After the heat of last weekend’s racing, a return to cooler weather was welcomed by riders taking part in the second race of the Mount Gambier Cycling Club Summer Series.
In the 25km out and back handicap race on the familiar Caves Road course, the wind was also coming from a favourable direction for the riders, with a slight headwind for the outward leg and a nice tailwind pushing them on the return leg to some quick times.
Firstly, the junior riders had a 10km race, with Glenn and Sean Tye starting three and a half minutes ahead of Eddie Buckland and Molly Opperman.
The Tye lads certainly found the cooler weather to their liking and rode strongly out in front to arrive at the turnaround point still two minutes ahead.
They were able to maintain their lead all the way to the finish line, with Sean powering ahead in the final kilometre to take victory by seven seconds over Glenn.
Opperman finished strongly a further 40 seconds back, followed by Buckland just 30 seconds later.
Following the completion of the junior race the seniors started preparing in earnest for their 25km race.
The handicapper had taken notice of the racing from the previous week and adjusted some of the anticipated speeds for each grouping. The first group to leave included Dianne Major, Louise Abraham and Jason Buckland.
They were given a four-minute gap until the next group of Jen Buckland, Rick Heaver, Ainsley Curtis and rookie Justyna Grosse were given their orders to begin the chase.
A further three minutes later the group consisting of Mark Brooksby, Elmer Buckland, Troy Mustey and Mick Childs – in a return to racing – took off from the starting line.
With the figurative hares in motion there was a gap of seven minutes before the rest of the faster riders were allowed to try to chase them down.
With 14 minutes already on the clock the group consisting of Bruce MacLaughlin, Patrick Langsmith, Harry Opperman and John DePree started the chase closely followed one minute later by Spek Peake, Dean Zeven, Craig Andre, Phil Stasiw, John Cranwell and Jami Buckley.
A further minute later Niel van Niekerk, Rob Mann and Riley Hill took up the chase, while 120 seconds later Nick Kidman started his solo chase of the riders ahead of him, 18 minutes after the first bunch had set off.
Spirits and speed were high despite the headwind on the outward leg, with most groups working strongly together.
Gaps started closing between the riders, with van Niekerk’s and Peake’s groups joining together before the turnaround with Jen Buckland’s and Child’s group joining with 10km to go.
The benefit of the tailwind was felt on the return journey with average speeds rising by at least 5kph.
Out in front the leading trio continued to defy the chasers, making the turn into the finishing straight with 4km to go with a healthy advantage, but the next groups were making inroads.
As the leading riders crested the final hill with less than 1km to go the catch was made with Elmer Buckland and Grosse racing toward victory, closely followed by Mustey and Childs.
In the final sprint to the line it was Elmer Buckland who claimed victory, slightly ahead of Mustey and Grosse.
Childs trailed the podium finishers with Jason Buckland just behind, followed by Abraham, Brooksby, Major, Heaver, Jen Buckland and Curtis.
The hares had managed to stay away from the chasing pack, with van Niekerk sprinting ahead take 12th place ahead of an eight-rider group led by Buckley.
Despite bringing up the rear four minutes, 20 seconds behind the victors, Kidman still secured fastest time honours.
The club heads to Tarpeena this Sunday to hold a 25km race along McEnroe Road in the third race in the MGCC Summer Series.
