Dominic Dudkiewicz’s stranglehold over the Footscray Cycling Club’s Form700 Super Series continued at Drake Boulevard on Saturday.
Dudkiewicz made two podiums from two races to take a seemingly unassailable lead in the A-grade section.
He worked hard to establish a break, but the peloton was up to the task of chasing him down.
“I tried to get a few guys up the road, but each time I did the bunch just slowly reeled me in,” he said.
“It was like they were trying a new tactic and it was harder for me.”
With a few laps to go, Miles DaCosta rolled the dice on a solo break and built a strong lead over the peloton.
The pain was inscribed on his face as he fought to hold the bunch off, with the crowds cheering him on.
DaCosta was the first to appear at the bottom of the finishing straight, with the bunch chasing madly behind. With just metres to go, he was overwhelmed by the sprinters at the head of the pack and had to settle for fifth.
Dudkiewicz timed his sprint to perfection to win from Matt Heath and Jason Costin and is virtually assured of the title from here, taking away maximum points for the second week in a row – his 15th A-grade win in succession.
In B-grade, several riders attacked the bunch early on and, with the likes of David Newett trying extended solo breakaways, it was little wonder that several riders were dropped.
The ensuing sprint was taken by Johann Birk, giving him a valuable lead over the grade in the four-race series.
Other winners were Rob Looby (C-grade), who overcame threats from Mark Micallef and Andrew Leighton, and Jason Hobbs (D-grade), who beat Dennis Tito and Jay Dixon in a sprint finish.
