• Footscray, Yarraville, Braybrook Star

9th February 2010 11:05:27 AM

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Coming home … Young gun Lachlan Doak powers on in Footscray Cycling Club’s A Grade race on Saturday while eventual winner Graham Carlson puts his head down and pushes on. 42419

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CLUB champion and perennial competitor Graham Carlson took out Footscray Cycling Club’s A Grade race on Saturday, cementing his spot as the club criterium champion for the third year running.

Carlson jumped late to steal the win in perfect racing conditions at the VUT circuit in Hoppers Crossing ahead of a strong field of riders.

An early break by Ben O’Leary, James McGuire and Jason Ryan looked promising at the start of the race, especially when Adam Murchie joined them, these attacks causing the chasers to start to split apart. The four breakaways were then joined by Carlson, Daniel Hopper, Jason Costin and Lachlan Doak, at which stage the pressure was piled on and some riders found themselves unable to keep pace.

Commissar Mark Zanatta then pulled off any riders who were lapped, leaving only six riders on the circuit to go for the coveted prize.

Murchie drove the pace relentlessly, putting most riders under immense pressure but Carlson responded and bridged the gap to Murchie and then jumped him at the hill, finishing first ahead of Murchie, with O’Leary coming in third beating out promising 16-year-old Doak.

Carlson said in his acceptance speech that it was an honour to wear the number one for the third year in a row.

A massive field of riders contested B Grade, with Rod Stormonth and just up from C Grade Miles DaCosta breaking away at the 10-minute mark and going on to trounce the field in a break that lapped the chasing peloton by the 40-minute mark.

Stormonth attacked DaCosta in the last lap to take the win with the bunch sprint being taken by James Love over Colin Morris and Les Kennet.

C Grade saw the only mass bunch sprint, with riders like David Bowering and Gary Ven Den Elsen attacking and having a go at breaking away, but all attacks were gathered up by the hard-chasing peloton; Richard Conejo taking the sprint, with less than a foot separating second to fourth; Darren Ward took second, Dennis Hobbs third and Damien Chester fourth.

In D Grade, Alex Southby took a final sprint over Chris Bailey and Graham Wilson holding third, with Fred Dagg taking the chaser’s bunch sprint.

Ross Liley took out E Grade with Sarah Raffle earning second and John Paxton taking third.

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