Haden keeps the Sharrock Cup

Glenn Haden climbs Goat Valley Hill with 7km left until he retained his Sharrock Family Cup for 2017.

On Saturday the Wanganui Cycling Club held the prestigious Sharrock Family Cup handicap race over 70km to Waverley out and back.

This was run in conjunction with the O'Brien Cup, which is raced to Maxwell and back over 34km.

The Sharrock Cup, first contested in 1964, is probably the hardest cup trophy race of the season, incorporating ten arduous hills.

In hot, humid, and windy conditions, 17 riders faced the start at St Oswalds church.

Limit riders were first away in Kerry Bennett, Johnny Black, Ross McNeill, Brian Haywood and Ashley Christie, while being followed ten minutes later by Stephen Brandon, Kevin Hart, Stephen Snell, Darcy Forrester and Chris Pinkney.

It was another ten minutes to Bevan Cheatley, Shanan Whitlock, Shane Pointon, Kyle Hoskin and Brent Bismark racing off.

Finally, another eight minutes behind were back markers Glenn Haden and Brendon Sharratt – giving the front group a mammoth twenty-eight minute start.

The front group, with Christie and McNeil putting in strong turns, had a handy lead at the turn in Waverley.

On the return journey at Waitotara, Black broke away on the uphill, staying clear until the Maxwell pool when he was gathered in by Hart and Brandon before being dropped on the climb towards Kai Iwi.

Hart had a handy lead off the top of Goat Valley hill, desperately trying to keep Haden out of reach.

Hart's ride would be one of the most aggressive rides of the day, while Haden had cleared out from Sharratt just before Waverley on the return journey.

He motored through the field with only Hart and Bismark staying with him, as he was overtaking them.

Hoskin showed how talented he is by competing with the more experienced riders.

Four riders succumbed to the conditions on the day.

At the finish it was Haden, also the 2016 winner, who made it two in a row with a narrow win over Bismark with Hart holding on for third.

The O'Brien Cup had seven starters with Laurence Sunde, Marty Hewson and Laurika Hazelhurst first away, with Hazelhurst making it hard for herself by missing her start time and riding hard to catch Sunde and Hewson.

Ten minutes later, Greg Baker, Allan Luff, and Tim Chambers started, while Finnegan Murphy, the youngest rider was the back marker, was two minutes behind.

With Sunde and Hazelhurst breaking away from Hewson, they made the most of their handicap.

They managed to stay clear of the fast finishing Murphy, with Sunde winning from Hazelhurst, but recording the same time, while Murphy was third after having an excellent ride.

Results

Sharrock Cup: 1. Haden 2:23.42; 2. Bismark 2:23.42; 3. Hart 2:23.51. Fastest Times: 1. Haden 1:55.42; 2. Bismark 2:03.42; 3. Shanan Whitlock 2:04.53.

O'Brien Cup: 1. Sunde 1:13.14; 2. Hazelhurst 1:13.14; 3. Murphy 1:15.57. Fastest Times: 1. Murphy 1:05.57; 2. Chambers 1:08.35; 3=. Sunde, Hazelhurst 1:13.14.