The weather gods kindly provided the Goulburn Cycle Club with blue skies and bright sunshine during its race meet last week.
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![On the road: Wayne Bensley claimed a well-earned victory after narrowly edging out Chris Berry. Photo: Supplied. On the road: Wayne Bensley claimed a well-earned victory after narrowly edging out Chris Berry. Photo: Supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/bec886bb-7352-45de-b14a-3cc116560781.jpg/r287_1050_3000_2981_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Racing was on Middle Arm Road for a 40km handicap with riders starting at the cemetery and heading up the steady climb to Mt Pedlar, followed by a fast descent to the turnaround at Middle Arm Hall.
From the turnaround riders faced the return climb to Mt Pedlar and the steady descent back to the finish line.
Junior rider Elsie Apps was the limit marker, followed by Joe Chalker seven minutes later. Nadine Moroney, Shannon Apps and Chris Berry we off eight minutes.
Block riders Gavin Moroney, Wayne Bensley and Glen Apps needed to make up 10 minutes on the limit rider and Jason Cook and Neils Laugesen were the scratch riders off 11 minutes and 30 seconds.
Nadine Moroney, Shannon Apps and Chris Berry organised their pace line and soon picked up Joe Chalker.
The four riders set about chasing down Elsie and made the catch on the climb to Mt Pedlar.
Berry lead the group over Mt Pedlar and down the fast descent to the turnaround. The four riders managed to hold off the chasers as they set about the return climb up Mt Pedlar and we still leading as they passed the fire shed at Rhyanna Road.
Cook managed to combine with Bensley, and the two riders were making good progress on bridging the gap to the leading riders.
They made the catch on the short climb before Campbells Land and only had the final two rollers to navigate. Shannon Apps and Berry were determined to hold the wheels of Bensley and Cook, and the four riders played cat and mouse up the final hill to see who would jump first for the downhill sprint to the finish.
Unsurprisingly, the impatient Berry attacked just before the final crest opening up a slight lead over Cook and Bensley. The latter doggedly chased Berry's wheel and passed him with a final sprint to the line for a 30-second win. Shannon passed a tiring Cook and took out third place.
A big thanks goes to the volunteers who made the race possible - Phil Bush, Bluey Emmerton, Fiona Berry, Mick Hall and Jo Mainvil.
There is no road racing next Saturday afternoon due to roadworks on the Mountain Ash Road course.
Results
Middle Arm 40km Handicap
- Wayne Bensley
- Chris Berry
- Shannon Apps
- Jason Cook
- Nadine Moroney
- Neils Laugesen
- Joe Chalker
- Gavin Moroney
- Elsie Apps
- Glen Apps
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