Marriott finishes Cycling Season in Style
Kristine Marriott has ridden herself into a rich vein of form in the recent weeks and reaped the rewards, securing victory and lifting the Ashburton Trust, Mid Canterbury Cycling Championship title on Saturday.
The Tinwald Cycling Clubs final event of the season saw a good field contest the 80km handicap event around the Wakanui Beach block in hot, challenging conditions with the temperature tipping 30 degrees.
Having secured fourth place in her maiden appearance in the Calder Stewart Elite racing series against some of the country’s best women road cyclist earlier in the month, Marriott rounded out the season strongly, winning a bunch sprint to claim the coveted championship title, and also lifted the open women’s fastest time ribbon.
Doug Lowry’s powerful late charge to the line was agonising close to victory but he deservedly secured the second place spoils.
Paul Macfie produced his strongest race of the season, driving his bunch to the front of the race in the concluding stages and kicked on in the charge to the line to take the final podium position.
The evergreen Neil Wylie claimed fourth place spoils with Dave Knight in the thick of the finish taking fifth place.
Emma Smith secured sixth place and claimed the under 19 women’s fastest time ribbon.
Back in the field a competitive race was developing too see you would claim overall fastest time honours.
Local rider, Steve Hands had the final say jumping early in the sprint to the line and holding out visiting riders Darrell Kircher, Stu Lowe and Craig Domigan to secure overall fastest time honours.
Hands rode the course in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 48 seconds.
Kircher and Domigan didn’t go home empty handed securing veteran 2 and veteran 1 time honours respectively.
Robert Campfens secured veteran 3 time ribbon with long time club stalwart Dave Shurrock taking the veteran 4 time honours.
Nathan Tew and Ben Sutton dug deep to find the finish line and lift the under 23 and under 19 men’s ribbons.
Mary Jones put her recent star performances in Australia to good use claiming the women’s veteran 3 time ribbon.
The juniors also battled hard over 16km in search of Mid Canterbury titles.
Luke Skinner backed up his recent good form with a top ride, making a solo breaking late in the race and holding out the chasing riders to secure victory.
Oliver Davidson is another to hit form at the right time, charging though the field to take the second place spoils in a spirited sprint finish, edging his sister Connie Davidson into third place on the line.
Maddi Lowry was in the thick of the finish in fourth place with Caitlin Titheridge and Dylan Leech rounding out the top six.
Scratch marker Bailey O’Donnell secured the overall fastest time honours riding the distance in 24.47.
Jessie Banks produced a good ride to take the girls fastest time honours.
Abe O’Donnell and Caitlin Titheridge were rewarded for their hard work over the season lifting the under 15 boys and girls time ribbons.
Division 2 spoils went to Brian Ellis who claimed the win and fastest time from the ever consistent Janette Hooper. Andy Skinner was right on their tail in third.