News
It was as great weekend of racing both on and off road, with Cycling Southland’s winter road race season kicking off on Saturday, followed by the third round of the Southland MTB Club’s winter cross country series on Sunday.
Saturday saw just over 50 racers gather in near perfect conditions for the First in Windsor Myross Bush road race, with racing taking place across five grades. A, B, and C grade competed over 40km, C grade over 32km, and E grade over 16km.
In A grade, Hunter Gough and Robert Huisman were quick to stamp their authority on the race, with the duo breaking clear, with Marshall Erwood and Magnus Jamieson mounting a chase. Gough managed to grab the win off Huisman, while Jamieson proved just a little bit too quick for Erwood on the line.
The B grade race came down to a big bunch sprint, with Alistair Burnett take the win, ahead of Hunter Thompson and Liam O’Rourke.
C grade also finished in a bunch sprint, with Craig Sadlier taking the win ahead of Paul Eden and Andrew Lienert.
In D grade, Oliver White managed to break clear of the bunch to take the win, with Ben Wyatt in second and Oliver Keast in third, while E grade saw Benjie Shayler ride clear of Jamie Russell to take the win.
Some of the same names were in action once again on Sunday morning as 116 riders took to the mountain bike trails in Sandy Point for the third round of the Outdoor H&J Smith XC Winter Series.
In the Expert male division, Steve Wilson (e-bike) took the win, ahead of Marshall Erwood (U19) in second, with a very impressive ride by Ivan Hodgetts, competing in the single speed division, taking third overall, while Katie Lawrence (U19) took out the Expert female division.
In the Sport male division, Waine Harding was the first rider home, taking the e-bike division, ahead of Kieran Woods in second, taking out the open division, and Rowan Knol in third. Jerinte Knol took the win in the Sport female division, ahead of Maddy Long in second, and Grace Griffin (U19) in third.
In the Recreation male division, Charlie Frantz took the U12 division, with Logan Hammond taking the open division, while in the Recreation female division the win and U15 division went to Sophie Frantz, with Michelle Diack taking the veterans division, and Bella McRitchie-King taking the U12 division. There was also a group of intrepid young mountain bikers who took on the kids loop, with Sully Bayliss leading them home.
The next event on the road cycling calendar is the Invercargill i-battery Rimu Handicap race on Saturday 9 July, while the next event on the mountain bike calendar is the fourth round of the Outdoor H&J Smith Winter XC Series on Sunday 7 August.