Hartley-brown and Arbuckle on the podium
There were wins for Manawatu riders Libby Arbuckle and Madi Hartleybrown at the North Island schools road cycling championships at Karapiro at the weekend.
The weather held off on Saturday morning for some great racing in the team time trial and road races, with Epsom Girls’ Grammar School taking home the under-16 and under-20 team time trials and Hamilton Boys’ High School taking home the under-20 title for the boys team time trial.
The road races featured a number of sprint finishes for the girls, with Takapuna Grammar’s Renee Young edging out Waikato Diocesan School’s Eva Parkinson in the under-17 race.
Palmerston North Girls’ High School’s Arbuckle outsprinted Baradene College’s Jenna Merrick in the under-20 race, and Saint Kentigern College’s Sophie De Vries got ahead of Bee Townsend in the U14 race.
Kaitaia Intermediate School showed their presence with Tyla-mia Foster winning the under-13 race and Prue Fowler brought the under-15 title home for Diocesan School.
In the boys races, Hartley-brown of Palmerston North Boys’ High School snuck ahead of Massey High School’s James Krzanich to win the under-20 race.
Oliver Grave of Auckland Grammar School won the under-16 race, and Cameron Manley of Saint Kentigern won the group sprint in the under-17 race.
On Sunday the weather was touch and go, threatening the fast-paced criterium races, but all races went off without too much trouble and proved for some exciting racing.
In the under-20 boys race Dalton Hiley of Auckland Grammar and Jack Mclaughlin of Cambridge High School took a substantial lead with Dalton taking the win in a sprint finish.
The Palmerston North Girls’ High School team finished 13th in the under16 team time trial, fourth in the under20 race and Nga Tawa Diocesan School were 17th in the under-20 race.
In the under-16 boys road race, Michael Richmond (Boys’ High) was second and Jack Pronk (Boys’ High) was third.
Both the Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School boys and girls teams were third in the year 7 and 8 team time trial.
The Palmerston North Boys’ High School A team won the under-16 team time trial race.
Simpson Georgia from Ashhurst School was second in under-13 road race and Chenuka Rajapakse of Boys’ High won the under-14 race.
In the criterium races, Holly Mcinnes from Palmerston North Intermediate Normal was second in the under-13 grade and in the under-14 B race, Bella-rose Lloyd was second.
Arbuckle was second in the under-20 race.
Rory Trotter (Huntley School) was third in the under-13 boys B race.
In the under-15 race, Adam Francis was second and in the under-15 B Logan Hey of Boys’ High was second and schoolmate James Gardner third.
Aiden Jones from Boys’ High was second in the under-16 ride.
In the under-17 B race, Boys’ High riders Keegan Leask and Luke Scott were second and third.