In the first stage based at Cowaramup, the 32km team time trial seeded teams into grades for the subsequent two stages.
NBCC Team A, which included Jonathan Lewis, Stephen McNeilly, Mark Welford, John O’Boyle, Justin Schultz and Mathew Swan, set a blistering pace, finishing 15th fastest of 90 open teams, and seeded for group 2, just shy of the elite group 1.
ALSO READ: Calan Williams’ exciting race to the finish line
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWNBCC Team B’s Lyndsay Bennett, Peter Sheridan, John Hanson, Scott Bensley, Duncan Rogers and Mathew Moharich qualified fifth fastest in group 7.
NBCC women’s team – Richelle Gamble, Kylie Anticich, Lorna Henson, Wanda Jansen, Hisayo Thornton and Tarni Riggs – qualified second in women’s group 2.
Stage 2 was a hilly 100km road race circuit commencing in Nannup.
Lewis was impressive in his pace and claimed the group 2 ‘King of the Mountain’ jersey.
NBCC Team B, with a fine second place from Bennett and solid performances from the rest of the team, posted a fast aggregate time to elevate it to second in its division and set itself up for potential overall group win for the tour.
The women’s group 2’s Anticich won the ‘Queen of the Mountain’ stage, with teammate Gamble winning the sprint finish. The team posted the fastest aggregate time that elevated it to the overall lead.
Stage 3 set up an exciting finish to the tour, with two of the club’s teams vying for overall honours.
Within 3km of the 59km stage at Boranup Forest, a kangaroo jumped into the peloton, knocking over teammates Lewis and McNeilly.
Schultz and O’Boyle showed true NBCC mateship, opting to stop and check on their welfare.
They drafted a battered and bruised McNeilly to finish the race. Lewis retired with superficial facial injuries.
The highlight of the tour came last – the women’s team needed to secure first or second, and finish ahead of rivals Ride-4-Life in order to claim the overall team honours.
Stage 3 saw a display of truly professional team tactics, and working together they controlled the tempo of the peloton and protected their sprinter. Overall the club claimed a Queen and King of the Mountain, two stage wins and an overall team win.