Fifteen local riders from host club Bundaberg were among the winners at the 2021 Bundaberg Cycling Spectacular at Kevin Brogden Memorial Velodrome over the weekend.
Winners included Duncan and Austin Allen and Sam Davies, who scored a famous victory in the Elite Men’s Italian Pursuit 3 Laps Final A.
Over 100 riders competed across the 113 events over the bumper Friday night and Saturday afternoon and evening program, and Duncan also recorded five other placings in the Premier division, with seconds in the Elimination Race, 1200m Handicap, Unknown Distance, and 40 Laps Scratch Race, and third in the Keirin Final, while Sam placed third in the 1200m Handicap.
Father and daughter Michael and Kiarnah Templeton also enjoyed great success with Michael beating all comers in the Elite Men’s D Progressive Points 8 Laps, and Keirin Final, and finishing runner-up in the Elimination Race, and third in the 1200m Handicap and 10 Laps Scratch Race, while Kiarnah was victorious in the U15 Girls 1000m Wheelrace Final, and ran second in the 800m Handicap.
Michael’s wife Shakaya also matched it with the best in the Women’s B category, including grabbing second in the 8 Laps Scratch Race, and third in the 10 Laps Progressive Points event.
Nathan Lawley continued on his great form from the Queensland Road Championships in Bundaberg in September, claiming the U11 Combined 500m Handicap-600m Wheelrace Final double, and adding second in the 3 Laps Scratch Race.
Shaleah Bullas also stamped herself as a rising star, taking out the U13 Girls 600m Handicap and 800m Wheelrace Final, and picking up second in the 500m Handicap and third in the 800m Handicap, as well as teaming with Rowell Fish and Clancy Pratt for second in the U13 Combined 3 Laps Club Italian Pursuit Final B.
Club president Wayne Morden led from the front in the Elite Men C division, winning the 12 Laps Scratch Race, and securing seconds in the Elimination Race and Keirin Final.
Hunter Davis also achieved a host club double in the U13 Boys 800m Handicap and 600m Handicap, and he also joined forces with Cruz Kemps, of the Coral Isle club, whose father Aaron was a former highly successful professional rider internationally, and club-mate Rhys Davis, whose father Scott, who also carved out a distinguished professional career, to win the U13 Combined Club Italian Pursuit Final B after having secured third in the preliminary.,
Individually, Cruz showed his winning style in the U13 Boys 500m Handicap and came in third in the 600m Handicap, while Rhys chalked up four second placings, in the U13 Boys 500m Handicap, 800m Handicap, 600m Handicap and 800m Wheelrace Final.
Bundaberg club siblings Archie and Matilda Pratt both had one solo win, in the U17 Boys 1200m Handicap, and U15 Girls 1000m Handicap respectively, while they also managed one third each, in the 1000m Handicap and Unknown Distance race respectively.
Matilda, together with club-mate Max Clancy and Fraser Coast’s Oscar Schoff also led the field home in the U15 Combined Club Italian Pursuit and Club Italian Pursuit 3 Laps Final.
Max also secured one individual placing, with third in the U15 Boys 1000m Handicap.
Siblings Ralph and Beatrice Mullins racked up a string of minor placings each, with Ralph posting four seconds, in the U9 Combined 2 Laps Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, 1 Lap Dash Scratch Race, and 2 Laps Scratch Race, and Beatrice filling third six times, in the U11 Combined 2 Laps Scratch Race, 500m Handicap, Unknown Distance, 800m Handicap, 500m Handicap and 600m Wheelrace Final.
Club stalwart Mitchell Davis competed strongly throughout in Elite Men’s B and was rewarded with three placings, seconds in the Elimination Race and 1200m Handicap, and third in the 15 Laps Scratch Race.
Club veteran Robert McGrath shared in the spoils with third placings with two thirds, in the Elite Men’s D Unknown Distance and Keirin Final, while a further three host club representatives had one third placing each, Joey Black, a nationally ranked rower who is new to cycling, in the Elite Men C Elimination Race, Hunter Davis’ elder brother Zander (U15 Boys 800m Handicap), and Rowel Fish (U13 Boys 800m Wheelrace Final).
Balmoral was the most successful club at the carnival, with members amassing a total of 33 victories, headed by Liam Walsh with four in the Elite Men A’s showpiece, the Elimination Race, Progressive Points 15 Laps, Unknown Distance, and 40 Laps Scratch Race.
Liam also partnered Jarlath Whittaker and Mitchell Louie to stand tall in the Elite Men’s Italian Pursuit 3 Laps Final B.
Balmoral dominated in the Elite Women’s field, with Hayley Jones and Jacqui Mengler-Mohr sharing the honours with three titles each, with Hayley notching the Elimination Race, Progressive Points 12 Laps, and 12 Laps Scratch Race treble, and Jacqui doing best in the 1200m Handicap Race, Unknown Distance, and Keirin Final, and their former Bundaberg rider Liliana McLennan also riding her heart out throughout and being bridesmaid in the Elimination Race and Handicap.
Jacqui, together with Keeley Henderson and Sharron McGuigan, also blitzed their rivals in the Women’s Elite Club Italian Pursuit 3 Laps Final, while Liliana was rewarded with one team triumph, together with Hayley and Brooke Carnes in the Club Italian Pursuit.
