A WEEKEND of perfect weather with plenty of bicycle racing options for Eureka Cycling members was rounded out with a masters forty-five-kilometre handicap race on the club\u2019s Mount Ercildoune circuit near Learmonth.<\/p>\n
New faces were welcomed with visitors John Carmody and Nick Locandro joining the field and Rob Kinna returning for his first Eureka race in three years.<\/p>\n
Locandro and fellow Scratch rider Dayne Pearce had a hard task reeling in the one-minute group in the windy conditions and Matt Bowman was in scintillating form, driving the remnants of that group hard.<\/p>\n
The catch was made halfway through the race and the combined scratch and second scratch bunch picked up the odd straggler as they blasted through the field.<\/p>\n
The furious race pace saw many casualties on the day, especially in the four and seven-minute groups.<\/p>\n
Further up the road, the 12-minute group of Rick Calvert, John Carmody and Peter Livitsanis held a good margin as race leaders and were looking hard to beat.<\/p>\n
The chasing pack started to close the gap rapidly on the climb out of Addington, however it was too much to bridge and Calvert, Carmody and Livitsanis had time to spare as they played tactical games in the run to the finish.<\/p>\n
Livitsanis franking his recent form and celebrating his heritage in fine style with a well-timed sprint.<\/p>\n
Locandro crossed the finish line some 40 seconds later, after riding away from the peloton in the final kilometre.<\/p>\n
Mount Ercildoune handicap, 45km, results – 1st – Peter Livitsanis (12 min), 2nd – John Carmody (12 min), 3rd – Rick Calvert (12 min), 4th – Nick Locandro (scratch), 5th – Darryn Reed (1 min). Fastest time – Nick Locandro (scratch) in 1h 6m 15s, ave. 40.8kph.<\/p>\n
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