THE opening race of Footscray Cycling Club’s summer criterium season took place in perfect racing conditions at the VUT track in Hoppers Crossing on Saturday with riders keen to start the season on a positive note.
Sparky Steve Pilson was a shock winner of the A grade race after a less-than-ideal build-up to the new season.
“I didn’t expect to go so well as I haven’t had the chance to train as much as I usually would due to work,” he said.
After a slow start, the bunch was put under pressure when a break was formed by Josh Zammit and Miles Da Costa. Pilson saw it as his time to make a move.
“There were three of us for a while and then two more came across. For the rest of the race we all just swapped off and worked well together.”
Pilson narrowly held off the fast-finishing Tim Kirkham, who took second from third place Wettenhall.
In B grade, Mark Micallef extended his run of good form from the end of the road season into the criterium, with the narrowest of wins in a tightly contested sprint.
Commissaire Mark Zanatta had to go to the video footage before giving Micallef the nod by the slimmest of margins over Shannon, with Craig Robertson claiming third.
St Kilda rider Chris Anderson took out the C grade race from Tony Murrell and Chris Mitrovski, while newcomer Igor Tesic saluted in D grade ahead of Alex Peters and Eiffel Tolentino.
