Cycling: Wight goes back-to-back

BACK-TO-BACK: Callen and Terry Harrington join second place Braeden Dean, winner Luke Wight, third place Haydn Bradbury and fourth place Angus Collins. This win saw Wight go back-to-back, following his victory in the feature race in 2016.

MOUNT Gambier’s Luke Wight has returned from the Victorian Cycling Christmas Carnival with two race wins and a third place.

Going into the prestigious Lindsay Harrington 2000-metre Wheelrace as defending champion, Wight secured a tight win over Braeden Dean to go back-to-back for 2017.

Haydn Bradbury rounded out the podium in third, while Angus Collins finished fourth.

Racing against Victoria’s best riders, Wight was “quite happy” with this result and said he hopes to be back again to defend his title at the end of 2018.

“Hopefully I’ll be alright to defend again if everything goes to plan,” he said.

The Victorian men’s state championship race – the Men’s Victoria 10-mile Motorpace – also saw Wight at the head of the pack, as he claimed the honours over Isaac Buckell and Bradbury.

Wight’s third podium for the carnival came from the Men’s three-lap aces sprint derby final, which saw the young-gun finish up in third position for the event.

Wight said as an endurance rider the sprint was more difficult, as he was up against some of the best sprinters in the state, as well as Australia.

“Being an endurance rider it was a bit tough,” he said.

“I just attacked early and managed to get away with a placing.”

With an impressive performance over the carnival, Wight was pleased to walk away with such good results.

“I was happy with my results from the whole week, for the three days of racing,” he said.

“Especially the night I came away with two of the major race wins.”

Currently competing in the Road Nationals at Ballarat this week, Wight’s next stop is the National Track Championships which are to be held in Brisbane from February 1-4.

“I made the state track team, so I’ll be competing in Brisbane at the Nationals in three week’s time,” he said.