THE 2022 Mount Gambier Cycling Club Summer Series headed out to a tough road course near Glencoe on Sunday, with cool weather greeting the 27 senior riders.
The 25km race took in the Overland Track and finished with a climb up the east side to the top of Range Hill.
The juniors began their race in what was meant to be a relatively flat 10km out-and-back course.
Glenn Tye received a three-and-a-half-minute head start over the chasing duo of Sean Tye and Eddie Buckland, with Molly Opperman due to start two minutes later.
Glenn Tye kept his pace high out in front and with a tailwind along the return leg, looked set to take out his maiden win.
Opperman worked hard to chase down the boys, catching and passing Sean Tye and Buckland with 2km still to ride.
However, Glenn Tye was able to maintain his pace to the line, to claim the win more than 90 seconds ahead of Opperman, with Buckland filling the final podium position.
Following the race, the juniors took the opportunity to ride up the eastern side of Range Hill to where the senior race was due to begin.
A mixed group of riders greeted the Commissaire for th senior race, a rare course with a hilltop finish in the final two kilometres.
With the start/finish line atop Range Hill, riders enjoyed a quick start as they headed downhill towards the turn onto the Overland Track.
A northwesterly breeze ensured any respite felt would be brief.
The first group to leave included Jason and Jen Buckland, Dave Delaland, John Kidman, Damian Buckley and Dianne Major.
They were followed three minutes later by a group containing Mick Childs, Ainsley Curtis, Elmer Buckland, Rick Heaver and Chris Hunt (in his first race with the club).
The next group consisted of John Cranwell, John DePree, Phil Stasiw and Bruce McLaughlin a further three minutes behind, followed four minutes later by Patrick Langsmith, Craig Andre, Dean Zeven, Gerard Coote, Harry Opperman and Che Anthony (in his first race for the club).
After a further two minutes passed before Matthew Opperman, Riley Hill and Jami Buckley were allowed to set off, with the final group of Nick Kidman, Dave Bryant and Niel van Niekerk beginning their chase a further 2:30 later, some 14 and a half minutes after the first group had set off.
After the left turn onto the Overland Track, riders were greeted with a headwind to work through.
Some groups had splintered on the downhill, with riders finding it difficult to hold on to the high speed descent, then coupled with the headwind some riders were consigned to the difficult position of riding between groups, hoping to be able to latch on to the back of a faster group behind.
Out in front, the pace of the limit bunch was kept high by strong efforts from riders and they managed to get to the turnaround mark together and still in front of the chasing riders.
Childs and Elmer Buckland worked hard together to try to close the gap but their fellow group members had not been able to keep up with the pace.
Cranwell, Stasiw and McLaughlin also chased hard and kept ahead of the following packs.
As the riders made the right hand turn on to Range Hill Road to begin the final climb, the limit bunch had been whittled down to Jen Buckland and Buckley.
About halfway up the hill, the last rider in the limit bunch was caught by three chasers and in the final run to the line it was Stasiw who was crowned King of the Mountain, followed by Cranwell and Childs.
Kidman finished eighth but claimed the fastest time honours.
The next race in the series will return to the usual Caves Road course, with morning tea to follow at the club rooms.
