Classic kicks off racing season

Vasse resident and Busselton Cycling Club rider Soren Groen won the 75km C-grade Pemberton Classic last month.

The Pemberton event is a traditional start to the road racing calendar and is known as a tough race because of the hilly course.

Coming into the last corner, Groen had opened up a 5m lead and held off the fast-finishing pack by mere centimetres to claim the win in the season-opener.

Other BCC riders to perform well at the event were Courtland Wood, in his first A-grade race, and Claes Qvarnstrom.

The final of the time trial series was also held recently at Wonnerup, with Alastair Patterson defeating 16-year-old Wood by only 10 seconds to finish first.

Wood and third-placed John Madigan were out for their first rides of the season and both recorded personal best times on the course. Jane Spurgeon continued to dominate the ladies’ category and in the veterans, Vern Merchant and Wayne Flynn had a great tussle with only 12 seconds separating them.

On Sunday, the BCC held their annual Group Fondo, a 50km or 100km group ride on roads to the south of Busselton. The focus of the event was on socialising rather than racing, leaving from Health Freak Café at 7.30am.