Cheatley sprints to competent win

Bevan Cheatley picked up yet another cycling victory for the family name last Saturday. Photo/Supplied

While the major attention this week is focused on the upcoming International Night of the Stars at the Velodrome tomorrow night, the road racing season is still in full swing.

It was a case of another weekend and another win for top local rider Bevan Cheatley, who scored a comfortable victory in Saturday's combined A-B grade 42km handicapped Wanganui Cycling Club race.

Cheatley is, of course, the son of Night of the Stars organiser Ron Cheatley and the older brother of Dale Cheatley, the national track team coach who is bringing a number of his squad to town for the racing this weekend.

Thirty riders fronted up at Toro St on Durie hill to race out beyond Fordell to the top of Reid's hill, and back with a deviation down Warrengate Rd on the return journey.

The B-grade contingent were first to leave the starter's hands, with Rob Manson and Erwin Scott in particular showing good form they set a steady pace into the wind on the outward leg.

These two, along with Ricky Symes and Wayne McGrail, had managed to cling to a slender lead as they turned off Warrengate Rd on to No2 Line on the way back.

Behind them, Cheatley and his fellow scratch riders had managed to chase down the two groups immediately ahead of them before getting back to Fordell their job having been made slightly harder by the loss of Jason Sturzaker with a puncture shortly after the turnaround.

With Pat Johnston, Adrian Pettit, Boas Darby and Cheatley driving the newly combined bunch, they rapidly made ground on the leaders on the first half of the trip down Warrengate.

Ramping it up even further in the crosswind on the way back, they successfully thinned out the chase group as a number of riders unable to hold the pace were dropped.

Shortly after the turn off Warrengate Rd, Cheatley and company had the four leaders in their sights and swamped them quickly.

With a tailwind home, the pace remained high and as the race wore on Clint Black, Phil Groves, Richard Stanton and Steve Cowan were also weighing in with some strong work.

A few more riders fell victim to the increased speed, eventually leaving a lead group of 12 to contest the bunch finish.

In the home straight, however, it was Cheatley who easily mastered his rivals sprinting clear to win by a comfortable bike length from Darby. Darby, who is still at secondary school, is coached by Cheatley and is showing real promise, although he has yet to turn the tables on his mentor.

Cowan produced a good finish to cross in third place, just in front of the improving Stanton, who is back home after a lot of time working in China last year.

Paul Forrest produced a good finish to take fifth, heading off Pettit, who was home sixth after his usual workmanlike effort.

Symes finished in the second bunch home, just beating Erwin Scott to the line to take the B-grade honours.

In the 35km C-grade race, out to the top of Reid's hill and back, new rider Sandro Kuehne streaked away for a solo victory.

Kuehne was clear by 1m 14s from youngster Damien Hussey, who in turn was well clear of Steve Carle in third place.

Ex-triathlete Eion Frederickson battled on well for fourth, with Mike Donoghue coming in after a gap in fifth spot.

Veteran Jim Callaghan rounded out the top six with a solid effort.