With the MTB brigade competing successfully in Tassie, 15 riders turned up at a deteriorating TEC to continue the season Crit competion.

C Grade welcomed Neville Burton and his daughter, Grace, for their first taste of senior racing and they started out on their allotted 30mins plus 2 with Bernie, Jacqui, Donella and Laura. Annette took one of the club bikes to keep Grace company and the pair rolled around for 15 minutes, keeping the C bunch pretty much in sight, occasionally being joined by Donella. Neville enjoyed the first 15 mins or so and then the experienced trio upped the pace especially up the hill and he went into a pattern of being dropped-getting back-on four times before the elastic band finally snapped. Bernie attacked at the bottom of the final hill ascent and powered away for a good win, followed over the line by Laura and Jacqui.

Phil Tutt, Phil Thomas, Swanny, Bryn Griffiths, Clint Bourke and Chris Belson were joined by Jo Wauch trying to test her legs and also had John Scott Hamilton sitting on the back, still recovering from long COVID (advice: don’t get it!). The A Grade pair of Houlty and Brenno gave the B group half a lap and agreed to join them once (if) they caught up. This happened after only 10 mins, so an enlarged B bunch kept circling around. Jo kept getting dropped every timeone of the two As went to the front but valiantly always ought her way back. The constant pace proved too much for usual B-strong-men Clint and Bryn and they dropped out before the sprint laps. Swanny just pipped Chris B over the line with Phil Thomas completing the podium a few seconds behind the pair.

Thanks to Wilf for running the race and providing the race report – see you next week!