STUNNING summer weather greeted the Mount Gambier Cycling Club members who had nominated to ride the Christmas race as the final event of the 2021 Kidman Law Co Spring/Summer series.
There was hardly a cloud in the sky and a slight easterly wind had the riders excited for a tailwind finish to the race.
The race itself was to be held on the Caves Road course, over a distance of 30km.
The Under 11/13 riders were the first to greet the commissaire for their 10km race, with Eddie Buckland given a 2:15 minute head start over the chasing Molly Opperman.
Both took advantage of their small frames to get as aerodynamic as possible on the outward leg into the headwind.
Opperman ate into the lead Buckland enjoyed before the turnaround, but with perhaps one eye on the State Junior Track Titles fast approaching, she chose not to press home her power advantage.
Buckland continued to ride strongly on the return leg, powering to the finish line in a time of 21:45.
Opperman arrived two minutes and 21 seconds later, allowing Buckland to also take fastest time honours by just six seconds.
For the Seniors, 22 riders greeted the commissaire, including one whose introduction to the club was the Crank the Crater event in the previous weekend.
The first group to leave consisted of Dave Delaland, Jen Buckland and Jason Buckland, followed four minutes later by Elmer Buckland and Mike Bakker.
A five-minute wait followed before the group of Paul Brooker, Bruce McLaughlin and Phil Stasiw departed, with just two minutes separating them from Rohan Mason, Spek Peake, Dean Zeven and John Cranwell.
A further two minutes delay ensued before Matthew Opperman – on his CX bike – joined Harry Opperman and Craig Andre in pursuit.
The second-last group to leave had a further two minutes to wait, now 15 minutes from the time that the initial racers had left, which consisted of Ash Herrewyn, Rob Mann, Riley Hill, Patrick Langsmith and Jami Buckley.
They were followed a further two minutes later by the final pairing of Dave Bryant and Nick Kidman.
The slight headwind notwithstanding, the pace was on from the start and any rider who was unable to keep with their group were going to be faced with a tough solo time trial. Unfortunately for Jami Buckley and Langsmith, such was their fate as the pace of their group began quite high.
While separating from their group at different times, they had managed to catch up to each other and work together for the final 20km.
The remaining riders managed to hold on to their respective groups to the turnaround, but the slight bumps close to the turnaround took the energy out of some of the riders who were unable to keep up with the faster competitors.
Out in front for 28 kmof the 30km race, Delaland and Jen Buckland continued to work strongly together but then, as if sensing the presence of riders close by, Deleland found another gear and set off towards the finish line.
His efforts were rewarded as he came over the brow of the hill towards the finish line with a strong margin to the next riders and celebrated his first victory in a Mount Gambier Cycling Club race.
Behind him, Jen Buckland was not so fortunate, caught on the descent to the finish line by Elmer Buckland and Bakker, who crossed the line in second and third respectively, leaving Jen Buckland in fourth place.
Kidman claimed fastest time honours.
Presentations were held back at the clubrooms, where a Christmas morning tea was provided, with family and friends joining the festivities.
Delaland was presented with the trophy for winning the Christmas race, with the sponsors also providing prizemoney for the podium placegetters for both junior and senior races.
As the race also doubled as the final race of the Kidman Law Co Spring/Summer Series, presentations were also made to the top-five finishers in the series, with Elmer Buckland crowned series champion.
This weekend some of the club’s junior riders – Molly Opperman, Niel van Niekirk, Patrick Langsmith, Jami Buckley and Kai Arbery – will participate in the SA Junior Track Championships at the Adelaide Superdrome.
