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Randwick Botany Cycling Club
Bike Bug 500, Heffron Park, Saturday December 15, 2007
Brown outclasses best ever field assembled at Heffron
With the highest calibre of International Pro and semi-Pro riders ever assembled at Heffron Park, the Bike Bug 500 conducted was a huge success. Some 140 riders competed in the days events with 37 starters in the feature event of the day, the Bike Bug 500. Over 20 grueling laps, which saw nearly half the field relegated to spectators, the International riders put the crowd in awe as they blasted around the Heffron Park circuit at consistent speeds mere seconds off the one lap course record pace.
Dual Olympic Gold Medalist, Graeme Browne (Rabobank) took victory from Trent Wilson (Jittery Joes). Brown demonstrated not only his strength but also his masterful tactical skills as he launched off the front of the main bunch and bridged across to the winning break to finally outsprint them at the end.
Continental Pro teams, FRF/NSWIS and Ord Minnette/QLDIS both had almost their entire team racing. Other teams included Rabobank, Jittery Joes, Drapac Porsche & South Australia.com/AIS.
The pace was brutal early in the event with lap times consistently around the 2 mins 45 sec. The one lap record at Heffron Park is 2 mins 43 sec so this gives an indication of the speed of the pro riders. It wasn't long before a break of 9 went clear.
A smaller group of 3 riders chased them down which had the effect of relegating the rest of the field to spectators.
Coming into the final a small group was away and seemed to have the race wrapped up, but Brown seemingly effortlessly bridged across to the leaders before easily outsprinting them for the win.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rocky Fortuna
- Thirty seven top riders including some 20 international pro & semi-pro riders contested the feature race of the afternoon
- Graeme Brown Rabobank sprints home to victory followed by Trent Wilson (Jittery Joes) in second, Luke Cridland (FRF/NSWIS) in third.
- Dual Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Graeme Brown (Rabobank) team not only took out the $500 first place but was pretty happy to pick up a Christmas pudding as well.
- A smaller group of 3 riders chased them and the vast majority of the rest of the bunch were relegated to spectators.
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) pictured with fellow Australians Trent Wilson and Cody Stevenson of the Jittery Joes Jittery Joe's Continental Pro team based in Athens, Georgia.
- The placegetters of the Bike Bug 500. Graeme Brown Rabobank first, Trent Wilson Jittery Joes second, Luke Cridland FRF/NSWIS third, Rob Light FRF/NSWIS fourth and Cameron Hughes Ord Minnette/QLDIS fifth.
- The Continental team Ord Minnette/Queensland Institute of Sport
- Some of the members of the Continental Team FRF/NSW Institute of Sport.
- The pace was brutal early in the event with lap times consistently around the 2 mins 45 sec
Results
A Grade International. 20 Laps 40km 1 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 54:16 (42.7km/h) 2 Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joes 3 Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF/NSWIS 4 Rob Lyte (Aus) FRF/NSWIS 5 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Ord Minnette/QLDIS
