Cycling club holds first criterium in several years on Albany go-kart track

Albany Cycling Club shifted its race focus from time trials to a criterium.

Embracing a new venue at the Albany City Kart Club, the club conducted its first criterium in several years.

Criteriums are an intense form of racing over a tight, short circuit, often with multiple corners, and the kart track proved an ideal location to resume this form of racing.

Riders completed a short prologue to determine seeding and then raced for 25 minutes plus two laps, or 20 minutes plus two laps.

In group one, Roues Chaudes rider Beau Lefort set a strong pace from the outset, distancing the main bunch.

Brett Dal Pozzo and Brent Schoof also broke away from the main bunch of Ryan McLaren, Mike Staude, Ben Murphy and Jackson Pitman who worked well together but were unable to match the pace of the riders off the front.

Out in front, despite working hard, Schoof and Dal Pozzo were unable to close the gap to Lefort who ultimately lapped all other riders to take the win.

The seven-rider second group was initially led off the line by Danica Wiggins who rode a strong race before Paul Terry, Randall Wiggins and Liz Cooper all came to the front to share time in the wind.

Stephanie Bennett found the pace a bit brisk and was dropped at about the halfway mark.

Lucy Wellstead also suffered the same fate a few laps further into the race.

Fay Wiggins, giving up at least 30 years to her next youngest competitor rode well but ultimately couldn’t quite hold the pace of the gaggle of the younger generation ahead of her and dropped off the group just prior to the final laps.

After some slight confusion on the bell lap, Paul Gibson surged past Cooper for the win, with Randall Wiggins coming in third.

The post-race quiche and scones proved a popular accompaniment to the debrief and amateur arithmetic as riders attempted to work out exactly how many corners they had negotiated in their time on course.

Thanks to volunteers Keith Symes and Jim Lie who ran the event and also to the Albany City Kart Club for the use for a great facility.