30/05/2015
By Jayman Prestidge / Paul Yeatman
Warragul cyclists raced in strong winds on Saturday at Darnum and Shady Creek. The course would mirror that of next weekend’s Gippsland Three Day Tour circuit stages 2 and 3. Twenty-seven riders attended to test their legs on the day.
The first race of the day was a 9km Individual Time Trial from the Darnum Football Ground to Shady Creek.
The slightly uphill drag was buffeted by strong winds, with even the best of the Time Triallers struggling to stay tucked away on their aerodynamic machines. Paul Yeatman is a time trial specialist and was the fastest across all grades with a time of 13.09. Brett Rollinson was second with 13.28 and then Matthew Parker third with 13.58.
The second race was the Road Race around the seventeen kilometre Shady Creek circuit. King of the Mountain and Sprint points were included on each lap to replicate the race conditions that riders will have in next weekend’s Gippsland Three Day Tour.
In A grade, on lap one, Yeatman feigned an attack and it gapped the field . Rollinson came by him as I crested the hill, just before the KOM line which was about 20m furthur up the road than previous years. Stiles got a break heading down the back of the climb. Yeatman bridged along the flat section and they stayed away until about a k from the sprint. Here, Jim Lalor was first to make a run for the line and Yeatnan was next. The whole field came past these two well before the line. It would take Yeatman until the base of the climb to catch everybody.
During the climb to the first KOM, Parkinson got the points.
Stiles again got away on the down hill and he would remain off the front until the end. Monk bridged between the sprint and the KOM.
On lap three Yeatman was the only one keen on chasing, and he gave up on that by Sthurs road after getting within 20m of Stiles and Monk.
From here, the two break away riders rode away from the field and would stay out front.
Monk won the final sprint with Stiles second. Parker surged early after Lalor gapped the bunch 1.5 ks from the line. Up the final rise to the line, Parkinson was the first to increase pace. Kennedy was next up the road with Yeatman chasing hard. This was the order they would finish in.
Overall results for the day were as follows:-
A Grade
- Matt Parkinson
- Shane Stiles
- Paul Yeatman
B Grade
- Steve Muggeridge
- Glen Walker
- Matt M
C Grade
- Mark Mason
- Michelle Scurr
- Dave Redman
