The Peel District Cycling Club returned to Smeaton Way in Rockingham for their fifth criterium of the summer season.
With the strongest field of women this season. In E grade it was going to be a tough race for the young men who had been dominating the grade so far. It was a race of attrition as five riders putting the others to the sword. With two laps to go Jenny Sammons attacked, a little hesitation was all Sammons needed as she rode away to take the win. The chasers broke up on the final lap with James Gray finishing second and first male rider home, then Alexander Gardener third and second male rider, followed closely by Rose Sellar second women and Alison Duffy third women. Nicholas Wilkin was the third male finisher.
D grade saw Lachlan Goldie and Glenn Blackwood attack ten minutes into the race. The pair slowly built up a lead over the next ten minutes before Blackwood falter. Goldie managed to maintain his lead over the final ten minutes to take the win. The chasers caught Blackwood and in the reduced bunch sprint it was Samuel Castle second, Stephen Wright third. Donna Dixon was the first women home followed by Cayle Berman.
C grade saw the largest field of women in any grade with 9 of the 38 starters women. It was a typical C grade race with lots of attacks and every one being chased down quickly. With two laps to go Christope Gardener and another rider attacked, the next lap the pair had a small lead. Rounding the final corner Gardener was alone and still had a small lead over the pursuers, The next 400 metres, the chasers got closer, but Gardener held on for a narrow win. Keith Prevost was second and Zac Williams third. Eva Czislowski was the first women home, with Belinda Alcock second and Katrina McLennan third.
B grade was similar race, attack, chase, attack again. This time there was no last lap heroics in the bunch sprint it was Mathew Wardynec first, Sam Washington second and Toby Brown third. Megan Game was the first women finisher followed by Jer Ling Serene Lee.
A grade was a very different race to the previous races. Attacks would go off the front, the bunch would wait for a couple of laps, then chase in earnest, sending riders out the back. The break caught, a counter attack launched, the bunch would wait, allowing a few riders back on, before the chasing started again. After 50 minutes of this aggressive stop, start racing the bunch contained 14 of the 29 starters. In the bunch sprint it was Stephen Hall first, Cameron Schmid second and Brodie Cullen third.