IT'S been a long time between races, but Tolland Cycling Club's Marty Ryan made it worth the wait.
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In his first event since COVID-19 shut down racing, the 26-year-old timed his move perfectly to win the Heffron Park criterium on the weekend.
Ryan positioned himself in the bunch for the majority of the race before launching himself at the right time to edge out Randwick young gun Brayden Bloch in division two.
"I was in town for few days so I decided to swing down there and give it a crack, and I had a bit of luck," Ryan said.
"I was certainly surprised. I knew I had the potential to be up there somewhere, but not to win.
"It was the first race I've had since the Tolland Open back in March, and it's one of the first races since then anywhere."
Nicknamed 'The Doc' as he works his way toward becoming a general practitioner, Ryan said it's a relief to have something to train for again.
"After so long and not being able to do any competitive racing it's great to have it back," he said.
"The bunch rides at Wagga do tend to turn into races a lot of the time, but there's nothing like racing for something.
"For most of the race I hung back in the bunch to conserve energy, and the last few laps you have to be near the front and get your positioning right.
"There was a couple of guys who made breakaway attempts, so I just sat on their wheel and didn't get any wind."
Ryan hopes to compete in some state events scheduled over the next two month.
Although Cootamundra Cycling Club has opted to cancel its Haycarters/Annual Classic this month, Griffith's Dean Carter Memorial race is scheduled for September 13.
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