Notes | Cobram Barooga Cycling Club

He entered B-grade and soon showed his superiority by riding away from the group.

Craig Sloper, a comparative novice was elevated into A-grade for the first time. Showing great form at Cobram and Echuca events lately, he was very keen to try himself out against the top riders.

He was not daunted by the promotion to the higher level and finished in the group.

Nick Torney, a regular at Cobram, also entered A-grade. He rode very strongly and it was possibly his best ride during the series.

Nathalia's Byron Woods, 20, was the favourite to take out A-grade for the second time, as he had won the previous stage. Could he do it again against strong opposition, including former Olympian Steven Fairless and national champion Liam Edwards, with Stanley Thomas the winner of the first stage also in the group?

Coming into the straight and with a great finishing burst he relegated the "old man of the sport", Fairless, 58, into second place, with a narrow margin to Edwards in third. What a great inspiration is Fairless, who at the age when most athletes are retired, can still mix it with the younger brigade.

The winning margin was about six lengths and Woods showed that he "the pocket rocket" can now sprint with the best of them, reaching more than 71 km an hour, assisted by a strong tail wind.

Tocumwal's Matthew Petersen, a former winner of the George Goodwin Memorial event at Barooga, also competed in B-grade without success, after a long layoff.

Yarrawonga's Murray Crawford took out the intermediate sprint in B-grade, while Edwards showed that he also could sprint by taking the intermediate sprint prize in A-grade.

The B placings were: Archie Davis (first), Sam Merrylees (second), Murray Crawford (third).

Time trial specialist Myles Higgins and Archie's father Nick also competed in B-grade without success.

- Arthur German

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