61st Frank Long

On Saturday May the 7th the 61st Frank Long was held at Hamilton on the "new Port Fairy road course"
Over 60 riders started the event with the handicapper Stephen Lennigan Giving Limit a 16 minute start on Scratch.
The Field was divided into 9 bunches by the handicapper, all of the bunches rode well, only 2 riders did not finish the event.
Limit rode well enough to stay away from second limit till the half way mark, at this stage Scratch had already picked up second scratch forming bunch of 14 riders.
The middle markers mostly stayed apart until the last 10 km of the event where the 7 minute bunch caught the 9 & a half minute bunch and the 11 & a half minute bunch.
this bunch of middlemarkers had the out markers well and truly in their sights and the back markers now with just under 30 riders in their bunch ahd the middle markers within reach as well.
I what turned out to an exciting finish the 4 remaining outmarkers were able to hold off the rest of the field by just on 20 seconds to take line honours.
Michael Krybolder taking first Place followed by a hard working Kate Winnen in Second place. 17 year old darcey Woolley once again showed his strength by taking fastest time and coming over the line in 5th place as well indicating how well the event was handicapped.
Coming up to the finish line two motor vehicles were blocked between the two large chasing bunches holding back the scratch bunch considerably.

Final placings
1st Michael Krybolder Camperdown
2nd Kate Winnen Port Fairy
3rd Anne Hocking Warrnmbool
4th Shannon Malseed Hamilton
5th Darcey Wooley Port Fairy
6th Luke Aggett Port Fairy
7th Mark Winnen Port Fairy
8th Ash Hawker Horsham
9th Matt Lane Warrnambool
10th Dylan Lindsay Portland

The Next event the Casterton 40, one of the hardest envents in the South West series will perhaps favour the scratchmen so it will be interesting to see if they can consolidate their positions on the top of the Points table or iff Matt Lane from warrnambool can hold them off to keep his position on the top of the table.
Kate Winnem from Port Fairy has a good hold on the Womans leaders position and also is within reach out the top place outright as well, being an "outmarker" it will be interesting to see how things shape up after the casterton 40 and through out the rest ofthe South West Series.
The full points table is viewable by clicking the Comments Tab below

Hamilton to Port Fairy

On Saturday the 30th of april 52 riders turned out for the Hamilton to Port Fairy hosted by the Port Fairy Cycling Club.
The Handicapper divided the field into 5 large bunches with two smaller bunches as outmarkers.
Conditions were showery with a slight tail wind.

The 3rd scratch bunch rode well enough early to pick up 4th scratch at the half way mark, this large bunch containing over 20 riders inevitably picked up the outmarkers and also held off the scratch and second scratch bunches.

Last years winner Paul Nolte took the hotly contested sprint with a very large bunch hitting the finishline at the same time. Making a hard task for the finish judges.

1st Paul Nolte Ptl
2nd Mark Schouller Cpd
3rd Geoff Verhoeff Ptl
4th Darryl Patzel Mtg
5th Rod Hetherington Ptl?
6th Dylan Lindsay Ptl
7th Niel Duncan Ptf
8th Peter Murphy Wrn
9th Chriss Carr Wrn
10th James Okeefe wrn

Fastest time at 1.44.23 went to Glen Schouller Cpd.

For the updated Banks Thargo South West Series Points table click on comments below.