Many cyclists were still recovering from the Saturday heat, but welcomed the much cooler conditions as E grade got under way first.  

There was tight racing all the way for the 30 minutes and a speedy average of 34km/h was high enough to keep attacks to a minimum.  

Eurobodalla’s Steve Brennan lead out the final laps for his sprinters but Tim Davies from Canberra still had strong legs after his valiant effort from the front mark in Saturday’s road race for the win.  

There was also a big effort from cycling stalwart Graeme Meek in his return to open racing to stay in touch with the leaders all the way.  

“His dedication and perseverance in recovery from illness over the past twelve months has been inspirational,” Brennan said.

D grade was a one-man show with Vikings rider Bradley Drew attacking in the first few laps without any response from the bunch.  

Ably assisted by teammates who controlled the disorganised chase, Drew rode away for an uncontested win – a great comeback from his frustrating battle with the hills and heat of the previous day.

C grade was home to speeds of well over 50km/h on the tight bottom corner.  

A three-man break was established early on featuring Broulee’s Rob Upton (riding for the Harlequin Club, also on the comeback trail after three years) and after a quick chat around they pushed the pedal as one.

Despite sustained efforts from the chase group, in particular the Bega boys Dave Mullens and Dominique Riddeaux, they were able to hold their 15-second gap for the entire race.  

The three-way sprint was less than cooperative – the judges were split, riders unsure and the camera angle less than convincing – and in the end it was decided that equal first for Upton and Andrew Whiting (Vikings) was the best result.

A and B grade combined to make up the numbers for the main event and it was soon evident that no one was going to chase down Brendan Johnston’s early attack.  

The rest were racing for second and they were nonetheless tenacious in their efforts and Batemans Bay junior Jack Lavis was decisive in his sprint ahead of Goulburn cycling identity Con Topais to finish off an exciting weekend.

Full results:

A and B grade

1st Brendan Johnston (Eurobodalla CC)

2nd Jack Lavis (Eurobodalla CC)

3rd Con Toparis (Goulburn CC)

C grade

1st Andrew Whiting (Vikings CC)

1st Rob Upton (Harlequin CC)

3rd Nathan Schubert (Canberra CC)

D grade

1st Bradley Drew (Vikings CC)

2nd Troy Detourettes (Eurobodalla CC)

3rd David Greenwood (Illawarra CC)

E grade

1st Timothy Davies (Canberra CC)

2nd Timo Savimaki (Eurobodalla CC)

3rd Kathryn Whiting (Vikings CC)