Last Saturday saw the Peel Districts Cycling Club take to the Casuarina circuit for our second road race of the winter series.
E grade consisted of three juniors, Declan Dyer an under 11 rider could only race the first lap of 8.7km, leaving the two under 13 riders to race the second lap. Charlotte Khorsid rode away to take the win, Olivia Janjetic was second and the two chaperones were glad there was not any more laps.
D grade exploded on the first lap, with two riders being chased by two riders and the rest of the field spread around the course. Next lap there was four riders at the front and individuals chasing, which is how it stayed for the rest of the five lap race. In the sprint finish it was Ryan Death first, Peiter Nel second and Jaco Nel third with Alicia Reynolds and Olivia Vogel the best of the women.
C grade looked the most likely to finish in a bunch sprint, with riders circulating consistently in a tightly packed group. That was until the sixth and final lap with Aaron De Vos making a late solo attack and holding off the bunch to win by five seconds. Finbar Mulhall took the sprint for second with Ben Heald third. Scarlett Sibbel took the honours of first women finisher just ahead of Dennise Laurence.
B grade was a typical B grade race, with every attack quickly chased down. The attacks kept on coming, the chasing was relentless and tired riders were dropped every lap. In the bunch sprint it was Sam Washington first, Jeremy Smith second and Ben Mears third. Belinda Alcock was the first women finisher 0.02 of a second from Eva Czislowski.
Attacks went off the front of A grade, but they were kept on a short leash, never more than 50 metres up the road and the would be slowly reeled back in. The only time the bunch reacted was only the bell for the start of the ninth and final lap. Brodie Cullen power across the gap to the three leaders and the bunch quickly followed. In the bunch sprint it was Cullen first, Sam Welch second and Jack Dohler third.
