HOPPERS Crossing resident Ben O’Leary made a welcome return to racing to take out Footscray Cycling Club’s A Grade criterium on Saturday.
Riders including Richard Jeremiah, Steve DalGallo and Matt Heath attempted breakaways, but the light conditions meant they were reeled in with relative ease – so easily in fact that the bunch began to feel that any break could be brought back.
With 10 minutes to go, breakaway specialist and powerhouse Darren Henneken rode off the front, and 34-year-old truck driver O’Leary followed.
The bunch must have felt that they needn’t hurry to reel the pair in, so Henneken and O’Leary gained a 300m lead.
Neither thought they would last 10 minutes, but they did, with O’Leary and Henneken finishing first and second just ahead of the fast chasing bunch, headed by gun sprinters Matt Health and Dom Dudkiewicz who crossed 50m behind for third and fourth.
Regular B-Grade rider Les Kennet took his second win in a row with a strong sprint that earned him a permanent push up to A Grade.
The race started with a series of strong attacks from Jason and Alex Southby, Jake Bailey and Mal Wyatt that left riders on the limit from the start, and it was a tired bunch that rolled into the final three laps. Kennett came in to the last lap about seventh wheel.
“Coming around the last corner there was a slight gap and I took it and got through,” he said.
“With two wins in a row earning him a berth in A Grade, the 48-year-old carpenter will have his second stint in the top grade 12 years after his first. In a tight sprint behind, young Jake Bailey just held off Jason Southby for second.
C Grade rider Andrew Galliano sprinted strongly to take the bunch sprint in convincing style, well clear of Simon Perryman and Joe Caruana, and in a similar fashion young Steven Liley also took D Grade’s sprint convincingly, signalling his intention to start moving up the ranks.
