KINGSCLIFF’S Graham Rankin showed the benefit of some extended running training and dietary discipline by winning A Grade at last Sunday’s Tweed Valley Mountain Bike Riders event at Kynnumboon.
Heightened fitness from his preparations for an upcoming running half marathon enabled Rankin to capitalise on his already demonstrated bike handling skills and finish Sunday’s 30km race in two hours, one minute and 58 seconds.
Rankin finished strongly chasing down club president Redmond Webster in the penultimate lap steaming ahead to win by two and a half minutes. Webster also displayed renewed fitness to charge away from the start and cling firmly to second position at the end of the tight and twisty race.
Dallis Park resident Tony Hall was on track for a top-three position, showing spectacular speed on the single-track sections, until a rock sliced his rear tyre and he had to retire.
Sole A Grade female competitor Maggie Synge crossed the line in fifth overall, holding very consistent lap times to be just three-minutes outside the top-three placings.
Tim Marsh of Casuarina making his first appearance with the club finished first in B Grade, completing the 20km course in one hour, 30 minutes and four seconds. He crossed the finish line only a minute ahead of Bernard Thomas in second and a further minute in front of third-placed Daniel McLennan.
Then came the highly consistent Liz Hughes, to be first B Grade woman home, ahead of Ballina’s Geoffrey Parry, Hayley Scott, Sarah Rippon and Michael Brooks.
Rippon and Brooks didn’t show too many ill-effects from spending most of the previous day preparing the track.
Round two of the series will be held on 27 October.
For further information phone 0414 657 672.
