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St Helens Carnival - NE
Tasmania, Australia, January 21, 2006
No danger for Will Robinson in St Helens
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By Rod Morris
After a couple of weeks of ordinary form, Launceston cyclist Will Robinson bounced back to his best form in the final track carnival of the Tasmanian summer at St Helens.
Robinson was in brilliant touch early in the season but went off the boil throughout the huge week of Christmas action.
But at St Helens on Tassie's sunny East Coast, Robinson made his opponents look second rate, winning the St Helens Wheel, the 1000 m Lightning Handicap and the B Grade Scratch race.
"Its not a bad way to finish the season," was Robinson's laconic reply. "I was a bit down in the dumps during the Christmas series after starting the season off okay, so its at least good to come better towards the end of the series."
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Robinson's younger brother - Tom - stole the limelight over the past three weeks, earning enough points to claim overall victory in Cycling Tasmania's Rider of the Season award, a championship in which Will was the early leader.
Karissa Ling held on to win the women's category while Ulverstone's Luke Ockerby was a run away winner of the junior award.
The full and final points in Cycling Tasmania's prestigious awards will be announced on Monday.
In the 2000 m wheelrace final, Will Robinson made his winning move at the bell lap when he caught others napping and in the final sprint to the line had plenty of room to spare from the fast finishing Andrew Loft and Brendan Geale, who took second and third respectively.
Earlier in the day, Robinson beat Bernard Sulzberger and veteran Jamie Perry in the sprint of the Lightning Handicap.
The 8000 m A Grade Scratch went to Amrerican Bobby Lea, who outgunned the favourite, Nathan Clarke, leaving Bernard Sulzberger with third place.
Devonport based rider Emma Smith won the Women's St Helens Wheelrace, ahead of Emma Heynes and the improving Kate De Paoli, while Heynes had to be content with victory in the lightning handicap.
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The women's scratch race saw an easy win to Flowery Gully rider Grace Sulzberger.
Junior wheelace winners included Andrew Smith (U17), Marcus Gale (U15) and Nathan Hinkley (U13).
Now in its 52nd year, the St Helens Carnival offers competitors, officials and specators a holiday-type atmosphere and organisers are already in deep discussion with Government officials on its preservation.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Lynne Ryan
- Andrew Dolan wins the JU17 Lightning Handicap
- Bobby Lea wins the Mens A grade Scratch Race
- Dave Robinson with his son Will (Mens Wheel Winner)
- JU13 Scratch Race Winner Drew Redman
- Kodey West wins the JU15 B Scratch Race
- Luke Ockerby wins the JU15 A Grade Scratch Race
- Marcus Gale wins the JU15 Lightning Handicap
- Mens Wheel Placegetters - L to R Brendan Geale 3rd, Will robinson 1st and Andrew Loft 2nd
- Mens Wheel Winner Will Robinson
- SCAT Rider of the Series Winners - L to R Karissa Ling (Womens) Tom Robinson (Mens) Luke Ockerby (Juniors)
- Wheel Winners Emma Smith and Will Robinson
- Will Robinson - 3 wins in 3 races
- Women's Scratch Race - Karissa Ling L 2nd and Grace Sulzberger 1st
Results
St Helens Wheelrace 1 Will Robinson (150) 2.12.91 2 Andrew Loft (140) 3 Brendan Geale (120) 4 Jarrod Harman (80) Other finalists: Stephen Rossendell Nathan Clarke Bobby Lea Tom Robinson Bernard Sulzberger Daniel Cutting Matthew Atkins Aaron Jones Jason Bellchambers Jamie Perry Ryan Innes Ben Laskey Steve Martini Codie Redman 1000 m Lightning Handicap 1 Will Robinson (75) 1.06.57 2 Bernard Sulzberger (35) 3 Jamie Perry (75) 4 Steve Martini (100) A Grade Scratch, 8000 m 1 Bobby Lea 10.15.34 2 Nathan Clarke 3 Bernard Sulzberger 4 Tom Robinson B Grade Scratch, 4000 m 1 Will Robinson 4.45.67 2 Steve Martini 3 Ryan Innes 4 Jamie Perry C Grade Scratch, 4000 m 1 Craig Burrows 4.33.01 2 Codie Redman 3 Fred Guilbert 4 Matthew McDonagh Women St Helens Wheelrace 1 Emma Smith (200) 2.38.04 2 Emma Heynes (190) 3 Kate De Paoli (200) 4 Tiffany Manion (200) 1000 m Lightning Handicap 1 Emma Heynes (95) 1.15.72 2 Kate Warren (85) 3 Kate De Paoli (100) 4 Janelle Smith (80) 4000 m Scratch 1 Grace Sulzberger 5.57.96 2 Karissa Ling 3 Sarah Cure 4 Abigail Brereton Juniors J1 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Andrew Smith (20) 2.32.83 2 David Lyons (140) 3 Brenden Sutton (180) 4 Alex Benson (60) J2 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Marcus Gale (250) 2.35.20 2 Madison Catlin (280) 3 Callan Walker (240) 4 Ryan Mather (240) J3 St Helens Wheelrace 1 Nathan Hinkley (125) 1.36.88 2 David Stride (45) 3 Macey Stewart (30) 4 Andrew Hinkley (25) J1 1000 m 1 Andrew Dolan (60) 1.12.63 2 Peter Loft (25) 3 Ed Robinson (70) 4 Matthew Siermicki (90) J2 1000 m 1 Marcus Gale (150) 1.14.88 2 Jacob Laskey (150) 3 Callan Walker (120) 4 Ryan Ockerby (130) J3 1000 m 1 Macey Stewart (50) 1.35.25 2 Drew Redman (35) 3 Nathan Hinkley (125) 4 David Stride (45) J1 Scratch 1 Peter Loft 6.02.10 2 David Lyons 3 Andrew Smith 4 Alex Benson J2 A Grade Scratch 1 Luke Ockerby 4.57.58 2 Sam Brett 3 Amy Cure 4 Brandon Stewart J2 B Grade Scratch 1 Kodey West 5.12.68 2 Jacob Laskey 3 Stephen Heppel 4 Marcus Gale J3 Scratch 1 Drew Redman 3.09.25 2 Nathan Hinkley 3 David Stride 4 Macey Stewart
