02/06/2012
By Rob Monk
Terry Kelly was racing in June. This means the roads must have been dry, the winds light and the sun shining. That is the only time we see Terry out in winter. Twenty eight other riders joined Terry on a glorious winter day.
A grade started with 8 riders and finished with the same number. Paul Yeatman continues to get stronger every week and it is no wonder given how he races. Yeatman spent the whole race either off the front of the bunch, on the front of the bunch or off the back of the bunch chasing hard. He attacked from the gun getting over Shady creek before the bunch. Next time up he was dropped on the climb but chased back on by Sthurs Rd. He rested for 200 meters then went to the front again. This pattern was repeated on lap 3 and 4. Dropped by the mountain goats but chasing back to them on the decent and flats. The last time up the climb Cy Monk and Leigh Hauxwell put some pressure on the others but were unable to establish any gap.
Nearing the finish again it was Yeatman who animated the race with some attacks but he was getting nowhere fast. Stiles led out the sprint but such was his strength no-one was able to pass him. He took the win from Glen Marriott who again was too fast for the stronger Leigh Hauxwell in the sprint. Hauxwell needs to work out a way to rid himself of Marriott before the finish. Then followed Cy Monk, Jason Laird, Paul Yeatman, Graeme Parker and Pete Finlayson.
Nine riders started the B grade race. The first time up the hill visitor Paul Makepeace stretched out the field and nearly caught A grade by the top. The Warragul boys thought he’d shown enough strength to let him ride on the front for the majority of lap 2. The field stayed together on the climb on lap 2 but Rob Monk and Jayden Manintveld managed a small break on Sthurs Rd. When they were joined by Pete Whelan, Col Brown and Jayman Prestidge the numerical advantage was theirs. The thought of “dropping” Thommo spurred them on. They worked together to establish the break and rode Lap 3 faster than A grade. By Lap 4 it was clear that the chasers had given up. The chase was not helped when Jack Walk punctured.
Monk was on the attack again on Sthurs Rd on the final lap but was chased down quickly. Jayden Manintveld and Col Brown got away with 5km to go but Prestidge, Monk and Wheland rolled a couple of turns each and they were back.
Col led out the sprint with Pete Wheland on his wheel. Wheland jumped early and was a sitting duck to be run down. Rob Monk had banked on Jayman Prestidge being most capable in the sprint and waited for him to sprint after Wheland jumped. Prestidge had other ideas though. He decided he was too tired to sprint and sat up. Monk jumped late and was within a bike length of Wheland on the line. Too little too late. Wheland held on for a well deserved victory. Jayden Manintveld rode well to take third place. Then followed Col Brown and Prestidge was an underwhelming fifth.
C and D grade combined with a field of eleven riders. Cazz Clarke’s race started badly when she dropped her chain on lap one. Paul Kennedy, Andrew Gordon and Colin Manintveld helped her put it back on and the four worked together for much of the race to chase the rest of the field down. After two and a half laps of chasing they caught the leaders on Sthurs Rd on the bell lap: a great effort by this group. On the way they passed Adele Wheland and Greg Horbowicz.
The run to the line was dominated by Xavier Prestcott. He waited for the late attacks launched by Paul Kennedy and countered them easily. In the sprint he was too quick for the rest. Kate Prestidge sprinted well to take second from Zvonko Maric. Well done Kate: you passed someone in a sprint. Terry Kelly, having a rare winter outing, was not in his best form and finished fourth. Then followed Louise Clark, Andrew Gordon, Paul Kennedy, Colin Manintveld, Greg Horbowicz and a smiling Adel Wheland was tenth.
