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National Road
Cycling Championships
Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, QLD, September 9-15, 2002
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Two Randwick Botany riders took honours at the National Road Cycling
Championships in an outstanding week for the club. Britany Orr won the
national Under 17 women Time Trial championship with a blistering ride on
Queensland's Sunshine Coast while Shaun Higgerson was narrowly beaten into
second place in the Under 19 men's Time Trial. There were competitive
performances from Chris Jenkins in Under 19 mens events and Robbie Cater in
Under 17 men who both achieved respectable bunch finishes against the best
riders in the country in the criterium and road race events. |
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The best results for Randwick Botany riders came in the opening day's time trial
held in hot conditions on a smooth, dead-flat section of the Sunshine Coast
Motorway at Coolum which heavily favoured track specialists. Britany's 15
minutes 57.6 seconds over 10 km was more than 43 seconds faster than
second-placed Sarah Rota of Queensland C.A.T.S. |
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Photo: ©
Tom Balks |
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In Under 19 men, Shaun
rode the 20 km course in 26 minutes and five seconds, an average of 46km/h, only
to finish four seconds behind the winner, Chris Sutton of St George. Bronze
medalist Marc Williams (Canberra) was a full 26 seconds behind. The result
underlined Shaun's domination of the time trial event this season after winning
gold at the Under 19 men's NSW individual time trial in August and leading the Randwick Botany team home in first place in the NSW Under 19 men team trial
trial. |
| Photo: ©
Ernie Smith |
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Chris Jenkins finished in a respectable 16th place in the 31-rider
Under 19 Mens field. In the
15km Under 17 men's event, Robbie Cater finished 18th out of 60 riders. Illawarra time trial specialist Josh Wall led the field in 21 minutes 46
seconds. Day two's criterium heats showed just how hard the picturesque
Yandina street circuit was with three separate crashes in the two Under 17 men's
qualifiers. Robbie Cater rode a sensibly cautious race to get through the
finals. |
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The road circuit, a 10km loop from Yandina through the Sunshine Coast
hinterland, was similarly controversial. A grinding 14 degree, 500m climb tested
the young riders in Thursday's racing while a perilous descent on a
less-than-perfect road surface produced a high-speed pile up in the Under 17
men's event. Robbie Cater finished in the main bunch after 60km of racing which
was won by Tasmanian Matt Goss in a sprint finish. Shaun Higgerson tested
the strength of the bunch with a hard ride in the 100km Under 19 race finishing
fourth behind Queenslander David Kemp, Chris Sutton (St George) and West
Australian Ben Miles. Chris Jenkins finished in 11th place. Brittany Orr
rode strongly in the 32km Under17 women's road race but couldn't match the
sprinters in a bunch finish won by Queensland's Sarah Rota.
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Friday's final day
of junior racing saw Robbie Cater finish with the main bunch in the under17
men's criterium. Shaun Higgerson and Brittany Orr didn't compete the criteriums.
(Robbie wore his non elite, red white and blue, Randwick Botany top in the
crit. He reckoned it matched his NSW knicks better.) Robbie you
are our new style guru.
(Click on image left for full size view) |
Story courtesy of Nick Cater.
For full results
Click Here
(courtesy of Cycling News)
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