Vipers riders Suzy and Mick recently completed in the Dandenong Criteriums held by the Southern Vets Cycling Club as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Perfect blue skies greeted the riders as they tackled the challenging but fast 1.5km street circuit containing a nice gentle uphill section and a fun fast downhill corner to get the blood pumping.
In Mick’s race the pace was on from start to finish, with the Viper trying various tactics to try and shake the race up.
Several laps off the front of the field came to no avail as the chasers managed to reel him in.
It was all together with 2.5 laps to go until one rider shot off the front never to be seen again.
In the battle for the minor placings Mick managed to take 3rd place to top off a hard fought race.
Suz’s race was two races in one. The first was the race to hang on to the higher than normal speeds for the grade due to the appearance of several very strong riders no doubt lured to the event by the higher than normal prize purse on offer.
The other race was amongst the three females in the field for the honour of highest placed female.
Mid-way though the race, a surge of almost 10 minutes from some of the big engines in the field caused carnage for the rest, with the peleton dropping from the 25+ riders who started the event to only 12 who managed to hang on.
Suz dug deep and remained in contact with the leaders, with only her and one other female managing to remain in the leading group.
In the final surge for the line, Suz easily accounted for her female opponent, with only four of the men managing to hold off her electrifying sprint.
The riders are now looking forward to the next race on the agenda at Sandown Raceway on Thursday night.
