Sam Spokes outsprinted his rivals to win his first criterium for the year on Sunday.
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Making his first appearance for the year, Spokes finished ahead of Ben Clarke in the A grade race with Fraser Ashford third and Ash Smith, who was also competing in his first race for the year, fourth.
The added numbers led to a significantly faster pace than in recent weeks, with the group of 10 managing an average speed of 43 km/h, which really tested the determination of the riders.
Despite a number of strong surges by various riders through the race the whole group managed to stay together until the last lap.
The afterburners were lit up the back straight on the final lap with Spokes holding off the challengers.
Doubling as a round of the Interclub Crit series, the day also incorporated a come and try event for juniors.
It was a resounding success with 15 junior riders either participating in the come and try or racing.
The juniors were first up. Riding in her very first crit race, Isla Maidment finished on top after a brief hiccup. Due to a misunderstanding on the second last lap she thought she had won when she crossed the line and pulled up for a breather.
With some encouragement from good friend and fellow competitor Sophia Butler she got back on the gas and managed to regain her position and still cross the line in first place.
The D grade race like all the races was a bit of a slog fest.
The group generally stayed together as a bunch.
Zane Wright made his debut in racing along with Maidment, who backed up to try this event after the junior race.
Jeremy Deasey managed his first ever win. Conor Noonan rolled across in a close second ahead of Ethan McDonald and Greg Johnstone.
C grade was a similar affair, and after thrashing it out for twenty minutes the inevitable sprint took place.
Zane Tapp is always a tough customer in a sprint and Sunday was no different, Tapp taking the win from a fast finishing Kylie Wright. Murray Russell crossed the line third with Greg Clark fourth.
B Grade saw nine riders line-up for bragging rights.
After what seems like a lifetime of coaxing regular Tamworth bunch rider, Warwick "WOK" Wright finally relented and participated in his first ever crit race.
The race itself was fairly uneventful with no strong efforts to test the bunch.
In the end it was the sprinters who won out again with Fletcher Partlin managing to beat Luke O’Connor to the line. Dave Menzies was third and WOK fourth.