ADELAIDE cyclist Jarrad Drizners used the mild weather to his advantage to claim first place and fastest time in the 100 Mile Classic cycling event on Saturday.
Light winds and intermittent rain saw a fast time set, with Drizners covering the 160km road course in three hours, 35 minutes, 23 seconds, to be one of the fastest times recorded for the event.
A member of the Kilkenny Cycling Club in Adelaide, Drizners had also won the Under 23 State Time Trial Championship the week prior, along with the recent Tour of the South West in Warrnambool.
He followed his 100 Mile Classic win up on Sunday with a top 10 in the Open Men’s State Kermesse, held around the picturesque Blue Lake.
It was the 25th occasion the first and fastest time has been achieved in the 82 times the handicap event has been run.
Drizners had to work hard for his victory, starting 48 minutes behind the first group in the handicap format, with a group of 10 riders together at the bottom of the Blue Lake hill as they headed into town from Port MacDonnell.
A few of those were dropped as the pace picked up, with Drizners a clear leader as the cyclists rounded the Bay Road corner to head to the fast finish line in front of the police station.
He beat Norwood club rider Justin Gassner to the line comfortably, with Bendigo’s Connor Sens rounding out the placings after a sprint to the finish.
In a tough field, Alex Porter – a team gold medal winner at the recent Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast – completed a solid ride for fourth place.
For the Limestone Coast competitors, youngster Jack Patzel claimed the first Mount Gambier club rider home, while Angus Maddern was the fastest Mount Gambier club rider, after his recent success in the Victorian 100km Championship at Casterton.
Daniel Herrewyn was the third Mount Gambier rider to cross the finish line.
The event attracted 75 competitors, with riders in the top 10 coming from five different handicap groups.
The race wound its way from Tenison Woods College, out along the country roads through Millicent, then back into Mount Gambier before heading down to Port MacDonnell and turning for home.
For the winner it was a tough day, but one he took by the scruff in the final kilometres of the race.
“It definitely was not easy, especially in that last couple of kays, but it feels good to get the win,” Drizner said.
“Just at the bottom at the last intersection I was confused about which way to go, then the gap just opened up and I thought it was now or never, so I just booted it and went for it to the finish.
“No one really wanted to do the work and chase me down then get counter attacked, so it was easy to ride away while everyone else was playing cat and mouse.”
Despite opening up a decent margin, Drizner still had to be watchful heading down Bay Road to the finish, but felt comfortable with his position.
“I was pretty confident because it is a fast down hill,” he said.
“They would have to sprint full gas to get to me, so I was just happy to soak it up then take the victory.”
Overall Drizner said the race unfolded well, with some tough sections due to the wind.
“The first 30 kays we were just getting into it, then there was a bit of a cross wind section and that hurt a bit,” he said.
“We gradually started to catch the bunches and I felt pretty good for the final leg.
“There was a bit of a cross wind from Port MacDonnell to the finish so it was a bit of a slog.”
Drizner said the 100 Mile Classic is a race he had only focused on recently.
“It is my first time racing this event and I have been eyeing it off for the past couple of weeks,” he said.
“I knew I was in pretty good form and was pretty keen to get up for the win, so it feels good to pull it off.”
Five women entered their own event, run over 100km, with Jazz Martin of the Adelaide University Club completing the inaugural race distance in 3 hours 25 minutes 34 seconds.
Junior riders competed in a circuit along on Tollner Road, with the U11/13 won by Hamiton’s Lucas Riley and fastest time recorded by South coast’s Harrison Blackburn.
The U15/17 was won by Hamilton’s Jessica McLaren and the fastest time was recorded by South Coast’s Elliot Walker.
Sunday saw the State Kermesse championships held around the Blue Lake course, with Brunswick’s Conor Murtagh claiming the men’s honours ahead of Joshua Harrison and Thomas Kaesler.
