THE Mount Gambier Cycling Club honoured a past member on Sunday with the running of the annual Bailey Memorial Race.
The race remembers “one of the best racers from Mount Gambier” – to quote life member Allan Dowdell – who tragically lost his life while racing one of our local races.
He was once second in the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic in the 1930s, only because he sprinted too early for the finish line.
In times past “The Bailey” was a race everyone wanted to win, a feat that eluded many of our top riders including Dowdell.
The weather was more pleasant than the last time the Bailey was raced, but with enough of a breeze to ensure speeds would be high when the wind was behind the riders’ backs.
The course was a 8.55km loop beginning in front of the Kongorong Primary School, of which the Junior riders would complete two laps and the Seniors four laps.
The Junior race started proceedings, with Molly Opperman and Xavier Farmilo beginning together.
Jami Buckley, Elmer Buckland and Ethan McKenny chased them down after a 10-minute wait.
After the first lap it was clear while Molly and Xavier were riding hard, the three later riders had their eyes on the Senior race later on, with the gap remaining fairly steady.
As Molly and Xavier came into the finishing straight, Xavier powered away to sprint to the line in first position, closely followed by Molly.
Elmer was the first to cross the line of the chasing trio, some eight minutes later.
After a minutes’ silence to remember Brian MacNamara, a rider from Warrnambool who participated in many South West Series races, who had passed away during the week, it was time for the Senior riders to race.
A strong field of 17 riders signed on and were placed into six groups for the 35km handicap.
The first riders away were Xavier Farmilo – in his first Senior race – Sandra Parsons – in her first club race – David Tye and Jen Buckland.
After a five-minute wait, the next group consisting of Troy Mustey and Chris Neave began their chase, followed one minute later by John Cranwell and Spek Peake.
After a further four minutes, Elmer Buckland, Colin Weatherill and Craig Andrae began their chase, with three and a half minutes more before Matthew Opperman, Malcolm Tirabassi, and Patrick Langsmith started their race.
Ethan McKenny also joined this group after missing an earlier opportunity to begin his race.
Finally, a further two minutes later and some 15 and a half minutes after the first riders had left, Dave Bryant and Jami Buckley began their chase.
The leading rider was within sight of the finish of their first lap as the final riders started their race.
Used to long distance Fondo events, Parsons found her comfortable pace and rode away from the group she started with, while the other groups worked together to try and chase down those ahead.
As the laps wound down the gaps between the groups closed, with Buckley scything through the riders from behind.
As the riders began their final lap, the groups started breaking up as some tired and others tried to latch on to the faster riders as they passed.
The first racer to finish and winner of the Bailey Memorial was Parsons, with Cranwell finishing just under one minute behind and Farmilo rounding out the podium.
Buckley claimed the fastest time for his barnstorming ride.
Parsons received the Bailey Memorial Trophy from Dowdell.
The next race in the Spring Series and the first leg of the Glencoe Post and Bistro Super Series, will be held at Tantanoola, on Sunday, September 24, from 9am.
