KVA Design Winter Sash Handicap Race 24th August 2014
Five laps, finish in Larcombes Rd. 61km.
Kane Airey won a tight fought sprint finish with Malcolm Lloyd.
A strong field of 38 keen riders tackled the tough conditions with very strong westerly winds blowing.
Ken Mansfield started with 45 minutes and had done well over a lap by the time most of the other groups had started. With good size groups through the field most of them stayed together and worked well apart from a few riders who suffered in the conditions and were dropped by their respective groups. All the groups were holding their own with gradual gains being made early and mid way through the race. The super strong scratch group of Xavier Coppock, Steve Young, Dave Warren, Jeff Miller and Steven Richards where riding very well together and caught the 2nd scratch group near the club rooms on the third lap with Xavier and Steve doing very strong turns. The third scratch group was working very well making up good time up the road powering through the other mid field groups and then finally Ken halfway around the forth lap. With help from the 9.30 and some of the 14 minute groups this super group were the ones to catch with a lap to go with the flash of Xavier’s orange chasing hard and fast.
With half a lap to go the lead group had tiring riders sitting on and waiting for the finish with most of the work done by Phil Tehan (Northern), Malcolm and Kane. There were a couple of hard efforts up misery lane for the final time by Mark Prudie (Colac) and Dennis Sonogan who split the group into the chicane. Kane jumped the gun early to take the win for a long head wind sprint with a fast scrap with Malcolm with the lead swapping a couple of times over the last 300m. Xavier broke up the scratch and second scratch groups over the last lap to take fastest time.
Results:
1st Kane Airey. 1:43.20 (34.8km/h) 2nd Malcolm Lloyd, 3rd Mark Purdie (Colac), Nick Oakley, Mandy Hosking, Phil Tehan (Northern), Carl Judd, Jane Clifton (Colac), Marcus Coppock, Dennis Sonogan. Fastest time Xavier Coppock. 1:34.20 (38.5km/h)
Next Sundays race: Victorian State Time Trial Championships at GVCC. Entry via VVCC.