MOUNT Isa’s Copper City Cycling Club went down to rival Alice Springs by a mere 12 points at the annual two-day Tennant Creek tour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Despite Mount Isa’s Wayne Sanchez comfortably winning the A grade over Alice rider Will Rafferty, the club wasn’t able to win the Barkley Shield.
Fifteen cyclists from Mount Isa made the 670-kilometre trip to Tennant Creek to try and stop Alice Springs dominance of the event of the past couple of years.
Riding started on Saturday with the grading prologue (short individual time trial) on Peko Road, which would determine starting positions for the 78km A and G grades, 49km C grade and 23km juniors.
At the end of the second event (Saturday’s race), Alice Springs Cycling Club led Copper City Cycling Club by a mere four points, heading into the deciding final day of racing.
The Go Kart Club was the venue for Sunday’s racing, which is categorised as a highly technical course with hairpin turns, off camber curves and a block headwind down the back straight.
In the juniors, new rider Brayden Nicholson showed plenty of heart in his first criterium, with all the riders attacking each other.
Nicholson could not keep up the pace and after 10 minutes fell off to settle for sixth, which is an outstanding achievement first up.
Lyn Roughan recovered from a poor start in the C grade to eventually work her way back in the minor placings, only to be pipped on the line for second.
Mount Isa pair Frank Long (fourth) and Jason Ahearn (fifth) kept the club in the sniff for the shield.
The B grade race was a fascinating battle of tactics throughout the whole 20 minutes, with Amanda Gowing using them the best.
Gowing shadowed Alice Springs lone rider Adrian Basso early and joined David Knight and Geoff Marsh in the foursome that raced towards the line.
Line honours went to Gowing by more than half a lap ahead of second placed Knight, third-placed Basso and Marsh (fourth).
Fellow Mount Isa riders Vicki Nicholson (fifth), Jim Lillecrapp (sixth), Tony Sweeney (seventh) and Linda French rode strong to the end.
Sanchez set the pace in the A grade, seemingly controlling the tempo of the peloton at times.
With time ticking down, Sanchez made his move and easily dispatched off Alice Springs rival Will Rafferty.
Max Shawcross finished well to place third, with John Braithwaite taking fifth and under-19 rider Rory French coming in seventh.
The Copper City Cycling Club says they will continue to work hard and will be determined to take back the shield in 2015.
