Star Dubbo cyclist Kurt Eather experienced both the best and worst of the sport at the weekend, taking out the Keegan Downes Memorial Sundowner Handicap on Saturday before crashing and dislocating his shoulder in Sunday’s Gunnedah to Tamworth scratch race.
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With a strong tailwind-turn-crosswind, Eather, who started in chopping block or the second last group at 32 minutes, outsprinted five other riders to record a memorable win in the Keegan Downes Memorial Sundowner Handicap, a 110 kilometre trek through hilly terrain from Coonabarabran to Gunnedah.
“I … just got on the right wheel coming into the sprint,” Eather said.
The reigning Australian under-17 road race champion hopes to compete in the junior world championship next year, and then the Olympics.
“Yeah, it’s looking pretty good,” he said of his future. “Hopefully big things can happen.”
The victory had special significance for Eather; his extended family still live in Gunnedah, and his father Vaughn was a close friend and clubmate of the late Keegan Downes, who was tragically killed whilst training on his bike.
He also joins Dubbo Cycle Club’s Jason Farr as riders who have won the event while in their teens.
But Eather’s win nearly didn’t happen; Toowoomba’s Daniel Draheim led as the solo breakaway until the 70.3km mark when he suffered a double puncture of the same tyre and then an inflator malfunction.
He said he had established about a three-minute lead over some of the limit riders – who started 11 minutes before him – and was “only getting stronger”.
“Gutted,” Draheim said post-race. “I was half confident at that stage that I may have got the … biggest win [of my career] … I was pretty cranky with the race gods today.”
Dubbo’s Simone Grounds was the first female to cross the line, finishing 42nd overall, and took the prize for fastest woman in the race.
Tim Hines finished eighth only 18 seconds down on Eather, while Jason Farr finished 39th and David Gerrish was 66th.
Saturday’s success quickly turned to disaster on Sunday when Eather was brought down in a crash shortly after the neutralised start of the 108km Gunnedah to Tamworth division one scratch race, which saw the talented rider taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
Riders again had to endure tough conditions throughout Sunday, with very strong cross winds battering the six divisions.
Tim Hines (fourth) and Jason Farr (fifth) narrowly missed podium placings in the division two scratch race, while David Gerrish finished seventh in the division three event.
Former Dubbo rider Simon Meredith chalked up a second placing in the division four scratch race, while Sam Fitzgerald punctured mid-race to finished 18th.
In division six Dubbo’s Nina Dowling (ninth), Heather Ticehurst (11th) and Sarah Gordon (13th) also turned in strong performances.
