A large field of 36 riders contested a 15km time trial held on Long Swamp Road on Saturday 24 March, with numbers boosted by the 2012 NIAS cycling squad. These riders were inducted into the NIAS program on the Saturday morning, and include Sam Jenner and Harrison Munday of Armidale, Brodie Fenton, Dylan Sunderland and Zac Sunderland of Inverell, DJ Morrison of Gunnedah, and Damon Marshall of Narrabri.
The time trial was taken out by Greg Mantton in a time of 24 minutes, while Brent Weston pushed hard to finish close in second place just 8 seconds off the pace. John Scott-Hamilton came home in third place with a time of 24:15, with Sam Jenner (24:18) and Olaf Heeremans (24:36) rounding out the top five.
John was having his first outing on a new time trial bike, and eye witness accounts attest to its speed: Andrew Kirk reported after the race that John came past him so fast he could only hold his wheel for a couple of kilometers before being dropped.
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The time trial was followed by a graded scratch race over 15km. A grade set off at a fast pace but stayed together until the return leg where Brent Weston set off like a motorbike up Imbota Hill. Only three riders managed to hold his wheel, including Harrison Munday and Dylan Sunderland. Although they established a sizeable lead and started working together well, good riding by Sam Jenner and Olaf Heeremans brought the race together again.
It stayed that way until an attack by Jason Blanch and Greg Mantton put the bunch under pressure at the foot of the finishing hill. Harrison had a considerable amount of ground to make up and only just managed to get back on terms at the finish to take out a gutsy win, with Greg Mantton and Sam Jenner filling the minor placings.
You could ask for not getting flogged mercilessly by your own younger sister on your home course.
Thanks for the race, great organisation from the Armidale club with a nice relaxed atmosphere. What more could you ask for!