Racing returned to Smeaton Way in Rockingham for the Peel District Cycling Club’s first criterium of the year over the weekend.
The heat and the wind made conditions challenging for all riders.
Riders in C-grade played out an interesting race, with most attacking the bunch would chase, lapping at 40 kilometres per hour.
This was repeated for over 35 minutes of racing, as nobody got more than 50 metres or a lap off the front of the bunch.
In sprint it was Ben Mcrobb first, Scott Biffen second and Callum Hunter third.
B-grade took to the circuit racing very differently to C-grade, even if the fastest lap times were similar.
B-grade would ride a number of fast laps as breakaways would be established then chased down a few laps later.
A little over halfway through the race, a three rider breakaway became four and started working together.
The bunch reacted and started chasing hard, losing riders in the process.
In the end the break stayed away, with William Celis taking the win, with a well time lunged to the line from Jordan Dawson, with Jethro Nagle third.
While B and C-grade were stop/start races with attacks, chases and then lulls in the action, A-grade was much more fluid.
As soon as one breakaway was brought back, another counter attack would occur.
Sometimes the bunch would chase immediately, other times it would wait, bide it’s time, then chase.
A-grade is a very tactical race and one of the skills the riders need to develop is conserving their energy, learning who to follow and which break to chase.
Three riders got it right and established a break late in the race, the bunch reacted late, rode hard and lost riders failing to chase the break down.
Tom McCraken attacked his breakaway companions on the final lap and rode to the line alone to take the win, with Matt Peterson second and Lennon McLintock third.
A number of junior riders missed the criterium as they where racing the State Junior Championships in Midvale.
Peel members Dakota Sime and Dharlia Haines won state titles in all five events they competed in.
Oliver Bleddyn won a state title and finished second in three others.
Last weekend a number of Peel members raced the National Championships in Ballarat.
Tyler Lindorff won the national under 19 road race title and finished second in the time trial.
Next Sunday will see a time trial in Hopelands, with a criterium the following week on the new circuit at Alumina Way in Rockingham.
For the full results of this week races and more information about forthcoming races visit pdcc.asn.au
