Kuysten wins on Puahue cricuit
Big fields compete
Josh Kuysten improved three placings to win week three of the Spoken Cycles Winter Series races at Puahue run by Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club.
Kuysten, from the Forestland Club in Tokoroa, covered the three laps of the Puahue, Parklands, Chamberlain, Long roads circuit in 1.08.16, heading the A grade field by one second from minor placegetters Josh Lane and Finn Fisher-Black.
Last week’s winner at Goodwood, Olympian Dylan Kennett finished fourth in the same time as Lane.
A field of 48 B graders necessitated organisers to divide them into two (even and odd) groups for safety reasons.
Rising star Jack Carswell sprinted home Danyon Inwood and the third placed past club president Russell Mudgway to take out the ‘even group’ race in 1.16.14.
The trio held off a 13-strong chasing pack by three seconds.
Reuben Webster has made a perfect start to the series winning for the second week running, taking out the B grade ‘odd group’ race by three seconds from Ally Wollaston, Tony Owsley and world class sprinter Eddie Dawkins.
The C grade was also split into two groups after 50 riders registered to race.
Olivia King pipped Julian Parkinson in a sprint finish to the ‘even group’ race, stopping the clock at 1.19.59.
Claudia Vanner claimed third spot, outsprinting the six-strong chasing group in 1.20.02 that included former nationally ranked age group breaststroke swimmer Ben Stilborn.
Andrew Richards outlasted the ‘odd group’ in C grade, winning by six seconds in 1.20.35, from Glen Crompton, Jeremy Wackrow and Trevor Foley who finished in that order.
Richard Dams rode clear to win D grade by three seconds in 1.28.33, chased by a 13-strong group who were all credited with the same time of 1.28.36. Nicola Lewis finished second and Nicole Murray third.
Murray recently won a silver medal in the 3km individual pursuit at the 2018 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
E graders covered two laps of the circuit.
Reuben Ngapo won for the second week running in 1.03.01, putting six seconds on the minor placegetters Harrison Shaw and David Graham.
The sealed handicap race for those in the under 15 age group was won by Jacob D’ath off nine minutes, from Lucas Bivmy and Joshua Rowe off six minutes. Their respective times were 37.13, 34.22, 34.24.
It was another busy morning at registration with 180 riders signing on.
Conditions were chilly but the predicted rain never really eventuated.
The barbecue was a hit once again supporting the club’s New Zealand representatives McKenzie Milne, George Jackson, Ally Wollaston and Jarred Treymane in their fundraising efforts to compete in the UCI Under-19 Track World Championships to be held in Aigle, Switzerland from August 15-19.
As part of the 14-strong New Zealand team’s preparation they will have a number of camps at the Cycling New Zealand High Performance centre at the Avantidrome in Cambridge. The majority of these remaining camps will be held in July.
Next Sunday’s club race on the McGregor Road circuit will be based at the Ngahinapouri School.