Bcc Easter 40km 3Roads Handicap - Sunday, April 4, 2021
Bathurst cycling club held its Easter Handicap on the weekend over a 40km course that included the tough Quarry Hill climb at the half way point. A very motivated Rosemary Hastings was the early leader setting a solid pace from the start. She was chased by the 26min markers with both David Hyland and Cathy Adams working smoothly in the early stages making Gary Theiss (22min) task to catch the pair very difficult.
Middle Markers Darren Fenton and Aleks Krajer (off 11min) had the experience of Rob Stephen and Glen Carter in their bunch and where making ground on the leaders however the 8:30 group of Tim Roebuck, Geoff Short, Brad Rayner and top female cyclist Ella Falzarano (of the Giant Racing Team) had started fast and had them in their sights.
The backmarkers where handicapped into 4 groups lead by Ray Thorn, David Reece, Tony Shaw and promising young Orange rider Josiah Cooke off 4:30; with the 3minute group of Nic Barrett, Alexander Onus and Mark Windsor starting fast to catch them as soon as possible. Top class age grouper Jeremy Ryan had them insights from the start off 2min while course record holder Will Hodges looked to have a very tough assignment form the scratch mark.
Having won more NSW State Road Rider of the Year category awards that any other rider in Bathurst History Rosemary Hastings was proving very difficult to catch and still held a big lead at the top of quarry hill. David Hyland had broken clear of Adams on the climb and now separated the pair where battling to catch Hastings.
At the back of the field local champion Will Hodges have been held up and lost any chance of figuring in the finish however Jeremy Ryan had caught Windsor and Barrett who had also caught the 4:30 minute bunch and they were finishing very fast.
But it was the hard riding Rosemary Hastings that held on for a great victory with David Hyland taking second. Heart Break for Cathy Adams caught by the backmarkers less than 100m from the finish with Jeremy Ryan, Mark Windsor and Ella Falzarano sprinting home to round out the top 5; Dave Reece rubbing salt into the wounds catching Adams right on the finish line to take 6th place.
Former club champion Bradley Rayner, Josiah Cooke and Nic Barrett rounding out the top 10 ahead of Glen Carter Darren Fenton, Rob Stephen Tim Roebuck and Tony Shaw.
Fastest Time in the race was set by Jeremy Ryan (58min 30sec) ahead of Mark Windsor and Nic Barrett, while fastest female was the very speedy Ella Falzarano (1:05:01) from Cathy Adams and race winner Rosemary Hastings.
RESULTS – BCC Easter Handicap: 1Rosemary Hastings(33min) 2David Hyland(26min) 3Jeremy Ryan(2min) 4Mark Windsor(3min) 5Ella Falzarano(8:30) 6David Reece(4:30) 7Cathy Adams(26min) 8Bradley Rayner(8:30) 9Josiah Cooke(4:30) 10Nic Barrett(3min)
Fastest Time - 1Jeremy Ryan 58:30 2Mark Windsor 59:30 3Nic Barrett 1:00:09
Fastest Female - 1Ella Falzarano 1:05:01 2Cathy Adams 1:22:32 3Rosemary Hastings 1:28:01
E grade 24km enticer – 1Tracey Robinson 2Robyn Partridge
