BBA Cycling: Winners Edge Criterium Results
Dominique Mayho continues to show that he is the man to beat in local cycle racing as he took the honours in Sunday’s Winners Edge criterium in Hamilton, which was held on a demanding course with plenty of tight turns to rest the riders to their limits.
However the Team Madison rider found himself with company until the final lap with Winners Edge youngsters Kaden Hopkins and Matthew Oliviera matching him through the 45 minute race, which saw the three riders break away from a strong field after two laps and eventually lapping the field in a dominant display of powerful riding.
The three riders –who recently returned from strong performances in the Green Mountain Stage Race — were in no mood to let the pace settle, with Oliviera making the first significant attack. Only Mayho and Hopkins could respond, and once the three were together the writing was on he wall.
Mayho made his winning move before turning off Burnaby Hill onto Front Street sprinting clear to the finish line, with Hopkins just over a second behind and Oliviera 6 seconds back to complete the podium.
The Adult B category was a closer affair which saw numerous attacks off the front neutralized by a hard chasing field. With nobody able to make any significant move off the front it appeared that a bunch sprint was inevitable.
Just as the riders seemed to be positioning themselves for the final two laps, Winners Edge rider Adam Kirk attacked off the front and got a few seconds gap.
Team Tokio riders Dennis Dagundo and Mark Lombardi tried to pull him back, but Kirk’s teammate Ricky Smith stuck to them like glue interrupting the chase, enabling Kirk to extend his lead and take the victory with Smith, a renowned sprinter taking second. Fagundo rounded out the top three.
The Category C race got off to a very aggressive start and youngster Conor White of Winners Edge, in his first season of racing, quickly found himself in a three man break with former May 24th winners Wayne Scott, making a rare appearance, with Sergio Edness. Pre race favorites Garth Fleming and Paulo Medeiros were off the pace, but with his teammates White and Scott in the break Medeiros was content to just mark him.
Lap after lap White was clearly setting the pace with Edness following his every move. As the race came into the closing stages, another youngster Ziani Burgesson, was working tirelessly to pull back the break, and Medeiros who had not dropped Fergusson was free to try to get into the action.
In the closing stages, White made his move and broke clear to record his first win. Scott held on for second after Edness finally tired, and a fast closing Medeiros made it a one, two, three for Team Winners Edge.
Women’s racing has clearly found a new rider to watch out for, as well known local runner Rose Anna Hoey has quickly made her mark. Breaking away early from a strong field, Hoey simply put her head down and threw down the gauntlet.
At one point she was reeled in by the chasing pack but she quickly took control, and broke away again to take a solo victory by almost 45 seconds over Madison Team mate Sarah Bonnett with Bicycle Works rider Wenda Roberts a further two seconds back after a spirited battle with Tristan Narraway.
The full results follow below [PDF here]:
