Common sense has prevailed in the lead up to a local race fielding 120 cyclists on Sunday.
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Local cycling heavyweights have made headway in a ongoing battle with Cycling NSW about handicaps for the Wagga to Albury John Woodman Memorial.
Tolland Cycle Club president and race organiser Barry O’Hagan and Cootamundra Cycle Club president and race commissaire Mark Loiterton, along with dozens of cyclists, called Cycling NSW urging the handicapper to make essential changes on Tuesday, after the starting list was released.
“There are blokes from our club riding off scratch, Peter Treloar and Craig Sing, they’ve got no hope,” O’Hagan said on Tuesday.
“They’re up against National Series cyclists, full-time cyclists, who race in the US.
“She won’t listen, there’s a Masters cyclist riding off scratch, he has to be 70 years old, he’s got no hope either.
“The trouble is, bike riders won’t come back next year.
“We’ll get around; we’ll beat her.”
The Daily Advertiser contacted Cycling NSW for comment on Tuesday but the spokesman was unavailable and did not call back.
O’Hagan was pleased to see 30 changes to the starting list when an update was released on Wednesday.
“The more people who ring up and complain, especially from the press, the more they’re inclined to fix it,” O’Hagan said.
Sing will now start with chopping block, but Treloar will grind it out with the scratch-men.
Organisers have been impressed with the level of interest in this year’s race.
The 135km race has been well-supported by Wagga local cyclists; Tolland has 19 riders and Wagga has 11 riders entered in the race.
“Wagga riders make up a quarter of the field,” O’Hagan said.
“120 entries is good for a post-to-post race, where you have to bring someone along to drive you back.”
Riders start at the Tolland Hotel, head towards Mangoplah, south to Culcairn, south through Walla Walla and Jindera Gap and finish on the outskirts of Albury.
The race, steeped in tradition, has run annually since the 1930’s, and was renamed in the late ‘80’s in honour of a Lavington cyclist who was killed in a car accident. Wagga’s mayor and Albury’s mayor will greet cyclists from their respective posts.