HELD each January to honour the Footscray Cycling Club’s three legends, Hugh Cram, Harry Jones and Frank Zanatta, the annual Club Legends Criteriums were held in perfect racing conditions at the V.U.T. track in Hoppers Crossing at the weekend.
The club’s history spans more than 110 years, so the fact only three members have been elevated to ‘legend’ status in all that time makes it clear the honour has to be earned.
Zanatta, or ‘Digger’ as he’s known, the club’s only living legend, was on hand to present the winners’ medals.
Joining the club in 1955 and successfully racing at the elite level for four decades, including completing a staggering 34 Melbourne to Warrnambool races and then going on to serve the club as a volunteer for the next two decades, Zanatta garnered a hard-earned respect from the club’s many members with his quiet service to cycling in the west.
It was no surprise that A grade winner and in-form rider of the season, Dom Dudkiewicz, saw this as a “must win” race.
The early high pace saw rider after rider shelled, with nine riders staying in the front group and Dudkiewicz leading the pace-making.
With five laps to go, Paul Anders and Ben O’Leary tried to rattle Dudkiewicz’s cage.
“Paul and Ben were having a go and trying the old one-two, but I kept it together,” Dudkiewicz said.
In the final sprint, he barely held off a hard-charging Shaun Gatter.
