Dan Sullivan, Scott James, Brad Oaten and Bruce Jenkins were the grade winners on the Nowra Velo Club’s criterium program at the Tech Park circuit on Sunday.
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Sullivan (Hunter Districts) took a solo win in the A grade event while James, Oaten and Jenkins won in sprint finishes.
Sullivan was on a weekend visit to the South Coast and headed to the Tech Park on Sunday morning to take advantage of the local racing.
Halfway through the race Sullivan and Levi Johns broke from the field after many attempts. This duo worked well together to hold off the chase from behind that was led by Mark Williams, Richard Vitiello, Michael Berriman and Nick Johns.
Nathan Crump and Brooklyn Henry contributed to the chase efforts when possible.
With five minutes remaining Sullivan raced ahead to a solo win while Levi Johns hung on for second position over the line. Nick Johns and Vitiello battled side by side to the finish line for third position which went to Johns by less than half a wheel.
The B grade race was an active event with Jason Spence attacking continuously throughout the 30-plus minutes of racing.
Spence made a break with Scott James on different occasions but they were chased down each time. Into the bell lap and Dan Wells charged into that final lap with a 10-metre lead. Through the back straight James and Godfrey Green raced past and launched into the finish where James held Green to a two length-margin over the line.
Wells finished third ahead of Josh Henry, Brendon Miller, Spence, Curtis Trkulja, Isaac Mitchell, Amelia Trkulja and Gavin Nethery.
The field split early in the combined C and D grade event under the pressure of Geoff Lockhart and Dean Jackson. Brad Oaten matched every move from the attacking pair while Bruce Jenkins was keeping the second group under control.
Jackson was on the attack with two laps to go but it was Oaten first over the line ahead of Lockhart and Jackson.
Gary Bryce and Jose Pereira kept the effort going to the finish while Jenkins was the first of the D grade riders over the line by a length from Amy Mottram and Hubert Driehuis.
Two more programs will finalise the 2018 program for the Nowra Velo Club with racing starting in Wugan Street in the Albatross Aviation Tech Park next Sunday and then the club criterium championships will be held on November 25.