Race Reports Sunday 17 April

This weekend saw the close of the Peel District Cycling Club Sunday summer racing season with the Time Keepers Time Trial at Hopelands. It also saw the running of the toughest road race of the year, the Delirium 24 Hour race, host by the South West Cycling Club on a short 2.4 km circuit along the beach front in Busselton. Peel was well represented in the 12 hour solo categories and the elite team event.

Peel member Peter Mills rode 464 kilometres to win the solo 12 hour and set a new record. Mills effort can be put in perspective, in that he rode further in 12 hours than 25 of the 43 competitors in the 24 hour solo race. Peel members Jamie Muir was second and Mark Watters fifth.

victorious Rockingham Avanti Uberquads team at the 24 hour Delirium race
The victorious Rockingham Avanti Uberquads team at the 24 hour Delirium race, Matt Walker, Martin Thurlby, Mikey Hoskens, Liam Magowan, Pete Clarke and Wayne Rowe photo by Gary Mason

The teams event is a very tactical race, as the riders race together and try not to get dropped from the group, because that means your team has to work extremely hard to make up the gap or lose a lap. Making rider changes at the right time very important. It took almost 12 hours, before the top three teams were split and in the end there was only 5 laps separating the top teams. With the Rockingham Avanti Uberquads of Mikey Hoskens, Liam Magowan, Martin Thurlby, Matt Walker, Wayne Rowe and Pete Clarke all Peel members, taking the win with 947km, two laps ahead of the local Fat Duck Cycling Team.

The Time Keepers Time Trial is a very different race from Delirium. Run over an out and back course, 40 kilometre in length. It is a solo effort, you are not permitted to get any assistance from riding behind another rider. Another difference is that it is run on, age standard which mans each year you are under 25 or over 35, you gain a time bonus, which meant 17 year old Conor Leahy had a small time bonus, and 80 year old Ken Portman had a sizeable time bonus.

Ken Portman completes the 40 kilometre time trial
80 year young Ken Portman completes the 40 kilometre time trial

On the clock it was Leahy was fastest with Peter Carlin second and Dylan White third, Once age standard was taken into account it was Carlin first. Leahy second and Steve Knight third.

A 16 kilometre time trial was run for junior riders and those not wanting to race the full distance. The fastest riders were Lachlan Connan, Max Collier and Jordan Dawson. On age standard times it was Matthew Connan first, Jordan Dawson second and Lachlan Connan third.

The winter Saturday afternoon road racing season, start on the April 30 at 2pm at the Casuarina circuit.