FOOTSCRAY Cycling Club took its revenge on Geelong in the hills to dominate stage one of the seventh annual Challenge Cup.
Geelong will need to pull a rabbit out of a hat in the series’ second race for it to claim the cup at the She Oaks in a month’s time. The clubs have each won the cup three times.
A chilly southerly, a demanding series of climbs and a wild and fast descent made for challenging racing at the weekend..
Footscray’s road champion Dom Dudkiewicz dominated A grade.
With a killer climb and a stomach-churning descent, it was not long before the peloton was broken up.
Dudkiewicz and teammate Adam Trewing were in it for the long haul, but Dudkiewicz prevailed in a long and drawn-out sprint.
Geelong’s George Vallins was third.
In B grade, a strong bunch of riders set out on the first lap, only to see numbers drop lap after lap.
Aaron Murray won ahead of Footscray’s Geoff Robertson and Scott McDonald.
C grade winner Jake Belsar flew the Geelong flag, beating Footscray riders Igor Tesic and Michael Dam.
Adrian Janiszewski won D grade, beating David Lane and Peter Bloink.
