The 9min bunch enter Pound Creek road on the first lap.
(29 event images)
Club members enjoyed a great winter day as they battled for the trophies – the A grade riders for the Lex Watt Trophy and the B graders for the Watchorn Trophy. The racing was around the Pound Creek circuit with A grade racing 2 laps (51km) and the B grade group just the 1 lap. Both races were handicap events.
The A grade field was led away by a trio – Peter McLean, Felicity Waddell and Alex Welsh, with a 25min start. Alex was aboard his sled and hand cycling so not providing any slip stream for the co-markers. They were followed by a quartet on 15 min, a further quartet on 9 min with a duo on 5 min and a quartet on scratch. The handicapper had it pretty well sorted as most groups split the time starts after the first lap so it would come down to fitness over the last part of the race.
Alex leads the way on the first lap.
By the time the riders reached the Highway corner on the last lap the leader was Peter McLean with a small gap on Alex. However, the remnants of the 15min and 9 min bunches were grouped together and pedalling well. They would need to keep busy as the 5 min duo were with the scratch riders and were also motoring but they were 2.30min down on the leader with just 8km of mainly downhill run remaining.
The chasing bunch of 6 riders closed down the leaders with around 2km to race and set it up for a bunch sprint. The dash to the line saw Michael Park (15min) grab the win from Chris Rowe 9min) with Kevin Feely (9min) in 3rd. Peter McLean battled on valiantly to take 4th with Tony Giles (15min) 5th, Kerry Pritchard (15min) 6th, Bernadette Fitzgerald (15min) in 7th. The scratch bunch was just behind and Brett Franklin flashed home in 8th and Fastest Time – 1hr17.40min. Harrison McLean (Scr) was 9th and rounding out the top 10 was Oliver McLean (5min).
Caleb is the winner of the Watchorn trophy
In the B grade race, Kaleb Jans (scr) had Kerry Fitzgerald on 8min with Caleb Murphy and Greg Bradshaw on 10min. The climbs up the hills toward Koonwarra and then the hill at the golf course saw Kerry Fitzgerald catch the leaders and then drop Greg. However, Caleb Murphy managed to stick with her and then outsprint her at the line to take the trophy. Kaleb Jans was pegging them back all the way but the handicap was too great. He finished 3rd and fastest.
Next Saturday the club will run the club road championship at Pound Creek as the preferred course at Korrine is still subject to road works. In a busy weekend the riders will need to front up on Sunday as the club runs the Gippsland Road Titles around the Nerrena-Mardan circuit with a start at the Secondary College. Members are reminded there is a club meeting on Tuesday night.
Lindsay
results
event images
Lex Watt trophy
Watchorn trophy
updated 8am 2nd June
