Creagan and O’Hara club champions for 2007

Armidale Cycling Club held their 2007 club championships on Saturday 8 December with dominant performances from Dan Creagan in the seniors and Reece O’Hara in the juniors.

Competitors in the event lined up for a challenging program of three races, including a road race, criterium circuit race, and 1.2km time trial.

The seniors began with a 30km road race on Dangarsleigh Road. The A grade race was slow in the early stages with no one wanting to commit too soon. The inevitable attack came on the long hill 7km from the finish, with Pat McMillan the first to go, closely followed by Dan Creagan and Andrew Kirk. From the top of the hill Creagan and Kirk then rode away to take first and second places, with McMillan hanging on for a strong third.

The second event was a fast paced criterium, but after a hard road race and in hot conditions, the attacks were limited until the last lap. Creagan out sprinted the field to again take first place from Ole Mikkelsen and Kirk.

Despite tired legs there were some impressive rides in the final time trial. That man Dan won out again with a time of 1m43s, closely followed by Kirk who put in a terrific ride for 1m44s. Peter Wilkinson snuck into third place with a time of 1m47s.

With a clean sweep in all three events Dan Creagan was a worthy winner of the championship. Dan has been a consistent improver in the club over the past three years, winning C grade in 2005 and B grade last year, and his progression to club champion is just reward for his efforts.

Second place was taken out by first year rider Andrew Kirk who has improved tremendously in a short space of time, particularly now that he has learnt to ride on the left hand side of the road and that it is preferable to face forwards rather than backwards.

Third place was a battle between two old stagers with Peter Wilkinson just edging out Ole Mikkelsen in the final “race of truth”.

The junior championship was taken out in fine style by Reece O’Hara, who also won all three events. Reece’s time trial of 1m47s would have been very competitive in the seniors. He then lapped the field in the 7 lap road race and comfortably won the criterium.

Reece is another much improved rider and will undoubtedly progress quickly through the senior ranks to be a strong competitor for the club.

Brit Sisson took out second place after breaking the magical 2 minute barrier in the time trial for the first time, with Angus Swan in third place.

The lower grades were also keenly contested with some strong rides, including perennial breakaway kamikaze Wilfred Kellor winning the senior B road race, only to be pipped for the overall by Bruce Buxton who won the next two events; another first year rider Martin Atkinson winning all three races in the senior C’s from Ray Phillips and octogenarian John Bentley who showed once again that age is no barrier; Lasse Mikkelsen who in winning the junior B’s from Kyle O’Hara and Will Allom showed that sprinting ability and competitive spirit are definitely genetic; and young Matthew Haydon who showed a clean pair of heals in winning the junior C’s from Sam Jenner and Lachie Ferrier, who tried his heart out peddling three times more than anyone else on his bmx bike.

Finally, the day would not have been such a success without the efforts of race officials Col Maciver, Al O’Hara and Dave Jenner.

Places in all grades

Senior A

1. Dan Creagan (Senior Club Champion)
2. Andrew Kirk
3. Peter Wilkinson

Junior A

1. Reece O’Hara (Junior Club Champion)
2. Brit Sisson
3. Angus Swan

Senior B

1. Bruce Buxton
2. Wilfred Kellor
3. Bob Murison

Junior B

1. Lasse Mikkelsen
2. Kyle O’Hara
3. Will Allom

Senior C

1. Martin Atkinson
2. Ray Phillips
3. John Bentley

Junior C

1. Matthew Haydon
2. Sam Jenner
3. Lachie Ferrier