Day for front markers in club cycling

CYCLING: It was a good day for the front-markers in the Wanganui Cycling Club's A and B grade handicap races on Saturday, with Andrew Richardson grabbing the prize.
Numbers were down on the usual, with 16 seniors lining up in the main race, for a hilly 66km over three laps of the Watt-Livingstone Road-Kai Iwi Beach circuit. First away were Barb Carson and Andrew Richardson , with a four-minute gap to Murry McDonald and a further 19 minutes to a group of six, who set off one minute ahead of the four-strong break group. Scratch men Dayle Cheatley, Doug Bennett and Jason Sturzaker were last to leave, though Sturzaker pulled out later in the piece.
After a lap and a half, three of the break riders, Brie Gudsell, John Black and Aussie visitor Graham Crockett, linked up with the five survivors of the second break bunch, and this larger group established a steady tempo , with Geoff Springer in particular doing some strong work on the front.
On the climb out of Mowhanau Beach, Bennett and Cheatley, having worked hard to close down the three- minute deficit to the break riders, joined the fray.
With Cheatley happy to stay with the bunch in his first road race after last month's track nationals, it was left to Bennett to do the lion's share of the pace-making as the combined group steadily ate into the lead of the three front markers.
The hills on the final lap whittled the chasers down to a select group of five riders, comprising Bennett, Cheatley, Springer, Gudsell and John Black. While Murry MacDonald had been the first of the front three caught, the two leaders had flown the coop, Andrew Richardson proving a little too strong for Barb Carson, and drawing away to claim victory by 27seconds at the Westmere School finish. Despite the inroads made by the pursuing bunch, the first two remained clear by over 3 minutes. Doug Bennett turned in a strong ride for third (fastest time), with John Black crossing fourth, Brie Gudsell fifth, Geoff Springer sixth and Cheatley content to finish with the group in seventh placing.
Only three riders fronted for the 25km combined U17 and B grade race, and it was newly-elected club captain Alison Richards off the front mark who rode strongly to stay clear in the lead and take the win.
Richards kept youngster Suzanne Guilford, who chased gamely, at bay by an ever-decreasing 20sec margin. Raymi Hurtado-Stuart off scratch was unable to overcome his handicap, but easily clocked the day's fastest time in finishing third.
In the 16km out and back novices race, Jonathon Anderson, nephew of Olympic medallist Gary Anderson, showed he has inherited some of the family ability by prevailing in a sprint finish over Ricky O'Halloran in second. Ten seconds in arrears Mathew Collingwood crossed the line in third place, with Natalie Kerwin fourth, Sam Bennett fifth and scratch rider Duncan Appleton sixth home.
Results:
A grade: Andrew Richardson 1, Barb Carson 2, Doug Bennett 3 (fastest time 1:56:29).
B grade: Alison Richards 1, Suzanne Guilford 2, Raymi Hurtado-Stuart 3 (fastest time 41:43).
Novices: Jonathon Anderson 1 (fastest time 31:16), Ricky O'Halloran 2, Mathew Collingwood 3.