chris Cunningham (300) 3 Sarah Eaves (260) Junior 2 1000m Lightning Handicap 1 Thomas Robinson (130) 1.15.25 2 Chris Cunningham (150) 3 Clay Murfett (130) Junior 2 Scratch 1 Ben Fielding 4.29.12 2 Will Robinson 3 Alex Holden Junior 1 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Melissa Barnes (60) 1.35.74 2 Peter Loft (50) 3 David Lyons (50) Junior 3 1000m Lightning Handicap 1 Ben Grenda (scr) 1.33.22 2 Matthew Laskey (scr) 3 Melissa Barnes (60) Junior 3 Scratch 1 Ben Grenda 2.38.50 2 Edward Robinson 3 Matthew Laskey