A bigger than normal team turn out for A grade at National Boulevard on Saturday morning. Kosdown, Italo, Hawthorn CC, and the newly formed "Doom Posse" were there to lay down some hurt. It was on from the gun, it was either Italo or HCC on the front going nuts into the first corner and stringing the bunch out. The race was fast paced, but had a few slow-ups when the numbers up the road were the right combinations from each team. As soon as a few non team riders started pinging off the front to bridge everyone started to chase. Repeat that scenario for the majority of the race. I was hoping there would be a nice break up the road and the bunch would just roll around, I'd hide in the bunch and save my legs for the time trial on Sunday, it wasn't to be.
Rob Doyle (Ballarat/Doom Posse) and Taigh Benson (Italo) got off the front at one point and it stuck. Some of the bunch must have missed them going off the front, maybe it happened when we were mixing it up passing/getting passed by B grade? Dunno.. Sean Hurley and his Fitzroy Revolution team did a whole bunch of work on the front near the end of the race to close down the break, I tried to join in pulling with them but the turns on the front were soon interrupted. I had three or four attempts at getting away from the bunch each time getting a good gap, being joined by another rider, then getting reeled back in or having to pull up and give way to traffic on the roundabout. Right on the bell the bunch backed off the pace... I ripped up the outside and Rhys Gillett (Ballarat/Doom Posse) was soon on my wheel, we had a small gap but nothing dangerous, I was done by the roundabout and swung over as Gillett launched up the road trying to pull back David Bertovic (Hawthorn) who had jumped off the front of the bunch and was powering to 3rd. Doyle took the win, Benson 2nd, Berto 3rd, and Gillett just missed out on the podium but was still in the money with 4th. 1hr20mins all up and 57kms raced, a fair workout for a 1hr crit! Good to be back in the action after Bright.
A Grade Results:
1st Rob Doyle (Ballarat)
2nd Taigh Benson (Italo)
3rd David Bertovic (Hawthorn)
4th Rhys Gillett (Ballarat)
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