Sweet success for masters cycling

EUREKA Cycling staged a successful two-day cycling carnival over the Easter long weekend.

Sunday, 4 April saw South Pacific Criterium Championships at Victoria Park in brilliant sunshine with riders travelling from as far as Sydney to compete in the masters cycling event.

Then on Monday two road races were had on the demanding 55-kilometre circuit from Learmonth, through Burrumbeet, Waubra, and Addington, before returning to Learmonth.

Shane Cook Homes sponsored both the road races, providing $1500 prize money for each.

In both races, a fair south-south-easterly breeze provided a cross headwind for the second half of the event – much of which was raced uphill.

The wind and pace ripped the bunches apart, leaving just small groups and single riders scattered across the course.

New Eureka Cycling member Miranda Griffiths, who returned to road racing in 2021 and in just her third race, won the inaugural Eureka Women’s Open.

Miranda and fellow Scratch rider Anna Lonie from Geelong & Surf Coast CC raced around circuit and joined the race leaders on the Avenue of Honour, before a two-up sprint to the finish line.

Star Geelong & Surf Coast CC rider Martin Lonie won the Ron Rivette Classic in commanding fashion.

Lonie and the remnants of the scratch bunch loomed large on the lone race leader, Eureka’s Darryl Brown, with just eight kilometres remaining. They took the lead and powered towards the finish, with Lonie winning in a canter from a reduced bunch.

Results: Eureka Women’s Open 55km road race – 1st – Miranda Griffiths, Eureka (scratch), 2nd – Anna Lonie, Geelong Surf Coast (scratch), 3^rd – Heather Hamling, Colac Veterans (3 min), 4th – Corrine Rice – Geelong Surf Coast (7 min), 5th – Sharon Boyd, Eureka (7 min), 6th – Jennifer Collier, Eureka (10 min), 7th – Kerryn Minehan, Footscray (10 min), 8th – Tina Stenos, Geelong Surf Coast (10 min), 9th – Amy Benham, Northern (7 min), 10th – Kym Petersen, Eastern (3 min), Fastest Time – Miranda Griffiths, Eureka (Scratch) in 1hr 32m 38s, ave. 35.604kph

Ron Rivette Classic 55km road race – 1st – Martin Lonie, Geelong Surf Coast (scratch), 2nd – Jason Hendry, Eureka (3 min), 3rd – Kyle Hester, Eureka (13 min), 4th – Darryn Reed, Eureka (3 min), 5th – Tim Anderson, Northern (16 min), 6th – Shane Clarke, Eureka (3 min), 7th – Michael Pierce, Eureka (scratch), 8th – Shane Nankervis, Eureka (scratch), 9th – Jason Shipcott, Eureka (3 min), 10th – Tim Canny, Eureka (Scratch), Fastest Time – Martin Lonie, Geelong Surf Coast (scratch) in 1hr 18m 49s, ave. 41.866kph

South Pacific Cycling Championships, Criteriums at Victoria Park – Division 1, 40 min + 2 laps 1st – Aaron Christiansen, Preston, 2nd – Tim Canny, Eureka, 3rd – Shane Clarke, Eureka. Division 2, 40 min + 2 laps 1st – Jim Crumpler, Eureka, 2nd – Dean Wells, Eureka, 3rd – Tony Mirabella, Eureka. Division 3, 30 min + 2 laps 1st – Kyle Hester, Eureka, 2nd – Xavier Coppock, Geelong Surf Coast 3rd – Patrick Garner, Eureka. Division 4, 30 min + 2 laps 1st – Michael Elliot, Randwick, NSW, 2nd – Adrian McCartney, Geelong Surf Coast, 3rd – Robert Gartside, Central Victoria. Division 5, 25 min + 2 laps 1st – David Spence, Geelong Surf Coast, 2nd – Rae Lesniowska, Coburg, 3rd – Craig Davis, Northern. Division 6, 25 min + 2 laps 1st – Roger McMillan, Eureka, 2nd – Amy Benham, Northern, 3rd – Garry Wheeler, Eureka. Division 7, 20 min + 2 laps – 1st – Tony Bramucci, Northern, 2nd – Luis Laguna, Northern, 3rd – Helen McIntosh, Eureka.

 

– BY DEAN WELLS