Footscray Cycling Club’s Thursday night criterium winner Dom Dudkiewicz. 64605
IT WAS a Melbourne Cup-like finish in Footscray Cycling Club’s A Grade criterium racing at the Victoria University track in Hopper’s Crossing on Thursday night, with Melton’s Dom Dudkiewicz taking the narrowest of wins over Steve Pilson in the bunch sprint.
The B Grade points race saw Caulfield-Carnegie rider Andrew Mapstone absolutely dominate all four sprints, earning himself a start in A Grade this week.
Mapstone said he had little time to train between family and work commitments. No doubt his B Grade competitors were glad he wasn’t any fitter.
C Grade’s race was taken by Sunbury rider Brad Ericson in fine style, earning him a berth in B Grade on Saturday, with Steve Harris taking D Grade’s sprint.
Saturday morning’s racers were greeted by blue skies and light winds, with long-time club member and local chiropractor Chris Munro throwing caution to the wind and taking a rare win in A Grade’s race with a gutsy attack on the bell lap.
The 41-year-old Williamstown resident was not sure if he would even be able to finish in A Grade, but rose to the occasion, found himself still in it at the end and took a risk on the last lap.”
That’s my first win in A for four or five years,” he said.
“I’m no great sprinter, so when I found myself second wheel with one lap to go, I gave it all I had on the hill, built up a gap and pulled it off.”
B Grade’s race saw young 16-year-old Brad Ericson make a great debut in B Grade, making an extended breakaway as well as driving on the front of the pack for most of the race.
The Year 10 Williamstown High student signalled he won’t be far off A Grade once he builds up his repertoire of strategies. I
In a hotly contested bunch sprint, 33-year-old paramedic Ben Costin showed the bunch a clean pair of heels. The Docklands resident entered the last lap as second wheel, passing the valiant Matt Wyatt in the dying last few metres of the race.
Wyatt remained strong enough to hold out the fast closing trio of Mark Micallef, Les Kennett and Drew Macdonald.
C Grade saw Richard Conejo take a strong win in a bunch sprint, with D Grade being dominated by Frank Crifo. Both riders are on their way up a grade after such strong performances.
