17/01/2015
By Jayman Prestidge
Wind made for interesting races across all Grades. Twenty one racers fought the Parkers Road headwind admirably as they completed multiple laps of Cloverlea circuit.
The A Grade race was won by Matt Parkinson in the final sprint against David Salton and Graeme Parker. David Salton was incredibly strong but was reported to have spent too many cookies before the sprint as a result of breaking away and riding solo into the head wind for over a lap. These three riders and their lead out man Shane Stiles were a cut above the remaining riders on the day who all went home wishing they were riding in B Grade, and in the case of Justin Gravett, not wearing a T-Shirt.
The B Grade field of seven was an eclectic bunch of racers. Some heavyweight sprint specialists like Simon Baxter, Jayman Prestidge and Brett Kennedy were clearly thinking they would make light work of climbers like Roland Eldstrom, Neil Edwards and Geoff Thomson.
The only person the sprinters forgot to think about was Time Trial Specialist Paul Yeatman. He rides to secretly guarded power ‘numbers’, such that he only turns up to race when he knows his legs are ‘on’. Whilst a lack lustre Jayman Prestidge endeavoured to attack on half a dozen occasions, it was only Yeatman who made his attacks hurt his opponents. His second attack in the finishing straight was well timed and ensured that the two remaining sprinters in the race were limited to second (Brett Kennedy) and third place (Simon Baxter).
Cody Orgill is born to be a cyclist. He has rangy limbs that tap out an ever increasing cadence, along with a frame that will see him climb hills with ease. He has raced his last C Grade race after riding away from the ever improving Jason Tubnor, the effervescent Dwayne McDonald and Nicole Summerfield who was focusing on practicing her cornering skills through out the race.
The D Grade riders shed Adele Whelan early in the race which left Bruce Evanson, Macca Parkinson and Glen Walker to battle out the race. And battle they did! On the last lap down Parkinson Road the wind pushed one rider into another and all three hit the bitumen. In great racing spririt, all riders jumped up, brushed themselves off and rode on together for a straight up sprint for victory.
Macca Parkinson was the victor over the new racers Glen Walker and Bruce Evanson.
