DESPITE a few competitors unavailable due to the long weekend holiday, the seventh race of the Kidman Law Summer Series was held by the Mount Gambier Cycling Club on Sunday in favourable conditions.
The 30km race along Caves Road added a change from the usual route, with the start line 10km closer to the border and the turnaround at the entry to Donovans township.
The change provided significantly more elevation changes through the middle 10km, with the potential to play havoc with the groups.
There were not enough junior riders available for a race, but 18 riders greeted the commissaire and signed on for the senior race.
The bad luck story of the day went to Dean Zeven, who had a gearing issue which meant he could not even make the start line.
First rider away, trying to solo ahead of everyone else, was Jason Buckland.
He was given a seven-minute advantage over a group containing Ethan McKenny, John Cranwell, Michael Dethmore and Jen Buckland, followed a further five minutes later by Spek Peake, Mark Wight and Mike Bakker.
After another six minutes the next group consisting of Elmer Buckland, Scott Waters, Colin Weatherill and Gerard Coote began their chase, followed three minutes later by Matthew Opperman, Patrick Langsmith, Craig Andrae and Jami Buckley.
A minute later Nick Kidman began his chase of all other riders.
The first 10km of the race were relatively uneventful, but by the time of the turnaround marker, some of the riders lost contact with their group as the dips and hills came into play.
Cranwell, Deathmore and McKenny had caught and passed Jason Buckland, while Kidman had also caught and passed Langsmith, Buckley, Andrae and Opperman on his quest to claim the win.
Following the turnaround, another 5km of dips and climbs separated the riders further, with the stronger, lighter riders coming to the fore.
As the riders crested the final hill, the finish line came into view, there were still 2.5km to ride before the chequered flag could be flown.
McKenny showed he is a young rider with a future by beating Cranwell to the line, followed by Waters, then Nick Kidman with the fastest time.
The next race in the Summer Series will be a 34km, four-lap handicap around the Kongorong Township, starting from the Primary School on March 19.
