Close open racing
Close racing in all divisions was a feature of the Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club Open held on Bathurst Sunday.
Top placegetters in three divisions shared the winning time and the other two races were won by 10 seconds or less.
Local riders took out four races.
Organisers say it is a huge event to run and thanked all the volunteers who helped out with the multitude of tasks.
They also thanked sponsors Spoken Cycles, Pro Pools, Waikato Sprayfinishers, The Tuck Shop and Rotorua Hunting & Fishing.
The feature A grade five lap race (130km) became a battle between Te Awamutu clubmates Alex Heaney and Hamish Bond.
Bond had a slight lead going into the final 26km lap, but Heaney took it on the line — both riders recording 3hrs 16m 43.
Logan Griffin (TA), Joshua Kuysten (Forestland), Matias Fitzwater (Hamilton) and Michael Torckler (Stratford) were third to sixth respectively just five seconds back.
B graders raced four laps, a total of 104km.
Te Awamutu riders took the top five places, with Gary Mikkelsen heading off Blair Taylor with 2.51.26 over 2.51.36.
Third was Ben Hoy (2.54.59) from Matt Douglas (2.56.54) and Logan Holzer (2.59.43).
Four C grade riders shared 2.15.20 for the three lap, 78km race.
The win went to Counties Manakau rider Benny van der Griend from Jeremy Anderson (Whakatane), Tony Fitzwater (Hamilton) and Darryn Jackson (Morrinsville).
Best Te Awamutu rider was Samuel Fraser, three seconds back.
Kate McCarthy showed the boys how to do it in the two lap, 52km D grade event — the Te Awamutu rider winning in 1.38.12 from fellow club riders Bryce Stilborn (1.38.19), Peter Quax and Mike Livingstone (both 1.38.55) and Mark Longstaff (1.39.07).
The one-lap U15 race produced another shared time of 44m 59s, with the win going to Matthew Davis over Te Awamutu clubmate Hamish Banks.
Te Awamutu’s Liam Cavanagh was third in 49.40 from Hamilton’s Reuben Fraser (55.27) and first female rider, Te Awamutu’s MacKenzie Barnett (1.01.59). Results in detail (Te Awamutu riders unless stated): A Grade: Alex Heaney, 1 (3.16.43); Hamish Bond, 2 (3.16.43); Logan Griffin, 3, (3.21.16); 9 Joshua Kuysten (Forestland), 4 (3.21.21); Matias Fitzwater (Hamilton), 5 (3.21.22); Michael Torckler (Stratford), 6 (3.21.32); James Harvey, 7 (3.22.52); Ben Hamilton (Counties Manakau), 8 (3.34.52); Burnie McGrath, 9 (3.34.52); Jack Edwards (Taupo), 10 (3.34.52).
B Grade:Gary Mikkelsen, 1 (2.51.26); Blair Taylor, 2 (2.51.36); Ben Hoy, 3 (2.54.59); Matt Douglas, 4 (2.56.54); Logan Holzer, 5 (2.59.43); Michael Black, 6 (3.00.31); Mike Henton (CM), 7 (3.00.31); Mike Davis, 8 (3.00.31); David Hogg (CM), 9 (3.00.31); Daniel Barnett, 10 (3.08.43); Tait Somervell, 11 (3.11.37); Carl Johnstone (Rotorua), 12 (3.13.05).
C Grade: Benny van der Griend (CM), 1 (2.15.50); Jeremy Anderson (Whakatane), 2 (2.15.50); Tony Fitzwater (Ham), 3 (2.15.50); Darryn Jackson (Morrinsville), 4 (2.15.50); Samuel Fraser, 5 (2.15.53); Charlie Studd, 6 (2.15.56); Andrew McKay (CM), 7 (2.16.09 ); Steven Pawley (Ham), 8 (2.16.12); Mckie Milne, 9 (2.16.14); Cameron Senior, 10 (2.16.14); Dave Rhode (CM), 11 (2.16.14); Paul Butcher, 12 (2.16.14); Allan Mark, 13 (2.16.55); Amelia Matthews (CM), 14 (2.16.55); Jay Shelgren, 15 (2.16.55); Simon Cavanagh, 16 (2.17.02); Greg Finch, 17 (2.17.20); Ian Morton, 18 (2.17.20); Neil Vanner, 19 (2.17.20); Duncan Grant, 20 (2.17.22); Graham Bunn, 21 (2.17.22); Pearse Gatley, 22 (2.19.30); Dean Crowe (Ham), 23 (2.26.44); Ross McNeil (Wanganui), 24 (2.28.01); Marc Gascoigne, 25 (2.42.23); Matt Kelly, 26 (2.44.36); Dawie Maritz, 27 (2.49.02).
D Grade: Kate McCarthy, 1 (1.38.12); Bryce Stilborn, 2 (1.38.19); Peter Quax, 3 (1.38.55); Mike Livingstone, 4 (1.38.55); Mark Longstaff ,5 (1.39.07); Marcel Te Brake, 6 (1.40.22); Robert Aldridge, 7 (1.40.22); Angela Mote, 8 (1.40.29); Lesley Vanner, 9 (1.40.40); Stuart Gudsell, 10 (1.40.40); Seb Bartley, 11 1.44.22); Tessa Jenkins (Tinwald), 12 (1. (1.50.47); Marc Thompson, 13 (1.50.47). U(15: Matthew Davis, 1 (44.59); Hamish Banks, 2 (44.59 ); Liam Cavanagh,3 (49.4 ); Reuben Fraser (Ham), 4 (55.27); MacKenzie Barnett, 5 (1.01.59); Elise Loyer, 6 (1.01.59); Georgia Mitchell, 7 (1.02.44); Aimee Sardelich, 8 (1.03.22 ); Hannah Mudgway, 9 (1.03.24 ).