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Results and Reports from Australia
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Wellington Cycling Club
East Gippsland, Victoria, April 8, 2006
A grade were again the biggest bunch of the day, with some familiar names in the results. Carnegie Caulfield rider Stuart Hastings welcomed the opportunity to race with the new club, spending a lot of time attacking the bunch, but was relegated to second place by local sprinter Andrew Harrigan in the final metres of the race. The winds were certainly testing the friendly spirit of the riders, with some riders choosing to help provide cover when at the front of the bunch. Scott Dyer fresh from a 50km training ride normally relied upon to do the hard work up the front, chose to sit in the bunch with Dean MacIntosh, both unable to secure a strong lead out in the final sprint. Tim Langford sprinted very well for third, with the huge tailwind making for a very fast final sprint. Simon Rothwell and Aaron Wain did a power of work during the race and their gains in strength will pay off in the long run, Shane Dove tried a new strategy to be in the front in the final strait, but was unable to collect a prize. Darren Nowak unfortunately had a puncture and Brent Sword will be working on new racing tactics before his next race.
B grade had strong hill climber Michael Baker riding with them on his first ride with the club, pushing up the first hills, making the bunch work hard. Bryce Morden and Simon Whitford were also in their first race with the club and Simon constantly attacked the bunch making them work hard chasing him. Unfortunately for Simon, his final breakaway was leading into the headwind before the final straight and he ran out of petrol tickets with the bunch overpowering him and leaving him out of the money. Phil Dell, Emu Jones and Neil Luxford all worked with the bunch although some lessons need to be learned from Phill Dell, an experienced rider in how to save just enough to collect the win, Dave Arnup scraped in for third place and will be looking to acheive higher placings. Norm Grey jumped onto a break by Michael Baker early in the race but they were both victims of the vicious winds.
In C grade, only the five toughest of the newer racing riders were present to tackle the weather. Craig Greenwood and Amanda Jackson, who had both ridden with the club were on the sidelines today providing support to those who make the decision to race. Bernie McLoughran deserved a medal for joining the club in his first race in what would be the worst weather faced on race day, he toughed out the first lap, but struggled in the second lap as the bunch, with a bit more experience took advantage of his inexperience. Grant Smith cramped and dropped back leaving the remaining three counting their prize money in their minds, but he was able to rejoin the bunch and take third place overall, squeezing past Ruby Luxford in the final moments. Great to see Gary Cotteril finally crack a win after and Phil Medhurst come over the line second in the final sprint finish.
Results
A Grade 1 Andrew Harrigan 2 Stuart Hastings 3 Tim Langford B Grade 1 Phil Dell 2 Bryce Morden 3 David Arnup C Grade 1 Gary Coterill 2 Phil Medhurst 3 Grant Smith
