The challenging 60-kilometre handicap is held on the Dajarra Road to honour a past member of the club who was killed riding a motor bike on that road.

With many B graders missing from the roster, 15 riders set off at staggered intervals on the single-lane course, dogged by strong cross winds. 

Tony Sweeney was the scratch rider heading off at the start of the clock, followed five minutes later by Linda French, Luke Scard and Clayton Green in the last of the B graders.

Vicki Nicholson started solo at nine minutes. She was left in no-man’s land with a larger group of A graders starting at 10:30. 

This group contained Amanda Gowing, David Knight, David Ericson and John Braithwaite – all seasoned riders.  

Next to leave, one minute later, was Les Rayner, Craig Nicholson, Ross Lovejoy and Matthys Labuschagne.

The final riders, last year’s winner Max Shawcross and Graham Peden, left at 13:30 minutes behind the first rider.

By the first hill Peden had left Shawcross behind as he pedaled hard to eat into the deficit.

In front of him, the other A-grade riders had amalgamated, catching Vicki Nicholson 15 kilometres into the race and forming a large pack.

Craig Nicholson was unfortunate to puncture five kilometres after the grid.

The large peloton swept up the B-grade riders on the return journey with only Scard able to hold the wheels of the fast moving riders.

A bunch sprint ensued at the finish with Les Rayner victorious in a corrected time of 1:43:12, David Ericson second and David Knight in third.  

Amanda Gowing, Ross Lovejoy and John Braithwaite crossed the line in that bunch only a second off the pace.

In the C-grade, Kiri Bunker rode a solo time trial to put her name on the Scarborough Family Perpetual Trophy for the 30-kilometre journey.

The next race is the Peter Berg Memorial Handicap, leaving from the Chinaman Dam turnoff at the outskirts of Cloncurry, for a 60-kilometre staggered race finishing at Driver Reviver rest stop on Sunday.  

A 30-kilometre option for C graders will be available.  

All inquiries should be directed to coppercitycyclingclub@gmail.com.