The Peel District Cycling Club started its’ summer criterium racing at Smeaton Way in Rockingham last Sunday. First away was E grade which saw two juniors Stirling Buchanan and Declan Dyer zip around the 1.6 kilometre course eight times averaging over 30 kilometres an hour before Buchanan sprinted away to take the win.
D grade riders from 12 to 62 take to the circuit. The group stuck together until a flying final lap which saw youth prevail with Campbell McDowell take the win, James Gray second and Janssen Samia third. Cayle Berman was the first female finisher with Christie Waldek not far behind.
There was a planning and collusion at the start of C grade which saw three of the youngest riders in the race attack and open up a lead. However, with over 40 willing chaser, the trio’s freedom was short lived. In the bunch sprint it was Phillip Barnes first, Donovan Inch second and Chris Paterson third. With the top three women finishers being Kat Mclennan, Kelley Weller and Jacqui Stevens.
B grade is an interesting mix of riders, older male riders who can not commit to the 12 or more hours a week training that is required to be competitive in A grade, the best under 17 riders in the State and the best women riders in the State. This is exemplified by Mackenzie Coupland a rising star of the National Road Series, State Road Champion and winning both individual and team honours at the Tour of Margaret River. Coupland and Elar Kalda attacked with almost 15 minutes of racing left. The pair worked hard and held off the bunch of 30 riders by five seconds. In the sprint Kalda took line honours. Behind the pair in the bunch sprint for minor placings it was Jonah Price and Sam Washington the second and third placed men, with Marion Mundt and Amanda Nabi the second and third placed women.
A grade saw the usual number of attacks, breaks forming and being chased down. Before two masers age riders with very different stories, formed a break. Brecht Van Gastel grew up in Belgium, raced for most of his life, even racing for a top under 23 team, while studying to be an engineer and finding his way to Western Australia recently. Joe Laurendi played football most of his life and has only been racing bikes for a couple of years. The pair worked well together, riding at a consistent pace as the chase behind surged and spluttered. With two laps to go, there was a chance the leaders would be caught. A sold effort saw the pair enter the final lap with a 15 second lead, even with the bunch breaking the speed limit on the final lap, the pair stayed away with Van Gastel taking the win in the last few metres of the race, Laurendi second and State Criterium Champion Stephen Hall was third four seconds away.
