The conditions were close to perfect being cool and almost calm with a clear sky. A low turnout of only 14 riders was reflective of the nationals hangover with the stellar performing, multiple medal winning juniors enjoying a well earned rest at home. A number of riders have switched to road mode and so we will have to wait until November to see them on the track again.
The programme tonight was made up of graded 5 lap warm up races and to make the most of the favourable conditions one lap time trials then team sprints and finished off with long handicap races.
The final race of the night was the 15 lap A & B grade handicap race with Jaycob Humphreys and Luuk van Wagtendonk on scratch and the rest of the field spread around the track. The larger group of four riders at the 250m mark began with a hiss and a roar common with young men struggling with the balance of adrenaline and testosterone. It appeared they each took a turn to single headedly increase the gap back to the scratch riders but with each effort, they spent much needed energy and so weakened the groups ability to stay clear of the hardworking scratch riders.
By lap 10 of 15 the scratch riders caught the lead bunch and made a surge to shake the bunch but Mike McMinn was not going to drop Jaycob’s wheel and stuck like something to a blanket and Luuk tucked in behind. With two laps to go the ducks and drakes gamesmanship started as the three riders in the lead group tried to find their favoured position to contest the final sprint for the line and the race. During this process the second group began to make in roads on the lead group and had reached them with a lap to go but it was this marker that saw the lead group fire and their chasers were vying for best also ran. Mike was spinning as fast as his legs could go without leaving his hip joint but Jaycob hit go at the 200 metre marker and cruised to the line with Luuk in control of third.
Weather permitting the track season has two meetings left with points toward club championships on offer.
These are the results:
C Grade 5 lap warm up race
1st Michaela Drummond
2nd Liam Barber
3rd Brittany Baker
A & B Grade 4 lap handicap race
1st Jaycob Humphreys
2nd Neville Weir
3rd James Hutton
1 Lap Time Trial
Mike McMinn 35.46
James Hutton 33.22
Michaela Drummond 36.62
Brittany Ingram 39.27
Brittany Baker 38.00
Neville Weir 36.00
Brad Nelson 36.29
Cameron Gibbons 33.53
Jaycob Humphreys 33.32
Peter Wenborn 35.97
Brent Zimmerman 32.49
Team Sprints
1st Team
Michaela Drummond 1.34.45
Mike McMinn
Jaycob Humphreys
2nd Team
Liam Barber 1.39.51
James Hutton
Luuk van Wagtendonk
3rd Team
Brittany Ingram 1.40.68
Brad Nelson
Cameron Gibbons
4th Team
Brittany Baker 1.40.83
Peter Wenborn
Neville Weir
C Grade 10 lap handicap
1st Brittany Ingram
2nd Michaela Drummond
3rd Liam Barber
A & B Grade 15 lap handicap
1st Jaycob Humphreys
2nd Mike McMinn
3rd Luuk van Wagtendonk