RCCC Round 2
Well here we are in December, Christmas is DAYS away and today we were treated to an early present. WA’s very own Jess Allen (Women’s World Tour rider for Mitchelton-Scott) was back in town to chaperone and offer some tips during the racing for our young junior superstars.
Jess’ presence ensured it was another cracking turnout for our junior A and B categories. Junior B grade had eight starters whilst Junior A had seven! Some of those racing for the first time were taking advantage of AusCycling’s four week free trial racing membership (linked below).
Junior B sprint finish
Junior B - 10 mins + 2 laps
Junior B grade began with eight riders on the start line. Round 1 winner Hamish McGilllivray moved up to Junior A grade this week, which meant there was no "marked” rider to look out for. The ability between the group of eight was fairly even as the race began. For the majority of the race the bunch stayed together. Young BMX machine, Annabel Atkinson, worked very hard after being distanced. As did Archie Smith, who suffered a mechanical and had to chase hard. He may have been sporting the local Bike Dr kit, but he had Jess Allen to thank, who sorted his bike out and helped him chase back to the bunch - how’s that for service!
As the group shrunk to four, the two Thompson brothers (AKA Z-Boys) fired off attacks in the back end of the race, but could not shake X-Speed’s Hunter Murphy or Midland’s Casey Berthelsen. It seemed none of the riders left in the group had the staying power to get away and were happy to battle it out in a four-up sprint.
As they came around the final corner, it was Zeb Thompson who opened up first with a powerful turn of speed however, Casey Berthelsen was looming only a few lengths back. The two were toe to toe at the line, with Casey managing to take the win in his second race after finishing fourth last round. Zeb backed up his podium from round 1 to take second place, whilst Hunter Murphy nabbed the third place on the podium.
Zeb Thompson (red helmet), Casey Berthelsen (white kit) and Henry Murphy (X-Speed kit) sprinting for the line
Terrific racing from all the riders in Junior B grade today. I sense a great rivalry building within this grade as the abilities of the riders are very close together. We may see a mix of faces on the top step over the coming weeks!
Final Results - Junior B
Casey Berthelsen (MCC)
Zebb Thompson (RCCC)
Hunter Murphy (X-Speed)
Junior A - 15 mins + 2 laps
Junior A began with seven riders at the start line; three more than last week. Chase Haines, as always, was full of energy and primed after competing at the NTJS Track Challenge on Saturday morning. Hamish McGillivray also had a spring in his step. He moved up to A grade this round following his two wins on the trot at RCCC & Peel. Tahlia Murphy, the workhorse from round 1, looked happy to have another teammate in the race in Scarlett Sibbel. The lineup presented an interesting storyline; three X-Speed riders, three Midland riders and one lone RCCC rider - round 1 winner Jordan Watkins. How would it play out?
Red goes faster, right?
Well, the flag dropped and the race begun. Chase Haines kicked it off at the front of the race yelling “LETS GOO” and once they settled in, Tahlia took up proceedings and set a strong pace lining out the seven competitors instantly. She is building a reputation as a bit of a train - she just keeps going!
After a few laps, there were multiple attacks on the back straight. The surges in pace put Hamish and Nicholas Wilkin in difficulty. Despite being distanced from the now front four, the two battled on to try regain contact.
Hamish McGillivray chasing back on
At the front of the race, it was around the halfway mark where round 1 winner Jordan Watkins really lifted the pace. Seated, he ramped up the pace down the back straight. It was Chase Haines who was quick to respond, instantly on the wheel. Tahlia Murphy was in trouble, whilst Scarlett Sibbel was closing the gap ever so slowly.
The final third of the race saw Jordan keeping pace with Scarlett and Chase in the wheel. Tahlia was not far behind, see-sawing to within grasp of the front group, before Jordan lifted the pace again. With three laps to go, Jordan put in a final attack - this time out of the saddle. It was vicious, and quickly the gap grew. The others rallied together to try and bring the gap down, but it was too little too late.
Scarlett, Chase and Tahlia trying to bring back Jordan
Jordan managed to hold and extend his gap to the chasing group, taking his second victory in a row in his second race!. In the fight for second and third, Scarlett Sibbel managed to out-sprint Chase to the line. Big kudos to Hamish, Tahlia and Nicholas, who battled hard in the second chasing group.
A big thank you to Jess Allen, who kindly donated some pro kit to the podium placers and each junior on the start line. Absolute quality.
Final Results - Junior A
Jordan Watkins (RCCC)
Scarlett Sibbel (X-Speed CC)
Chase Haines (MCC)
If you love the action of the criterium racing and are looking for a fun junior group training session check out RCCC’s Thursday night training session in Kings Park - 5:45-6:45.