AFTER the heat of the previous weekend of racing, a return to cooler weather last weekend was welcomed by riders taking part in the second race of the Mount Gambier Cycling Club’s Summer Series, a 25km out and back handicap race on the familiar Caves Road course.
The wind came from a favourable direction for the riders, with a slight headwind for the outward leg and a nice tailwind pushing them on the return leg to help record some quick times.
The junior riders had a 10km race, with Glenn and Sean Tye starting three and a half minutes ahead of Eddie Buckland and Molly Opperman.
The Tyes were able to maintain their lead all the way to the finish line, with Sean powering ahead in the final kilometre to take victory by seven seconds over Glenn.
Opperman finished strongly a further 40 seconds behind, followed by Buckland just 30 seconds later.
Following the completion of the juniors, the seniors began preparing in earnest for their 25km race.
The first group to leave included Dianne Major, Louise Abraham and Jason Buckland.
The competitors were given a four minute gap until the next group of Jen Buckland, Rick Heaver, Ainsley Curtis and first-timer Justyna Grosse were given their orders to begin the chase.
A further three minutes later, the group consisting of Mark Brooksby, Elmer Buckland, Troy Mustey and Mick Childs, who recently returned to racing, took off from the starting line.
With the figurative hares in motion, there was a gap of seven minutes before the rest of the faster riders were allowed to try to chase them down.
With 14 minutes already on the clock, the group consisting of Bruce MacLaughlin, Patrick Langsmith, Harry Opperman and John DePree began the chase, closely followed one minute later by Spek Peake, Dean Zeven, Craig Andre, Phil Stasiw, John Cranwell and Jami Buckley.
A further minute later Niel van Niekerk, Rob Mann and Riley Hill took up the chase, then Nick Kidman began his solo chase of the riders ahead of him, 18 minutes after the first riders had set off.
Spirits and speed were high despite the headwind on the outward leg, with most groups working strongly together.
Gaps were closing with van Niekerk and Peake’s groups joining together before the turnaround, while Jen’s and Childs’ group joined with 10kms to go.
Out in front, the trio continued to defy the chasers, making the turn into the finishing straight with a healthy advantage, while the next groups were making inroads.
As the leading riders crested the final hill with less than 1km to go, the catch was made, with Elmer and Grosse racing toward victory, closely followed by Mustey and Childs.
In the final sprint to the line it was Elmer Buckland who finished first, slightly ahead of Mustey and Grosse, with Childs and Jason Buckland just behind, followed by Louise Abraham, Mark Brooksby, Dianne Major, Rick Heaver, Jen Buckland and Ainsley Curtis.
The hares had managed to stay away from the chasing pack, with van Niekerk sprinting ahead of the chasing pack to take 12th place ahead of Jami Buckley, Riley Hill, Craig Andre, Harry Opperman, Patrick Langsmith, Phil Stasiw, Dean Zeven and Rob Mann.
They were followed in by Bruce MacLaughlin, Spek Peake, John dePree, John Cranwell and Nick Kidman who were 4 minutes and 20 seconds behind the victors.
The benefit of racing in the peloton was revealed when Kidman’s race time was only one second faster than van Niekerk’s, just giving Kidman fastest time honours.
This Sunday, the club will head out to Tarpeena, holding a 25km race along McEnroe Road marking their third race in the Summer Series.