Samuel Hilditch was Balmoral’s most successful rider, emerging victorious in five events, the U15 Boys 6 Laps Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, 1000m Handicap, Keirin Final, and 6 Laps Scratch Race, while Ava Robbins had four solo wins, in the U13 Girls 4 Lap Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, 800m Handicap, and 4 Laps Scratch Race, and one teams’ triumph, with Siena Goulding and Max Hilditch in the U13 Combined Club Italian Pursuit 3 Laps Final A.
Judd Larkins also got the prize in four individual events, the U9 Combined 2 Lap Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, 1 Lap Dash Scratch Race, and 2 Laps Scratch Race.
Two of their girls completed hat-tricks of wins, Georgia Wilson in the U17 8 Lap Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, and 8 Laps Scratch Race, and Megan Moore in the U15 6 Lap Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, and 6 Laps Scratch Race, and the club also reigned supreme in the U17 Girls Keirin Final with Ella Liang taking the honours.
Balmoral also picked up the U15 Combined Club Italian Pursuit Final B through Ben Wadsworth, Zachary Douglas-Savage and Bodhi Dusha, while Zachary also joined forces with Ethan Lang (Hamilton Wheelers) and Henry Goodwill (Townsville) to be No. 1 in the U17 Combined Club Italian Pursuit and 3 Laps Final A.
Ethan Lang also outgunned his rivals in the U17 Boys Scratch Race, while club-mate Harrison Dowling was the winner in the U13 Boys 800m Wheelrace Final.
Rockhampton was the second most successful club at the meet, taking home 17 gongs, featuring the Ruff family, with Caden flexing his muscle in U17 Boys with four wins on his own, in the 8 Lap Scratch Race, 1000m Handicap, Unknown Distance, and Keirin Final, and one in tandem with Ashtyn Hare and Victoria Smith in the U17 Combined Club Italian Pursuit Final B, while Caden’s mother Ellyssa took out the Women’s B Elimination Race.
In U17 Girls events, Ashtyn also achieved the 1000m Handicap and 1200m Handicap double, while Victoria made the 1200m Wheelrace Final her own.
Father and son Craig and Lachlan Hickson also helped carry Rockhampton to the fore, with the former tasting dual success, in the Elite Men’s C 1200m Handicap and Keirin Final, and Lachlan following in his Dad’s footsteps in the U15 Boys 800m Handicap.
Jared Brandon also bagged a double for Rockhampton in the Elite Men D Unknown Distance and 10 Laps Scratch Race, and three other club-mates made it to the top of the dais in one event each, Kyle Brannigan (Elite Men’s D Elimination Race), Lillian Dowdle (Women’s B 8 Laps Scratch Race), and George Tucker (U15 Boys 1000m Wheelrace Final).
Harrison Dowling, of Hamilton Wheelers, (left) gets up to beat Bundaberg’s Rhys Davis in the Under-13 Boys Wheelrace Final. 
Rockhampton’s George Tucker on his way to victory in the Under-15 Boys Wheelrace Final Zander Davis leads out in the Under-15 Boys Wheelrace Final.
Gold Coast also produced another robust team performance, including with 14 victories, with Austin Smith leading their charge with five, in the U11 Combined 2 Lap Scratch Race, 500m Handicap, Unknown Distance, 800m Handicap, and 3 Lap Scratch Race.
Reilly Dickson also came to the four with a three-peat of wins, in the U13 Boys 4 Lap Scratch Race, Unknown Distance, and 4 Laps Scratch Race.
Five other Gold Coasters also made it on to the winners’ list, Maddison Smith (U15 Girls Keirin Final), Mackenzie Smith (U13 Girls 500m Handicap), Evie-Rose Henderson-Cunnington (U9 400m Combined Handicap), Emerson Smith (U9 Combined 500m Handicap), and Whitfield Henderson-Cunnington (U9 Combined 600m Wheelrace Final).
Hamish Wright played a lone hand for Mackay, with a four-peat, in the Elite Men’s B 1200m Handicap, Unknown Distance, Keirin Final, and 15 Laps Scratch Race.
Petra Anderson achieved the same feat for Cairns, crossing first in the Women’s B 800m Handicap, Progressive Points 10 Laps, Unknown Distance, and Keirin Final, while two club-mates also prevailed, Kirra Rayner in the U15 Girls 800m Handicap, and Lucy Heffernan in the Elite Women’s B and Elite 1600m Wheelrace Final.
The University of Queensland club had three winners, two who chalked up doubles, John Hickson, in the Elite Men B Elimination Race and Progressive Points 12 Laps, and Shayne Hendren, in the Elite Men’s C Progressive Points 10 Laps and Unknown Distance, along with Scott Slade, who put his stamp on the Elite Men’s D 1200m Handicap.
Byron Davies flew the flag high for Ipswich with his three Elite Men’s A hat-trick of wins, in the 1200m Handicap, 2000m Wheelrace Final, and Keirin Final, while Lifecycle’s Jay Dorreboom snared the Elite Men C Elimination Race-Masters 1600m Wheelrace Final double, and Oscar Schoff’s brother Harry did Fraser Coast proud with his powered packed winning performance in the U17 Boys 1200m Wheelrace Final.
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