16/09/2007
Jim Timmer-Arends (LCCC), Gordon Foster (Warragul CC) and Wendy McAinch (LCCC) winners at Yinnar’s Gippsland Combine on Sunday morning. The second race in the Gippsland combine series saw reasonable numbers at Yinnar on Sunday morning with eight riders from Warragul CC and ten Latrobe City CC riders. Fill in Race Duty Officer, Kerry Peachey sent the A & B grade riders away for the 60kms journey, three laps of the Yinnar circuit. The group all rode together for the first lap before several of the B grade riders found the pace a bit hot, falling behind the main peleton. There were a couple of withdrawals during the race, some A graders and B graders. Jim Timmer-Arends soon picked the pace up that had a few riders struggling allowing Timmer-Arends to get away to take the race. Leaving a few A & B grade riders fight out the minor places. Second across the line was Mathew Kennelly (WCC B grade) from Dave Shanahan (LCCC). Callan Barker (WCC) was the 2nd B grader home with LCCC’s Glenn Schoer in 3rd for B grade. It’s not sure who the 3rd A grade rider across the line was.
The C & D grade riders started together, the D grade riding one lap (20kms) while C grade would ride three laps (60kms). The pace was an easy mid to high twenty kms/p/hr for the best part of the first lap so that D grade riders that included a young junior Cyrus Monk (WCC) Jimmy Jones and Wendy McAinch both from the Latrobe City CC to enjoy their race with company. Turning into Hazelwood Estate Rd young Cyrus Monk was sent to the front so that (Rob Monk) dad could get a nice photo of him leading the bunch. As the bunch approached the Yinnar Rd, the four C grade riders allowed the D graders some room to finish off their race. As they turned into Yinnar Rd, McAinch and Jones picked up the pace that had Monk struggling to keep pace with them. He was given some good wheels from the C grade riders to help him catch the two leaders but was unable to close the gap on the two stronger riders. Wendy McAinch applied the pressure as they started the small rise into Yinnar and going on to take the win from Jones with Monk crossing in third place a short distance back.
The C grade race continued with Wendy McAinch deciding to ride another lap with the bunch who were content to roll along the highway. After the decent off the top of Hazelwood Estate Rd a few attacks began with Kim Spunner the first to go. Geoff Gatt & Gordon Foster (WCC) closed the gap with Wayne Tunks sitting on. Then shortly after Tunks had a go opening a good gap. Spunner then burst out of the small bunch to join Tunks. They both began to work together opening the gap even more, but with some great team riding the Warragul pair were soon back with the LCCC boys. It was like a truce as the riders were content to roll through each doing a turn until the climb on Hazelwood Estate Rd the last time where young Foster sprinted to the top opening a small gap on chaser Tunks who in turn had a gap on both Gatt and Spunner. Chasing hard Tunks was unable to close Foster down and sat up to wait for the other two chasers. Just before turning into Yinnar Rd, Tunks had another go and managed to gap the other chasers. Gatt became the unlucky rider after snapping his chain and bending the rear derailer, forcing out of the race. Foster went on to win clearly from Tunks with Spunner filling third place.
