THE Ring Criterium Series gave way to Renae’s Race last weekend.
Renee’s Race celebrates the life of women’s cycling advocate Renae Baker and consisted of racing across four women’s grades, a men’s support race and for the first time a come and try event for women to get a taste of racing.
Teneal Attard won the C grade, followed by Leigh Outschoorn and Olesya Badish.
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READ NOWThree strong riders, Margot Biggs, Anisah Irvine and Stacey Thomas, worked well together in the B grade race, lapping all the other riders.
With a little over five minutes to go Biggs attacked, Thomas responded and Irvine was dropped.
The two kept the pace up, increasing their margin.
In the sprint Thomas attacked from the front early, Biggs could not respond and Thomas took the victory, with Biggs second and an exhausted Irvine crossing the line third.
Riders in the main event were aggressive from the start with Liz Leyden attacking on the first lap to build a substantial lead.
Emily Mascaro joined Leyden at the front for a couple of laps before the bunch reeled them in.
A prime is a race within a race, a one-lap dash with a prize for first across the line.
Leyden counter attacked, won the prime, secured the most aggressive rider award and started building a lead.
Former national under-23 time trial champion Rebecca Mackey won the second prime and slowly increased her lead to win convincingly, followed by Melissa Robinson and Amanda Nabi.
Stephen Hall won the men’s support race, followed by Leighton Cooke and Michael Freidberg.
About a dozen women took to the course for the come and try event with riders making up the biggest D grade women’s field this season.
Five riders stayed together at the front, and from this group Marina Salleo took the sprint and the win with Anne Boyle second and Jiyeon Kwon third.