Sale to Bairnsdale Success

27/04/2014

By Rob Monk

From Bairnsdale to Warrnambool, Warragul cyclists had the state covered over the weekend as they sought races to suit their ability and attributes.

ANAZC day each year brings the Autumn Classic the Sale to Bairnsdale race. Warragul riders dominated the race. In A grade Kane Walker drove the pace for most of the race and nearing the finish initiated a break involving another Warragul rider Jayden Manintveld and local Bairnsdale boy Tom Deller. The only real hill in the Sale to Bairnsdale Race comes 1k before the finish and it was here that Jayden Manintveld took off and sealed victory. Deller could not follow him and Walker had drained himself completely in initiating the break. Jayden took the victory easily from Tom with Kane in third place.

Warragul had 4 riders in the field of 16 in B grade. The race stayed largely together until Warragul riders Rob Monk and Pete Whelan initiated a break with 15k to go. They were joined by Wellington strong man Mike Renehan , David Ricketts from the Hawthorn Northern Combine Cycling club and Neil Walker from Warragul. This group of five worked together superbly and established a winning break. With a numerical advantage in the break the Warragul boys were in a dominant position. On the final climb Pete Whelan went up the road and Monk and Walker were satisfied to let Ricketts and Renehan chase him down while they sat on, waiting for the sprint. Whelan rode like a man who’d stolen the bike he was on and was not caught. He was dying on the line but was too strong and took the win from the fast finishing Monk. Renehan hung on for third from Walker.

Jimmy Lalor from Warragul won C grade easily. Rob Waddel made it another Warragul quinella by taking out the bunch sprint for second. Graeme Patrick was fourth.

In the ladies races Warragul’s Wendy Jordan finished third.

At the other end of the state in Warrnambool Cy Monk, Jarryd Jones and Sam Abbott contested the fourth race in the Victorian Road Series, the Tour of South West. The race consisted of a road race and timetrial (we love time trials) on Saturday and a criterium on Sunday. Cy Monk was leading the B Grade VRS but is now racing in A grade for the Park Trent team. He finished 31st out of 90 riders. Jarryd was in 30th position before being DQ’d in the criterium when a gel packet flew off him.

Sam Abbott had dominated C grade and had been promoted to B grade. This didn’t stop her. She won the road race and was second in the time trial and criterium. This gave her victory overall in B grade.

On Sunday Kane Walker came third in the Glenvale Criterium in Melbourne.

In the Gippsland Hill Climb championship contested on the tough 23km Loy Yang to Mt Tassie climb on Sunday, Leigh Hauxwell finished second, Neil Walker fourth and Paul Yeatman fifth.

There is no club racing next weekend.  Consider heading over to Leongatha for a handicap on their Mardan circuit.

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