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Results and Reports from Australia
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Norwood Cycling Club Tuesday series #12
Regency Park, South Australia, February 3, 2004
What a contrast from the last weekend, absolutely perfect weather greeted the large field of cyclist this evening.
Very fast racing from the E grade riders saw the bunch split into two groups with most of the front group of riders being elevated to D grade for their next race. Tom Baxter, Bradley Crawford, Stephen Curtis, Scott Goodwin, Martin Pfitzner and Steve Zucker were the main instigators. Gemma Kernich rallied the chasing group but they were not able to gain any ground on this bunch, but held the same distance to the finish. All the placings were taken by the breakaways with Baxter winning from the fox Zucker and Curtis third.
New sensation Paul Wainwright, who last week forced the break in E grade and then came second, was this week elevated to D grade. After learning what it was all about last week used his strength to just ride away from the D grade bunch this week. The bunch pretty much stayed together with experienced riders controlling the pace. Wainwright thought otherwise and rode off the front half way through the race. The bunch kept pace 200 metres behind just watching, no-one was prepared to join him and eventually they reeled him back in with three laps to go. With just time to take a deep breath and with two laps to go Wainwright rode off the front again. To everyones disbelief Wainwright was still well ahead of the bunch and cruised up the finishing straight to take the win. The bunch sprint was then won by John Kah.
C grade saw the opening break go to Dave Kubler and Craig Feely, but with the other bunches circulating quite fast the remainder of their bunch was dragged back to them. The pace was going up and down but pretty much they stayed together. Again Kubler attacked this time with Peter Bice and Peter Durbridge always looking for a chance to get away. Eventually they were picked up by the bunch due to the fast pace toward the finish. Adelaide club rider Josh Smith easily took the bunch sprint win over another sprinter Martin Middlemiss.
Like clockwork the first breakaway attempt in B grade went to young Daryl Margrate assisted by Victorian Rohan Essex. They stayed away for the mandatory few laps but were then bought back by the very strong bunch. Three quarters of the race gone and the next big break attempt was made by a very strong Mikael Strom from Sweden having his last race tonight. Strom opened a large solo break and it looked promising to succeed, but the bunch thought otherwise and bought him back with a few laps to go. Again it came down to a bunch sprint with Matt Miller making no mistake this time and leading the bunch out to take the win from Dale Rycroft and Brendan Handel.
Current State Criterium Champion Alan Gill was the first rider to push the pace tonight with fellow riders Lucien Keene and Brett Aitken. With these quality riders up the road the bunch was not going to let them get away and bought them back. As soon as that happened another attack was launched, this time Ben Biggs, Michael McGee, Stephen Cunningham and Mat Rex. This break was able to hold off a little longer but was never threatening.
Later toward the business end of the race Keene, Biggs and Shaun Lewis attacked, but it was short lived, then went McGee again this time in a solo effort and the bunch was not interested and let him go. This attack was looking good but then McGee ran out of legs and was picked up by the fast rolling bunch. Just before two laps to go Aitken launched a fierce attack with Alan Gill stuck to his wheel. Two riders tried to bridge the gap but were caught in no mans land and the bunch was looming behind. The bunch caught these two riders but did not keep going to pick up Aitken and Gill. Both riders worked well together to stay 50m ahead of the bunch with Gill taking the sprint over Aitken. Sprinters then filled the minor placings in the bunch sprint to the line but missed out on the win for not helping to chase.
Results
A Grade 1 Alan Gill (Polar Heart Rate Monitors) 2 Brett Aitken (PT One Fitness) 3 Chris Luxton 4 Mat Rex (SASI/Rio Coffee/Main North Nissan) 5 Graham Rootes (Bicycle Express) B Grade 1 Matt Miller (Mittiga/Norwood Parade Cycles) 2 Dale Rycroft 3 Brendan Handel 4 Rohan Essex 5 Nick Shipp (TYCO) C Grade 1 Josh Smith 2 Martin Middlemiss 3 Judd Walker 4 Darcy Bates 5 Matthew Grimmond D Grade 1 Paul Wainwright 2 John Kah 3 Clive Page 4 Michael Pearce-Cane 5 Craig Lienert E Grade 1 Tom Baxter 2 Steve Zucker (Bicycle Express) 3 Stephen Curtis 4 Martin Pfitzner 5 Bradley Crawford Juniors 1 Mat Sanders 2 Craig Mattingly (Trak Cycles/Ciombola) 3 Tiffany Cromwell (Bicycle Express)
