WEATHER conditions were looking ominous with very threatening dark skies, drizzly rain and winds slowly building prior to 10 riders taking to the Moorak course on Sunday.<\/p>\n
On this course there would be no hiding from the ever-present strengthening wind and the two short punchier hills on each lap giving riders six hills for their three laps.<\/p>\n
Limit rider and first-time racer Kate Richards was the first competitor to brave the now very strong headwind and took to the course with gusto, while a further eight minutes elapsed by the time the second limit riders of Spek Peake and Amelia Milne began their pursuit.<\/p>\n
A further seven minutes had passed by the time the third limit bunch of Phil Stasiw, John Cranwell and Troy Mustey took to the course.<\/p>\n
The last four riders in Sunday\u2019s race were Morgan Mutch, Matt Opperman, Craig Andrae and Chris Neave who made up the scratch bunch, and they waited a further three minutes before they could start their chase for the riders in front of them.<\/p>\n
The first lap had all riders trying to find a rhythm that would keep their bunch intact as they worked into a block headwind from the start line and headed the first 3km to make the left hand turn at the summit of the first hill and head south to get out of the headwind and pick up the nice downhill run of around 1.8km into the next left hand turn on to Wynham Rd.<\/p>\n
This is where speeds picked up now the riders were heading east and catching a strong tail wind.<\/p>\n
Once the next hill was crested riders made another sharp left hand turn this time to the north on to Telford Rd and another downhill run before taking another sharp left hand turn onto Yells Rd and passing Moorak school and crossing the start\/finish line to start lap two and back into a 35km\/hr head wind.<\/p>\n
All bunches were still trying to work to a steady rhythm to hold their team together but the relentless headwind on the west heading leg of the race was starting to take its toll with the third limit bunch of Phil, John and Troy starting to show signs of cracks with Troy\u2019s legs the first to give way and he began to lose contact with the bunch.<\/p>\n
Spek and Amelia, still working well together, gained on limit rider Kate and joined together but not for long as Kate too found herself not being able to hold their speed and trailed off the back of the bunch.<\/p>\n
The scratch bunch with Opperman\u2019s experience ensured the bunch kept a resilient rhythm, which paid dividends with the four riders gaining on the three limit bunches ahead of them and they began to catch and pass the slower bunches on the fast tailwind leg on Wynham Rd.<\/p>\n
With first Kate then Troy and Spek and Amelia, in their rear view mirror the scratch bunch set out on lap three with only Phil and John ahead of them.<\/p>\n
They were able to hold a much higher tempo into the headwind on Yells Rd and caught and passed John and Phil just prior to the second to last hill.<\/p>\n
To their credit John and Phil lifted their pace and were able to hold the wheel of the scratch bunch and began to work with them on the downhill section on Lock Rd and made the turn on to Wynham Rd where the scratch bunch lifted the pace with the tailwind assisting them and were able to seal the fate of John and Phil and pulled a gap just before the last hill.<\/p>\n
Topping the rise and then making the last downhill run towards Yells Rd and the finish line, Chris found himself missing the jump in speed off the corner into the downhill run and a small gap formed leaving Craig, Morgan and Matt to work hard for the turn onto Yells Rd and the finish line just 120m ahead of them.<\/p>\n
This is where the jostling for position began with both Craig and Matt opening up their sprints with Matt just heading Craig at the line and taking the win and fastest time with Morgan crossing for third just a few seconds later with Chris just after that, and then Phil and John following closely after and a short time lapse before Troy, Spek, Amelia and then Kate made it to the line with the same enthusiasm as she started. Great first race Kate in very hard conditions.<\/p>\n
A big thanks to race sponsors, John and Lee Cranwell, and to race officials and volunteers Tina Opperman, Liam Fielding, Lee Cranwell, Tegan Kuhl and Sandra Parsons (Volunteer of the Week).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WEATHER conditions were looking ominous with very threatening dark skies, drizzly rain and winds slowly building prior to 10 riders taking to the Moorak course on Sunday. On this course there would be no hiding from the ever-present strengthening wind and the two short punchier hills on each lap giving riders six hills for their […]<\/p>\n