GUEST rider Nick Youngs, out of the Carnegie Cycling Club, has taken out the eighth round of the Footscray Cycling Club’s winter road season.
Youngs, a cardiac technologist, thrived on a typical Balliang day with strong crosswinds a feature on the open 10km laps and tough double-climb on the Granite Road hills.
Youngs, 34, reported a strangely uneventful opening to the race.
“It was quite a civilized start until lap two when the Bikebug boys hit it pretty hard on the centre line in the crosswinds,” he said.
“But we stayed together until the climbs.”
Miles DaCosta worked his way to the front, at which point Adam Trewin and James Love attacked.
Youngs knew it was time to follow or be left in their tracks.
“When they went, I went with them,” he said.
“We got over a few hills and caught Miles, and then there were four of us working right through until the sprint.
“With 300 to go, I was on the front, just waiting for the Bikebug boys to jump me, so I just hit out and no one came by.”
Youngs took the sprint a bike length clear of Trewin and DaCosta.
The lower grade winners were: Chris Munro (B grade), Josh Toohey (C grade) and Craig Fry (D grade).