Grey skies and drizzle greeted the large turn out for the Peel Districts Cycling Club Criterium Championships at Smeaton Way Rockingham. In addition to the prizes for top three club members in each grade. There were prizes courtesy of Bikeweek and Port Kennedy Cycles for a prime lap in each grade. A prime lap is a lap chosen at random by the officials, a whistle is blown and the first rider across the line next lap, wins the prime.
The juniors were the first to race, after three laps Lowen Ferry won the sprint from Grayson Renn second and Sam Trainedes third.
B grade were the next to race and a couple of riders found the conditions treacherous and came to grief on corner off the back straight, including Michael Polmear who rejoined the race and won the bunch sprint from Adam Wise second and Matthew Johnston third. Rob Ramirez won the prime.
D grade was a very aggressive race with a number of attacks, though none succeeded. Jordan Dawson launched a well timed attack to win the prime lap. In the bunch sprint finished Tyler Aston won from Eddy Wojcik second and Tom Power third.
After a couple of aggressive, incident packed races, C grade was far more conservative and tactical race. Two rider attacked for the prime which was won by Patrick Lim. In the sprint finish Nigel Stella narrowly won from Jordan Chamberlain second and Lim third.
Three juniors backed up from there own race to swell the ranks of E grade. Special mention must go to Sam Trainedes for finishing sixth, ahead of a number of older and more experienced riders. James McCartney attacked to win the prime. Zoe Stolton won the race in a bunch sprint from McCartney, with John Chalmers third.
A grade was an aggressive and entertaining race, at one stage it looked like a break away might actually succeed, but the race was all together for the prime which was won narrowly by Luke Banham from Ryan Hamill. A number of failed attacks later, the race finished in a bunch sprint with Banham winning from Hamill again by a narrow margin with Phil Deisel third.
