Overcast conditions welcomed Peel District Cycling Club racers at the Pinjarra Industrial Estate for their criterium racing on Sunday.
The gloomy weather, along with the WA State Track Titles, kept numbers down for the local racing but that didn’t stop a spirited A-grade field from putting on an interesting race.
Patrick Saccani-Williams attacked on the first lap of the race, with the bunch seemingly unphased as they let the state 80-kilometre time trial champion establish a lead.
Then the rain came, with the chase becoming disjointed as Saccani-Williams increased his margin.
By the time rain cleared with five minutes to race, Saccani-Williams was out of sight of the chasers.
In the end he won by almost half a lap. In the sprint for second it was Aron Barclay edging out Theo Yates.
B-grade provided an aggressive race with one, two or three riders getting off the front of the bunch and staying away for a few laps at a time before being brought back.
Then the heavens opened up and in the pouring rain a group of five riders established a break.
Working well together they established a race-winning buffer.
In the sprint from this group it was Mathew Wardynec taking the win, with William Celis second and Craig Deham third.
C-grade was yet again an attacking race, with the pace on from the first lap.
However, no rider stayed away for more than a lap.
While there were short lulls between the attacks, the pace remained high for the full 35 minutes of racing.
All 14 starters contested the finish with Jason Giles winning the bunch sprint, Nathan Garbutt second and Ashton Sime third.
Outside of local racing Peel members performed well at the State Track Titles, particularly Dharlia Haines, who took out wins in the open women’s points race and the under 19 women’s keirin alongside her victories in the sprint, scratch race and time trial.
Sime took home a win in the Junior Westral race, while Tyler Lindorff won the open men’s individual pursuit and finished second in the points and scratch races.
Jordan Dawson claimed second in the under 19 men’s keirin and the scratch, while taking out third in under 19 individual pursuit.
Oliver Bleddyn finished first in the under 19 men’s scratch, time trial and individual pursuit.
Next week sees the club racing a 16km time trial at Hopeland, while some members race the State Criterium Championships in Bayswater.
For the full results visit pdcc.asn.au
