FROM a field of 120 riders, including state and national champions and a former Olympian, an 18 year old Wodonga cyclist triumphed in a sprint to the finish line.
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Ryan Allen swept the pools at the 28th annual John Woodman Memorial race yesterday, taking out the title of first junior, first local and first rider across the line in a time of 3.10.5. Allen became only the fourth local to win the title.
“It’s amazing, especially considering how I’ve been going the last few weeks,” Allen said.
“I don’t know why but I’ve been struggling, and on Friday I did a VO2max test and did worse than I did at the start of the year.
“So I was just hoping to hang on and get first junior, I didn’t think I’d have a chance at winning it.
“I was third in the state criterium at the start of the year.
“But a lot of big names weren’t there, that’s why I didn’t think I’d stand a chance coming in to that sprint.
“Coming in from Jindera I was just trying to hang on for first junior.”
The 136-kilometre handicap from Wagga to Albury saw starters dispatched in four groups, with the front markers given close to a 30-minute headstart on the race favourites.
The riders included Brian Harris who won the Cootamundra Road Open this year and Olympian Steven Fairless.
“We got caught early by the scratch riders and I thought we were stuffed,” Allen said.
“I really thought they would drop us, but because they were looking at each other we could sit on and save ourselves for the end.
“Once you got through a feed zone out at Walla there was a small hill and people were struggling — I didn’t feel as bad as some looked, especially up that last hill.
“So I knew if could hang on in the uphill you could recover a bit on the downhill.”
Allen joined team Osteohealth earlier this year from riding as a junior with Lavington.
First female rider across the line was Albury’s Sophie McKay.
Fastest time went to another youngster and current J19 hill climb champion Nathan Bradshaw, who came in at 2.55.5 and went head to head with Allen for second place.
Next on the calendar for the youngster are the state championships next weekend at Wangaratta before he starts training for nationals next year.
Allen said he hoped so spend a gap year in Belgium cycling after finishing year 12 later this year.