Glenvale Crescent Crits Sunday October 7

A cold and damp day was on the cards for the opener of the Apollo Bicycles summer season.

A great field of eager youngsters weren’t about to let the damp road stop them learning the ropes under the expert tutelage of Mick Hollingworth and Rob Koroknai and their band of assistants. Jordyn Hassett impressed in the closing stages before Harrison McClimont showed the rest a clean pair of heels to take the Novice Clinic win and earn a D Grade start next time round.

Next up were the B and D Grade bunches who enjoyed the best conditions of the morning. There were numerous breaks in both races, but both were decided with bunch sprints with on-one prepared to give the attackers too much free reign for the season opener.

Liam Pino, the smallest rider in the D Grade bunch, hit out two corners from home and held on ahead of Serge Krepak, Hamish Haynes< Barry McShane and Joe Leonard. An unfortunate tangle tangle entering the back straight caught out most of the women racers, leaving Georgia Cummings to take her first win in her new Apollo colours.

Tom Russel held off David Randall (Bicycle Superstore) in a great sprint to cap off the B Grade race, while Scott Walkerden (Kelly Cycle Coaching) held off Shane Barr and Garth Kotnik (Trail Mix) for the minor placings.

A few showers threatened to see an early finish to the A and C Grade races, but all riders handled the tricky conditions well and got through the heaviest downfalls unscathed.

Under coaches  instructions not to win just yet while he gains racecraft experience, James Tickner (Bikes de Ver) surprised himself when his early opener to the C Grade bunch sprint saw him still ahead at the finish line. Up and coming juniors swept the podium, with Lachlan Holiday, Morgan Curtis and Jayden Cooper (Kelly Coaching) next home, and Nina Greig-Towers (CCCC Elite/Bikes de Ver) taking the women’s win ahead of Em Weir (Giant) and Mel Hunter.

Dylan Boone (Giant) was in pretty much every move in A Grade, including the early break of 10 that looked to have snapped the elastic to the main bunch before the surprise re-grouping at the half way mark. Boone put the rest of his eggs into a brave break leading into the bell lap, but couldn’t maintain the pace needed to hold off the frantic chase.

Joel Pearson (Genesys Pro Cycling) surged out of the bunch to take the win in the bunch kick, chased home by Tyler Spurrell (Croydon Cycleworks), Callam Douglas (Mainline), Kyle Thompson (Crino Cycles), Brendan Rowbotham (Cycling-Inform) and Dale Woonton.

Thanks to all the volunteers for braving the conditions to help put on a great race. See you at Sandown on Tuesday night!

Thanks also to Ross Thompson for sending these photos through.

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