Ramblers Juniors Shine
09/02/2008

Ramblers juniors travelled far and wide this weekend with the Under 17 Girls and Women racing at the Velosport Bev May Women’s Tour in Morrinsville. After winning Saturday’s stage 1, Havelock North’s Danielle Harford could not hang on to her lead after stage 2, a 21km Time Trial, finishing second behind Australia’s Brodie Stewart, with Napier’s Ashleigh Neave in third. Harford punctured 3km into Sunday’s 45km third stage. Neave, sponsored by Pedal Power Taradale, swapped wheels and worked tirelessly to cover all the escapes on an ill fitting spare wheel, trying to protect and launch Harford, who was only two seconds off Stewart on General Classification. With the finish in sight Harford cracked and could not make up the deficit. With only a rain soaked 15 minute Criterium left, time ran out for the Hawke’s Bay ladies. However after two days of hard racing, Harford in second, Neave in third, Sarah and Megan Watson sponsored by Avanti Plus Hastings also in the top fifteen, female cycling in the Bay looks very promising. A small dedicated junior boys track cycling team travelled to Wanganui after being invited to participate in the West Coast North Island Track Champs. John Ellery showed his immense talent in the Under 17 Boys 500mtr Time Trial finishing second, just getting beaten by 48/100th of a second by Matt Noble from Wanganui. Havelock North High School student Fraser Gough carried on family tradition following in the footsteps of his cousin Westley Gough, finishing third in the 2km Individual Pursuit. In the Team Sprint the East Coast team grabbed a second place in their first attempt at this discipline. Lars Hopman and John Ellery, both from Napier Boys High, broke a West Coast pact in the 30 lap Points Race, delighting the spectators with their speed and stamina. Hopman finished in a deserved third place after working hard in the later stage of the race, showing great promise in only his second outing on the Wanganui track.