Invercargill cyclist Hayden Rankin took line honours in the Cycling Southland Memorial Classic on Saturday afternoon.
Raced in cool and windy conditions, the handicapped event attracted a field of 30 riders and was raced over the Invercargill-Waimahaka-Seaward Downs-Gorge Road course. The front two bunches came together at Gorge Road on the outward leg and Kerry Russell took out the Letterbox Hill climb from Erin Criglington. The scratch bunch, ably led by Matt Zenovich, was making steady progress in their endeavours to chase down the front groups and following the Letterbox Hill, Zenovich turned on the power to commence his solo attack.
Coming through Gorge Road on the return journey to the Invercargill finish, the front group continued to work together well with Rankin, Richard Pascoe and Gene Marsh leading the charge. Rankin took out the second hill climb at Gorge Road and into the finish line in McQuarrie Street, he held on gamely to outsprint Pascoe with Marsh and Russell filling third and fourth places respectively. Rankin’s winning time was 2 hours 53 minutes 7 seconds.
Lone scratch rider, Zenovich produced a typical powerhouse ride to take fastest time and fifth place overall in the 102km event with a time of 2 hours 32 minutes 07 seconds.
Results:
1 Hayden Rankin Time: 2 hours 53 minutes 07 seconds
2 Richard Pascoe
3 Gene Marsh
4 Kerry Russell
5 Matt Zenovich
6 Dave Beadle
Fastest time:
Matt Zenovich Time: 2 hours 32 minutes 07 seconds
First Woman:
Emily Paterson Time: 3 hours 12 minutes 15 seconds
Trophies:
Murray McLeay Trophy: Hayden Rankin
Bunty Hewitt Trophy: Dave Beadle
Martin Verbeek Trophy: Kerry Russell
L.K Wilson Trophy: Matt Zenovich
Curtis Dunn Memorial Mystery Handicap Race Results
Special thanks to Allan Dunn for the support of this race for the last 35 years and a good reminder to all juniors riders to ride safe out there on the road. Some of New Zealand’s biggest names in cycling have been on these trophies as juniors winners in previous years, so big congrats to all the winners today.
Under 13 Winner - Jack McLeod
2nd - Kayne Borrie
3rd - Oliver Borrie
Under 15 Winner - Ronan Shearing
2nd - Reuben Heslip
3rd - Marshall Elwood
Under 17 Winner - Morgan Borrie
2nd - Hunter Gough
3rd - Navarh Brotherston
Fastest Time - Navarh Brotherston