Sunday’s first race in the KOM Financial Advice 3 Race Women’s Series saw a new face on the top step at SKCC. Congratulations to Viki Newton of Pirates Sporting Club.

Handicap racing is new to SKCC crits, with many of the B and C graders participating in their first. As with road handicaps they are a game of hare and hounds, and rely on a bunch’s ability to work smoothly together to catch riders ahead, while simultaneously holding off the stronger chasing groups behind.

Viki Newton, and SKCC’s Vida Douglas took advantage of early disorganisation in their less experienced C grade limit group to jump away and form a breakaway that would ultimately prove to be a winning move. Together they lapped their C grade bunch before Vida faltered, and Viki continued solo, lapping her bunch for a second time and holding off the fast finishing B grade field for the win. Vida’s valiant heart and soul effort came to nothing when she was caught by the B graders, and Magda Urbanek, Brydie Clark, Katie Quiggin and Carmen Barry filled the minor places.

A grade scratch riders gave a commanding demonstration of how to race a handicap. Kudos to Amy Bradley, Sarah Gigante, Olivia Atanasovska, Tamsyn Moana-Veale and Jenny Pettenon who worked solidly together chasing a handicap that ultimately proved a little too harsh.  Watch out for them in race 2!

Congratulations and thank you to all riders. We’ll look forward to seeing you back for Race 2 of the KOM Financial Advice
3 Race Women’s Series on Sunday 25th Feb. In the meantime, we’ll be tweaking handicaps slightly and refining how we communicate race progress information to bunches