IN LAST year’s McDonald’s Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic, Budget Forklifts rider Jack Anderson outsprinted St George rider Ben Johnson to win the 53rd staging of the Classic.
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Anderson, now a member of the Drapac squad, will return to the start line for this Saturday’s 228 kilometre classic with the resolve to be the first rider to win two successive Grafton to Inverell events.
However, his task will be extremely difficult as he will have no teammates to assist.
Some of Australia’s top cyclists have tried and failed to win successive Grafton to Inverells.
Victorian Institute of Sport rider Jamie Drew has the best record, winning this race in 1997 and 1999.
In the 1999 race, Simon Gerrans, now Australia’s number one road rider, finished third.
New Zealander Craig Saunders came agonisingly close to successive victories, winning in 1994 and then finishing third in each of the successive two years.
The in-form team heading into Saturday is Search2Retain.
On the heels of Patrick Bevin’s wins in the National Capital Tour and the Tour of Tasmania, Oliver Kent-Spark then reigned supreme in the Melbourne to Warrnambool.
In B grade, Inverell Cycle’n’Tri rider and club president Dan Wilks has his own mission.
He has run second in this grade twice, last year to his brother Paul.
With just days remaining for this year’s Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic, the weather bureau is forecasting some possible showers in the first half of the race although temperatures will be in the mid to late 20s.
