The Tinwald Cycling Club raced a 45km handicap event around the Christy's Road block on Sunday with the Alan Wylie Memorial Cup going to the victor.

The Wylie family have a long and proud association with the Club ensuring that the riders would be finding a little bit extra in a bid to take victory.

The handicapper played his part with the majority of the field having a chance entering the concluding stages of the race.

Having worked tirelessly to ensure his mark keep the chasing bunches at bay it was Marty Cuttle who seized the moment jumping clear into the last bend and holding on to take the win and major spoils.

Don Morrison showed his strength taking second place from the fast finishing Glen Moore in third.  Rachel Thow and Adena Middleton continued their rise in the sport securing fourth and fifth places respectively.

Less than 10 seconds behind, the chasing scratch riders charged over the line with Hamish Wright taking fastest time honours from Brad Hudson and Tony Ward.  Wright recorded a time of 63.09.

Next week the Club travels to Methven to contest the Dean Cooksley Memorial Trophies.   

A good field of in excess of 50 riders took the opportunity to blow out some of the Christmas cobwebs in Tinwald Cycling Club's first race of the year around the Winchmore Church block on Sunday.

Raced in a mass start format over 36km, with the Blackburn Family trophies up for grabs there was no lack of effort from the riders battling not only each other but a keen nor'wester and summer temperatures.

A scratch group of 6 riders made a decisive break 5km into the race and steadily built a buffer between them and the chasing group.

Hamish Wright, fresh from racing the Christmas - New Year track carnivals in Tasmania, showed his strength to take line honours from Steve Hands-Davidson, Jaron Stephens and Nathan Tew.

This group covered the course in 55.33.   

With sealed handicap honours up for contention there was plenty to race for in the remainder of the bunch.

Ronnie Campbell continued his liking of this form of racing, lifting the major spoils.  Pam Harcourt deservedly took second place with the scratch riders filling the minor positions.

With a large contingency of juniors competing in the Southland Track Cycling carnival the junior field was small on quantity but high on quality. 

Bailey O'Donnell had to ride strongly to take victory only picking up second place getter Jayden Fuller late in the race.  Jayden rode a great race to hold second place with Abe O'Donnell digging deep to take the third place ribbon.

Division 2 saw Janette Hooper take the win from Helen Bancroft in second and Julie Crawford in third place.

Next week the Club will race a 47km handicap event around the Christy's Road block.  

Close to 60 cyclists went to the line on Sunday looking to lift a Tinwald Cycling Club championship title.  The Ashburton Club and MSA, Club Championship was raced in the form of a 64km scratch race around the Wakanui Beach block.

Jason Christie, a rider to watch in the up coming elite New Zealand Road Championships showed his class winning the overall Open and under 23 Club titles.

Christie was one of a group of 6 riders who broke away at the 25km mark and put a 40 second buffer into the chasing group.

Inside the last 10km Christie put the foot down and pulled away from his co-markers, soloing to the finish for a comfortable victory in a time of 89.57. 

The remainder of this group contested a spirited finish with Hamish Wright getting up to grab second place overall honours and securing the Senior Club title.  Steve Hands claimed the third overall place spoils with Brad Hudson close behind in fourth.

Tony Ward finished fifth and in doing so secured veteran 2 honours.  The final member of the break away Jaron Stephens took out the under 19 title.

Nathan Tew led a 20 strong chasing bunch in, to take second place in the under 19 grade.  Brent Harris was on his wheel to claim the veteran 3 title.

Nigel Douglas was in the thick of the finish to secure veteran 1 honours by the barest of margins over second place getter Michael Gallagher.

Kristine Marriott rode strongly in this group and was rewarded with the overall women's and veteran 1 titles.  This was hard earned with Denise Taylor challenging strongly throughout the race.  Taylor secured second place overall and lifted the veteran 2 championship.

Defending women's champion Tonee Hurley who was in contention for much of the race took third place overall in the women's open.

Caroline Askin had to pull out all the stops to secure the senior women's title from Rachel Thow and Adena Middleton.

Kathy Askin lifted the veteran 3 women's title.

Juniors titles were also up for grabs with the under 17's racing 32km and the under 15's 16km.

Alex Hooper stamped his authority on the under 17 grade breaking away early, putting a 5 minute gap into the chasing riders by the finish to lift the junior overall title.  Josh Connor pulled out a strong sprint to secure second place from Brendon Whalley in third.

Frances Smith lifted the girls under 17 title with a hard fought victory over second place getter Harriett Sutton.

Sam Cullimore showed his strength riding off the front in the concluding stages of the under 15 race to claim victory by 20 seconds and in doing so lift the Championship title.   Ben Sutton won a desperate sprint to claim second place from Josh Donaldson. 

