INVERELL’S Andrew English, who completed his first Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic on Saturday, received an added bonus.
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Riding in the Inverell RSM Club C Grade race, he finished 2hrs 1min 23secs adrift of winner, Grafton’s Jye Reardon.
Reardon carved out a winning 6hr 50mins 21secs time to win by 18secs from a group of eight riders.
However English was later awarded the inaugural Ian “Blue” Manton Encouragement Award.
The “Blue” was inaugurated in honour of the late Ian “Blue” Manton, who rode 24 Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classics.
Tragically, Ian died in early April,Cycle Classic publicity officer Peter Sunderland said.
“Blue was a great clubman and a great gentleman,” he said.
“He rode 24 Grafton to Inverells and finished sixth in the early ’70s when it was still a handicap.
“And then he came out of retirement and rode the 50th a few years ago.
“His daughter presented Andrew with the inaugural award too.
“It’s just an encouragement purely for the local riders and for someone Blue would have thought deserved it.”
The 56th Grafton To Inverell was one of the biggest races in the 56-year history of the race.
239 riders rode in favourable conditions which enabled Avanti Isowhey Sports rider Patrick Lane to become the first man to break the magical 6hr barrier.
In fact, two men have now pushed through the 6hr barrier after Lane and Kenyan Riders Downeunder’s Nathan Elliott staged a two-man duel for the last 60km or so.
Lane beat Elliott in a desperate sprint finish to claim the Jack Griffin Memorial Shield..
Lane clocked 5hrs 57mins 55secs with Elliott second and Lane’s teammate, Patrick Shaw 26secs away in third.
Shaw also won the King of the Mountain and Sprint King titles.
It was the first round of the National Road Series, with Avanti Isowhey Sports grabbing an early advantage over AMR Renault Racing and State of Matter/Maap.
Daniel Alcock of Coffs Harbour won B-Grade from a closing bunch of 16 riders, and Reardon won C-grade.
The ladies race, which was incorporated in C-grade, was a triumph for Norwood rider Holly Ransom from Deborah Hennessy of Port Macquarie and Elizabeth Fancutt from Gold Coast Goldstars.
239 riders made it to Inverell across the three grades.
