Adele Whelan Most Aggressive

08/12/2012

By Rob Monk

Hot conditions and strong winds didn’t deter cyclists from taking on the Shady Creek Circuit on Saturday. A prize for the most attacking rider of the day was on offer to spice up the racing. In the end the prize was taken by an unlikely winner.

A and B grade combined and before the end of the neutral Zone, last week’s winner Jayman Prestidge had attacked off the front.  Paul Yeatman attacked as the bunch took their first left and caught Prestidge before the base of the climb. By the top of the Shady Creek hill Prestidge was dropped and his race was over. A week is a long time in Cycling; too long for Prestidge. Manintveld was the only one to catch Yeatman on the climb and he kept the pace high.  At the top, Yeatman attacked again and had a handy lead along the back straight.  He was joined by Shane Stiles and they stayed away intil the end of Sthurs Road.

The second time up the hill, Jayeden Maninitvel kept the pace up which dropped Whelan and Elstrom.  With the help of a push from Stiles, Yeatman appeared to attack over the top, but a sustained 197bpm in the later half of the climb cooked him and he was dropped on the downward end.  Despite getting within 10 meters of the bunch, Stiles urged them on and  Yeatman watched the bunch ride away from him

On the third time up the hill Stiles, Rollinson and Maniteld have everyone in trouble. Tambassis was just holding on near the top of the and Battley was in trouble. The Stiles, hand of god, helped Tambassis back on but Battley had seen the last of the leaders. Yeatman spied Batterly as a distant speck at when he got off the hill and had got a sniff.

In the pointy end of the race, Stiles led out the sprint giving his competitors plenty of cover from the strong cross wind. Rollinson and Tambassis gave it everything but Stiles was too strong. Brett just beat George on the line for second. Jayden finished fourth with Yeatman edging out Battley for fifth.

C grade started with 5 riders and for the first lap it looked like they would stay together. Shane Pettingill was strong on the flat but recently promoted D graders Col Manintveld and Shane Wakker were up to the task. On lap two Zvondo Maric put the pace on going up the hill and Col and Shane were in trouble. Maric, Pettingill and Peter Sorenson worked together on lap two to put a gap in the chasers. Pettingill punctured leaving Sorenson and Maric to fight out the finish. These two had other ideas though. They decided that “sharing the victory” was the noble thing to do. They were wrong. In the manufactured run to the line Maric grabbed Sorenson by arm earning him disqualification and losing his chance at the most aggressive rider of the day prize. Sorenson was first and Maric is finding new ways to lose every week. Will he ever win one?

D grade had the largest field of the day but they didn’t stay together long. The first time up the hill Andrew Jackson and Mick Blackwood cleared out from the rest. They would work together for the remainder of the two laps. Frank Benstead, Lou Clarke, Adele Whelan and Michelle Scurr chased hard but Michelle was dropped on Sthurs Rd. On the second time up the climb Lou Clarke cleared out, Adele Whelan chased and Frank grovelled. The trio of chasers split up completely by the top of the climb. Andrew and Mick sprinted for home from 300 meters out they were still neck and neck 100 meters from the finish but Mick was just too strong in the end. Lou finished third, Adele fourth and Frank fifth.

Adele Whelan was awarded most aggressive rider of the day prize. After the race while waiting for Frank to finish Adele was asked if she was concerned about his whereabouts. Adele’s response. “No, when I was looking back it wasn’t because I was worried about him.  I didn’t want to see him. I wanted to ride away from him. I wanted to make sure I’d dropped him for good.” The smiling assassin Adele Whelan is not to be messed with.

The last race before christmas is on next week at our new Gypsy Creek criterium circuit. Race starts at the Labertouche Hall at 2.00pm. Register by 1.45.

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