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Western Australian Long Distance Championships

Sydney Road, Gnangara, September 8, 2002

by Tony Douglas.

NDCC hosted the State Long Distance Championships on the testing Sydney Road course Gnangara on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia. A warm early spring morning greeted the riders for the Open Men's, Open Women's and Support race.

The 100 km Support race saw the riders roll off at a very civilised pace that saw most of the bunch stay together for all but the last 3 laps of the 8km circuit. With 3 laps to go Andy Brierley road away from the bunch, Murray Hall was alert to this move and with two laps to go was 20 seconds behind Andy Brierley with the bunch another 10 seconds back. At the bell, Murray Hall had joined Andy Brierley with young Andrew Wade chasing hard at 40 seconds, with the bunch at now 1m10s behind the leaders. In the long straight to the finish line, Andy Brierley came around the evergreen Murray Hall with Andrew Wade coming in just seconds in front of the bunch sprint for fourth.

The 100 km Open Women's race saw a very similar race unfold, with the bunch staying together except for some of the less experienced women becoming early casualties to the pace being set by Mandy Collis. The championship turned into a sprint in the final straight with Rachel Wilson by half a wheel on the line over Jo Moore and Mandy Collis and Lorraine Schutz only a bike length away in third and fourth.

In the 180 km Opens Men's race, James Bennett and Gary Wright got away from the bunch very early in the race, lap 3, with the gap out to 1min40s. With 13 laps to go the two breakaways were joined by Phil Rieman with the bunch at 20seconds. The next two laps saw Steve Harcourt trying to get across and with 10 laps to go the break was now four riders with about 40 seconds to the bunch. By the next lap James Bennett and Gary Wright had had enough and with eight laps remaining the break was down to two riders, Steve Harcourt and Phil Rieman, with the gap getting out to as much as 3 minutes on the chasing bunch. With four laps remaining, Harcourt and Rieman were only one minute on the chasing bunch led by Ed Hollands and Jason Rigg. With three laps remaining the pair of Hollands and Rigg had overtaken the breakaway and put one minute into the bunch and were riding hard together to stay away. Now with two laps left Steve Harcourt hits the bunch again and is now 2m 40s behind the pair of Rigg and Hollands and 50 seconds ahead of the bunch. At the bell Hollands and Rigg are riding hard with Steve Harcourt now almost 3 minutes down and with the bunch now 40 seconds behind Harcourt. On the small climb on the back of the course Jason Rigg attacks and Ed Hollands cannot answer. Into the long finish straight it's Jason Rigg being chased by Ed Hollands, but to late, and Rigg crosses the line with time to look over his shoulder and to salute the appreciative spectators. An elated Steve Harcourt finishes third with Mark Petterson leading home the bunch in front of Hilton McMurdo.

Thanks to the City of Wanneroo, the WACF for the medallions and Interflora for the presentation bouquets.

Results

Support Race 100km
 
1 Andy Brierley     2.59.02
2 Murray Hall 
3 Andrew Wade.
 
Open Women 100km
 
1 Rachel Wilson     3.14.32
2 Jo Moore 
3 Mandy Collis.
 
Open Men 180km
 
1 Jason Rigg        5.12.07
2 Ed Hollands 
3 Steve Harcourt 
4 Mark Petterson 
5 Hilton McMurdo.