The Tamworth Cycle Club criterium races kicked off on Sunday with a junior roll.
The six participants were led around by more experienced riders who kept an eye on proceedings before the racing started in D grade.
This race was very much about who could hang on the longest. The pace was set by first-timers Katrina Ashford and Peter Murdoch who rolled turns at the front and slowly busted up the competition.
Anne Greenwood managed to join the leaders before Ashford and Murdoch fought out the sprint finish.
Murdoch held on to win in a close sprint with Ashford while Greenwood was third.
The highlight for the day was C grade.
A polite first few laps were followed by a Nick Reid breakaway. Sim Church and Zane Tapp tagged along as the trio set about maintaining a frantic pace to bust up the field.
Murray Russell made a valiant solo effort to catch them but was unable to match the pace.
With a huge effort, Chum Nash was able to make up almost 200 metres to catch the lead group to make it a total of four.
On the final lap, Church lit the afterburners to win from Reid, Nash and Tapp.
B grade was another brutal affair as Glen Kite – who was up from Scone – made his mark.
Barry Stockman was up to the challenge. He kept up with the hectic pace as the field was soon down to five from eight. Dave Menzies displayed his sprinting skills to take the win form a fast finishing Kite. Luke was only a short distance back in third and Hugh Humphries was fourth.
A grade was a smaller field than usual with just four riders participating.
Fraser Ashford, in his first race for some time, outclassed the field in a very early breakaway. He sustained this for the entire race and was able to lap the field twice in a show of extreme strength.
Meantime in the real world Rob, Darren and Simon Heppel battled it out for minor placings.
Simon made it tough for them with a few attempts at getting away but was unable to make anything stick.
In a sprint for second place Rob was able to come up with the goods with Darren third and Simon fourth.
