CYCLING: Wanganui road cyclist Catherine Sell took her first national road race title on Saturday by producing a stunning solo ride which the rest of the field could do nothing about.
Sell, never one to be afraid of going up the road on her own, became upset at the slow pace in the women's event near Hokitika and took off with seven kilometres to go because she realised the field's best sprinters were still in the bunch.
She soon created a gap of no more than 150 metres, had some worries when the bunch started chasing ? but then, oddly enough, members of the bunch started looking at each other and waiting for someone else to do the work.
Sell, being the sensible person she is, became aware of this and kept going ? and won by 20 seconds over the 125km journey.
Sell's win was the best result for a hard-working group of Wanganui cyclists at the national championships, but Dayle Cheatley recorded a top 10 in the men's senior race yesterday and earlier Jamie Richards had thirds in both the under-15 boys' road race and time-trial and Pat Johnstone had an outstanding second to John Alabaster in the men's veterans' four road race. There were several other placings in the top half of the fields as well, from Brei Gudsell, Suzanne Guilford and Ben McKinnon.
Sell was part of a break bunch of 11, which included race favourite Nadine Boyle (Wellington), Johanna Buick (Hornby) and also national sprint champion Katri Lake (Otago). It was Lake's presence which forced a mid-race change of tactics from the Wanganui rider.
"I attacked on the hill a bit, but had then decided to sit in and wait for the sprint, because I'm usually a pretty good sprinter," Sell said.
"But then I realised Katri Lake was still in the bunch and so were a couple of Cantabrians who are pretty good, so I didn't fancy myself as much there. So I thought that if I want to win I'm going to have to do something different."
That was making the break. The pace hadn't been strong, so Sell ? a fine pursuiter ? took off and created the 150m gap.
"I just went as hard as I could and got a gap," Sell said. "The bunch started chasing, they caught up a little bit - but then they started looking at each other and I managed to keep the gap."
It was the old story in a boike race ? who was going to take the bunch up, and probably become a non-event in the sprint as a result?
Sell took her chance, kept going, and is now national champion.
Stunning ride by Sell
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