Alex Wootton showed some real potential getting into a decisive break ensuring her a Club Championship title in the under 15 girl's grade.  Isabella Smith rode strongly to take second place.

Bailey Kershaw finished fourth overall to lift the under 13 winner's ribbon.

The Club has a break over the Christmas - New Year period and will resume racing on 15 January 2012.

Newcomer Craig Skene ensured that his first cycling race of the season was a memorable one by taking victory in Tinwald Cycling Club's, Tinwald Butchery : Davidson Refrigeration and Electrical, 50km handicap event around the Swamp Road block on Sunday.

Skene and co-marker Brain Ellis worked well together to keep the chasing bunch at bay.  Ellis was rewarded for his efforts taking second place.

John Uden led a solid bunch of 20 riders in a mere 30 seconds behind the winners to secure third place spoils.  John Ferguson and Steve Tocher were in the thick of the finish to take fourth and fifth places respectively.

Scratch rider Tony Ward rode the distance in 74.21 to take fastest time honours from co-markers Nathan Tew and Brent Harris.

The juniors and division 2 raced over 18km.

Janette Hooper found the conditions to her liking claiming the win in division 2 from Tony Tarbotton and Tania Tocher who filled the minor spots.

Josh Wotton reaped the benefits of some good training sessions of late to take the under 15 event, sprinting strongly at the finish to see off the challenge of second place getter Bailey O'Donnell.  Little brother Abe O'Donnell took third place from Alex Holmes and James Skinner.  Ben Sutton recorded a time of 33.56 to secure fastest time honours.

Josh Donaldson rode the course in 30.36 to claim both the win and fastest time ribbons in the under 17 event.  Ben Sorenson put in a great ride to take second place spoils from Frances Smith and Sam Cullimore.

Next week riders will contest the Club Championships around the Wakanui  Beach block.

Kevin Opele opened his 2011-12 account with a solid victory in Tinwald Cycling Clubs, 48km handicap event around the Grahams Road block on Sunday.

Opele and his co-markers had worked their way to the front through the middle stages of the race but were acutely aware that a committed bunch of riders had come together and were cutting into their lead.

Opele's do or die break several kilometres from the finish paid dividends with the chasing bunch catching his co-markers in the last 100 metres of the race but were unable to haul in Opele.

Simon Earl secured the second place spoils, with Ross Avis and Denise Taylor continuing their good form taking third and fourth places respectively.

Scratch rider Jason Christie rode the course in 66.51 to take fastest time honours from Hamish Wright and Steve Hands.

Josh Connor put in a solid effort to claim the junior A spoils.

Division 2 and the juniors raced over 16km.

Tony Tarbotton raced strongly to secure victory in division 2.  Rachael  Russell finished close behind in second place with Tania Tocher taking the final podium position.

The under 17's saw a grandstand finish with Alex Wootton getting the judges nod to take the victory over Julie Tarbotton in second place.  Josh Donaldson also secured third place by the barest of margins from co-marker Frances Smith.  Brendon Whalley continued his good form covering the course in 26.04 to take fastest time from Laurent Fifield and Sam Cullimore.

Bradley Whalley took the under 15 honours with a strong ride.   Alex Holmes was close behind in second with Ben Sutton grabbing third and fastest time, riding the distance in 30.08.

Next week the club will compete in a handicap event around the Swamp Road block, start and finish on Winslow -Westerfield Road.

A good field of riders battled mid summer conditions in Tinwald Cycling Club's 45km mass start event from Mount Somers to Hakatere Station and back on Sunday.

Jason Christie having recovered from the rigours of the recent Tour of Southland led the way recording a time of 70.18, but not without some competition from a group of 6 riders.

Steve Hands secured second place leading this group in 40 seconds behind Christie.  Brad Hudson grabbed third place spoils from Jaron Stephens.

Ronnie Campbell put in a solid effort to claim the sealed handicap honours from the front group of Hands and Hudson.

The juniors and division 2 contested a handicap event over 18km.

Sam Olley, fresh from qualifying for the age group world triathlon championships, lifted division 2 and fastest time honours from Janette Hooper and Emma Hudson.  Sam covered the course in 33.51.

Frances Smith was rewarded for some good racing of late to secure under 17 honours.  Livvie Kennedy was close behind in second with Laurent Fifield finishing third and taking fastest time with a solo ride of 32.59.

Jessie Banks found the conditions to her liking riding strongly to claim victory in the under 15 grade.  Isabella Smith close behind in second place also took fastest time honours covering the course in 40.23.  Josh Wotton charged home in third place.

Next week the Club will contest a handicap event on Grahams Road.