Toyota Supercycling Academy Powered By Team Barloworld’s Robbie Hunter
Date: Sunday, 25 January 2009
Race: Pick n Pay The Star Fast One – 103kms
Age Category: Under 16 Boys
Academy Podiums/Top 10
2nd Rhyno Beukes ( Rhyno is one of our local KZN boys ) Well done Rhyno !!
3rd Devlin White
6th James Fourie
7th Lisandro Pimentel
10th Wesley Eslick
Toyota Supercycling Academy Under 16 Boys “Racing Team” - Pick n Pay The Star Fast One 2009
Report:
A decision by the Organisers saw the Under 16 Boys racing in a more favourable time slot behind the Veteran Males 45 - 49. This was a positive move on behalf of the Organisers in that the Under 16 Boys would hopefully race their own race without being held up by the slower riders in the older and open categories. Unfortunately with the nature of the Fast One and on restricted gears the boys were caught by the 50+ Veteran Males and the Ladies...
The race started in overcast conditions with an air temperature of 18ºC. The peloton stayed together until 20 kilometres into the race where the pace picked up and some of the slower riders started to fall off. As the Peloton turned right onto Vereeniging Road, some 24kms into the race, there was a joint attack led by 2 Toyota and 2 Mr Price boys which immediately saw the peloton break into 2 and unfortunately saw Toyota lose 3 of their first year riders. Brave riding by 2 of these riders in conjunction with the remainder of that bunch saw them rejoin the break away some 4 kilometres later.
40 kilometres into the race the boys were caught by the 50+ Veteran Males which forced them to regroup as they were closely monitored by both Commissaries. The pace of the peloton picked up once again as the road wound past Suikerbosrand, which split the peloton into 2 and Toyota lost one of the 2 first years, who had been dropped previously and who had then bravely fought back.
As the race opened up an attack by Devlin White was brought back almost immediately as the peloton were closely watching Toyotas moves. This was to play into Toyotas hands as shortly before the 66 kilometre mark Rhyno Beukes made an attack which was only followed by 1 Mr Price rider. These 2 riders managed to stay away from the peloton and at a stage had built a 3 minute lead.
Every attempt by Devlin White to bridge the gap to give Toyota the upper hand in numbers was closely followed by the Mr Price riders and resulted in the peloton staying together for the rest of the race.
At the 5 kilometres to go marker the lead by the 2 breakaway riders had reduced to just on 2 minutes. In the final sprint for the line Rhyno Beukes was piped by the Mr Price rider, a gallant effort by Rhyno, for his new team.
As the peloton rounded the corner into Hendrik van Eck Boulevard, James Fourie led the Toyota charge out which saw Devlin White take 3rd, with James Fourie taking 6th, closely followed by Lisandro Pimentel in 7th and Wesley Eslick in 10thposition.
Toyota Supercycling Academy Under 16 Boys on the podium - Pick n Pay The Star Fast One 2009
Many thanks to Natalie White for her assistance, and to Wilbert Totius for commissairing the race.
Stirling White
Under 16 Boys Manager
