CYCLING –
The Central Coast Cycling Club were involved in two big race day events in the juniors and the seniors over the weekend of 30-31 January, in a number of instances earning podium positions.
On Saturday, 30 January, The Goulbourn Track Power Carnival was attended by Central Coast’s Under 17 Women’s race team for the NSW Madison Championships, as well as a team of senior riders competing in the Senior Carnival.
In the Under 17’s, Nicole Duncan and Liliya Tartarinoff made up one team, and Maya Dillon and Sonia Vetisch another.
Sonia stepped up from the U15’s to compete with the older riders in a race involving 25 laps of a 400m track, with sprints for points every five laps.
The contest for first place was hard fought by Nicole and Liliya taking out the silver medal.
Maya and Sonia were not far behind, in fourth place.
In the seniors, the Central Coast’s Darren Dillon, Paul Craft and Maya Dillon competed, along with Nicole and Liliya who were eager for more challenges.
Maya finished second in the Keirin race, while Nicole won her event narrowly ahead of Liliya.
The final event of the race day was the inaugural Women’s version of the Roller Derby, involving two riders against each other, side by side, on a treadmill style roller that measures distance travelled.
Liliya who made it all the way to the final, finished second to NSWIS rider, Sarah Cliff.
The next day, more members of the Central Coast club attended West Head National Park for a long distance road race hosted by Manly Warringah Cycling Club.
The race included nine different grades, with two Masters grades and three Women’s, each at varying distances between 25-95km.
Two outstanding performances were from Brendan Buhagiar at third place in the Men’s B Grade and one for Andy Hellmich who won the A Grade Masters race.
For Andy, the win took all his legs had to give him and left him almost unable to spin another cycle on his bike.
“It was a battle of attrition due to all the hills along the West Head course,” Andy said.
“There were 10 to 15 of us in contention for the finish, jockeying for position in the last few hundred metres.
“At this point in the race, you don’t want to break ahead too early because it’s an uphill finish, but you also don’t want to leave it too late because then you’ll run out of road.
Haakon Barry