…they love mountain…bikes
Greg “Mountain” Mantten and Jason “Knobbies” Blanche have beaten Chris Stace into third place with some punchy climbing on Long Swamp Road in a rare appearance of the scratch bunch in winning position. Participating numbers were a little down due to the school holidays but the handicapping produced a close result.
The Go group managed to keep riders in the finishing bunch with an impressive performance by newcomer Chris “Not Mr Eternity” Stace whose race tactics are rapidly improving week to week. The shorter course requires two journeys out and back on Long Swamp and gives plenty of opportunity for leading riders to gauge their performance as they see how far behind the pursuing bunches are – this has generally favoured the slower groups this year with the scratch group failing to catch up during most handicaps.
After thinking it would turn out the same in this race, the scratch riders overhauled block on the last climb of Imbota, Wilfried and Haydo at the dump, and Jo and Chris within sight of the line.
GO group: Jo Wauch, Chris Stace, Karlee McMillan
6 minutes: Wilfried Keller, Holly Harris, Mark Haydon, Sophie Wallace
9 minutes: Peter Creagan, Dene Bourke, Pat McMillan, Bill Mara
12 minutes: Greg Mantten, Mick Hoult, Andrew Swan, Jason Blanche, Colin Maciver
6 minutes: Wilfried Keller, Holly Harris, Mark Haydon, Sophie Wallace
9 minutes: Peter Creagan, Dene Bourke, Pat McMillan, Bill Mara
12 minutes: Greg Mantten, Mick Hoult, Andrew Swan, Jason Blanche, Colin Maciver