2006 Club Road Race Championships - Crownthorpe
16/9/2006

RAMBLERS CYCLING CLUB Saturday 16th September 2006

Ramblers Road Race Club Championships were held on Saturday from Pukehamoamoa School with competitors racing anticlockwise around the 30km Crownthorpe circuit. The 107 keen riders who registered for age grade racing faced a daunting uphill ride into a blustery south westerly wind. The challenging course produced deserved winners in each grade.

Marg Radich had a great race and her build up to next months National Champs looks to be well on track. She took out the Vet 1 Women's race and was more than able to foot it with her male Vet 3 and 4 men counterparts.

In the Vet 2 Women's race, the title went to Sue Tunnicliff who displayed grit and determination as she successfully held off an agressive second place getter Shona Brown. After almost getting pulled back by the chasing group in the last 6km, Tunnicliff found the legs to accelerate one more time and rode solo to the finish line.
Sue Hobbs showed great courage by finishing third in her first attempt at a longer distance (60km). She only has time to ride 17km in training once or twice a week so her effort was truely a gusty one!

In the combined U23/Senior Men's race of 114km, Josh Page retained his Club Title from last year by breaking away on the third lap and putting in a strong one and a half lap solo ride to the finish line.
Blair Heney was the first senior man to finish.

The combined men's Vet 1 & 2 and U19 men's bunch split on the first hill climb when Jason Kelly attacked. Richard Brough, Patrick Kelly and Darryl Strachan quickly joined him and the four worked together through the hill climbs into the wind. However, on the downwind leg they eased up. Andrew Townsend and Kerry Harford from the chasing bunch gave a superb example of team time trialing by bridging the large gap to these leading four riders.
Unfortunately, on the last lap Patrick Kelly suffered a mechanical, thereby reducing the bunch to five riders. In the final dash to the line Harford yet again showed his sprinting skills to regain the Vet 2 club title. Brough was second as well as being first Vet 1 home.

There would have been celebrations in the Harford household with Danielle Harford repeating her win of last year to retain the U15 Girls title.
Starting with the U15s, Kirstin Hartley secured the Under 17 Girls title.

Derek Ward shrugged off recent illness to outsprint Mick Cull in the Vet 6 race.
Dave Marett took out Vet 7 and Allan Simpson won the Vet 5 men's title.

Racing over 58km, the Vet 3 & 4 mens races were won by Ken MacKenzie (Vet 3) and Bruce Galloway (Vet 4).

In the U17 Boys, Austen Thomson won, Sean Joyce was second and Jed Usherwood third.

Thee Senior women raced over two laps (58km). Steph Everson took the title and Gemma Newland repeating her second place from last year.

Next Saturday sees the resurrection of the gruelling Taupo - Napier race.
Due to this event being held there will be no Club racing next Saturday. Instead, a Ramblers "social group ride" will leave from Puketapu School at 2.00pm.

RESULTS:
107 riders registered for Ramblers Club Road Race Champs from Pukehamoamoa School anticlockwise around the Crownthorpe circuit.

U15 Girls (30km): Danielle Harford 1; Megan Watson 2; Melissa Amy 3.
U17 Girls (30km): Kirstin Hartley 1.
U17 Boys (30km): Austen Thomson 1; Sean Joyce 2; Jed Usherwood 3.
U23 Male (114km): Josh Page 1.
Senior Female (58km): Steph Everson 1; Gemma Newland 2.
Senior Men (114km): Blair Heney 1; Saul Webb 2; Wayne Mote 3.
Vet 1 Female (58km): Marg Radich 1.
Vet 1 Male (86km): Richard Brough 1; Jason Kelly 2; Brett Fullerton 3.
Vet 2 Female (58km): Sue Tunnicliff 1; Shona Brown 2; Sue Hobbs 3.
Vet 2 Male (86km): Kerry Harford 1; Darryl Strachan 2; Andrew Townsend 3.
Vet 3 Male (58km): Ken MacKenzie 1; Hamish Goodwin 2; Ian Wright 3.
Vet 4 Male (58km): Bruce Galloway 1; Wayne Hawkins 2; Paul Roberts 3.
Vet 5 Male (30km): Allan Simpson 1; Ken Tunnicliff 2; Bryan Yates 3.
Vet 6 Male (30km): Derek Ward 1; Mick Cull 2; Stuart McKie 3.
Vet 7 Male (30km): Dave Marett 1; Duncan McFadyen 2.