Cyclists pack punch
Mid-South Canterbury cyclists have punched above their weight at the age-group track nationals in Invercargill.
In events over four days that finished on Sunday, the 10-strong team returned home with 16 medals – seven golds, four silvers and six bronzes.
Heading the list were Jaxson Whyte and Jonathan Fish in the boys’ under-17 grade and Craig Domigan in the masters events.
Whyte and Fish pocketed individual golds in the points race and individual pursuit respectively and then combined to win gold again as they blew apart the madison competition on Sunday.
There was also a silver for the pair when they combined with Ferguson Sail in the 750m team sprint – beaten for gold by just 0.114 of a second – while Whyte also grabbed silvers behind Fish in the individual pursuit and the 500m time trial.
Their Sunday domination of the madison was even more remarkable when considering it was the first time Fish had competed in the complicated and often chaotic slingshot event.
They won three of the four sprints and were second in the other to win with 23 points, from Southland on 11 and Auckland.
‘‘I was not looking forward. I thought I would be taken out,’’ said Fish, who crashed out of the scratch race on the second day.
‘‘But it was great even though it was my first madison.
‘‘I knew vaguely where we were in terms of the race because Jaxson had taken out the sprints so I knew we had good points.’’
Whyte, who was riding just his third madison, said the pair went hard from the start to break up the race because of their inexperience.
The pair were also full of praise for their coaches, former Olympic track medallists, Hayden Roulston and Marc Ryan.
Meanwhile, Domigan rolled back the years, winning three golds and two bronze medals, including one gold in an event he had first won back in 2013.
‘‘Not bad for an old bloke who hasn’t been on the track all season,’’ he said.
‘‘It was pretty special to take golds in the final race of the night,’’ said Domigan who ended the championships with a medal in every individual event he entered.
The team’s other gold medal went to Hamish McDonald who won gold in the masters 1-2 15-kilometre points race.
Domigan said the amalgamation of the two clubs in Timaru has been beneficial for the development of the sport.
‘‘There is now a single focus around making better bike riders and the success here from both our junior and masters riders is a testament to the great work been done there.’’
Gold (seven): Jonathan Fish (boys’ under-17 2000m individual pursuit); Craig Domigan (masters 1 10km scratch, masters 2 3000m individual pursuit, masters 2 points race);
Jaxson Whyte (boys’ under-17 points race); Whyte and Fish (boys’ under-17 madison); Hamish McDonald (masters 1-2 15km points race).
Silver (four): Whyte (boys’ under-17 2000m individual pursuit, boys’ under-17 500m time trial); Andy Hilton (masters 2 3000m individual pursuit); Ferguson Sail, Fish and Whyte (boys’ under-17 750m team sprint).
Bronze (five): McDonald (masters 3 750m time trial); Domigan (masters 2 750m time trial; masters 1 keirin; masters 1-2 points race); Hilton (masters 1 points race); Noah Hollamby (boys’ under-15 derby).