Cycling: Geelong A-graders make a clean sweep over Footscray in Challenge Cup race

Footscray and Geelong cycling clubs’ members ventured out to chilly Meredith for the second race in a two-race series for the eighth annual Challenge Cup on Saturday.

A little rain made the hilly circuit, especially the fast, tight descent into Steiglitz, such a challenge that many riders did not make it to the finish.

As in race one, only a few A-Graders turned up In contrast to race one’s Footscray cleanup, the A-grade race turned into a Geelong whitewash, with Geelong resident and noted gun bike mechanic Chris Fry taking the win from fellow Geelong rider Tony Mirabella.

Fry, 31, has a strong cycling pedigree; he spent two years working as a mechanic for Pro teams HTC Highroad and Garmin, working under noted Australian rider and team manager Allan Peiper.

Fry had a clear plan for the afternoon’s race. ‘‘At Steiglitz, I went pretty hard and pretty soon there was only Mark Kelly with me and we rode together for the next lap,’’ he said.  ‘‘Neither of us were feeling great so we didn’t really attack each other and we just left it to the final sprint.’’

Fry sprinted clear of Kelly in second by about 20 meters.

In the B-grade race, 22-year-old Newtown resident Tim St Quentin took a strong win to continue Geelong’s lucky run.

 ‘‘The first lap was incredibly difficult; I actually got dropped for a moment,’’ he said.

‘‘On the last lap I attacked from the top corner after the Steiglitz climb and got a 20-second lead; thankfully no one managed to catch up to me and I held on.’’

St Quentin finished well clear of second-placed Tony Mirabella and third-placed Paul Aulakh.

C-grade winner Paul Rettke has the rare distinction of being one of only a few riders to have been members of both Geelong and Footscray; the 58-year-old Geelong resident and music teacher taking the win for Footscray.

‘‘I felt good today; eight of us broke away from the bunch and we worked really well together. I thought when the rain started that it was really going to set in and become horrendous but it soon stopped and we got on with it,’’ Rettke said.

‘‘Phil Tehan broke away as per ‘the plan’ and the two Geelong guys chased him down, then Mark Micallef went and with 250 to go I went and got the win.’’

Rettke held off Geelong rider Daniel Hall in second and Footscray hardman Paul Downes in third.

D-drade saw Paul Beasley hold on to C for the longest, riding a solo race to win ahead of Dennis Hobbs and Peter Bloink. 

A: 1^st Chris Fry, 2^nd Mark Kelly.

B: 1^st Tim St Quentin, 2^nd Tony Mirabella, 3^rd Paul Aulakh, 4^th Lincoln Stolz. 

C: 1^st Paul Rettke, 2^nd Daniel Hall, 3^rd Paul Downes, 4^th Mark Micallef, 5^th Steve Firman.

D: 1^st Paul Beasley, 2^nd Dennis Hobbs, 3^rd Peter Bloink.