Start to finish: David Oman, Ben Oman, Heather Lias and Melanie Smolenaars led from the front all day to be the first four across the line. Photo: Richard Bailey.
The premier event on the Echuca Moama Cycling Club winter race series calendar was held at the weekend, with 26 riders contesting the Noel Smith Memorial Race.
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Perfect conditions greeted riders out at Lockington for the 60km race, with the 2023 edition marking the 15th running of the contest since Bruce Fleming won the inaugural event.
30 minutes separated the limit group from the final riders to set off, with four more groups rolling across the start line at pre-determined handicaps in between.
The quartet of Ben and David Oman, Melanie Smolenaars and Heather Lias made up the limit group, getting proceedings underway with a nine-minute head start over the next bunch.
The four worked well together over the first tour of the circuit, completing lap one before the final scratch group had even got underway.
As the race progressed, the groups began to come together, with the riders starting at 23 and 27 minute handicaps forming a 12 person chasing pack heading into the third lap.
But the front group forged on, holding a three-and-a-half-minute lead over their closest rivals as they took the bell for the final lap, and would maintain an advantage to the finish.
Chasing pack: George Griffiths leads a large group in pursuit of the leaders. Photo: Richard Bailey.
Ben Oman won the sprint from David Oman to etch his name on the trophy, with Smolenaars claiming the final podium position ahead of Lias.
Darren McKemmish was the first finisher outside of the limit group to take fifth place, while Max Holgate (Cobram Barooga Cycling Club) recorded the fastest time.
George Griffiths, recently announced as part of the Victorian squad for the 2023 AusCycling Junior Road Cycling Championships, continued his good form as the first junior across the line.
This EMCC action is set to continue this weekend, with riders set to compete across both Saturday and Sunday to be named club champion in what is the final race of the season.
A trip out to Elmore is scheduled for Saturday, with a showdown on the Trewins course to determine the 2023 road race titles.
The A-grade race is set for 53km over the hilly terrain, while B-grade riders will cover 46km, and the C and D-grade races will be contested over 35 and 28kms respectively.
Sunday’s action will be contested over 10km, with riders to race against the clock in pursuit of the time trial title on Mount Terrick road.
Aaron Mulkearns did the double in 2022, claiming both the road race and time trial crown in A-grade, while Gordon Durnan captured both in B-grade.
David Trounson took the road race title in C-grade, with Neil Ennis doing the same in D-grade, while the C and D-grade time trials were won by David Oman and Ray Hamilton respectively.
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