We're the hosts of a brand new facility that got a really positive response from the riders, everyone was really excited by the feel of the track.
- Matthew Gilbert
It wasn't exactly the way that the Dubbo Cycling Club had hoped to see their new, high-level cycling track after its grand opening week, but by all accounts the River street facility was met with glowing reviews for the time it was open across the weekend.
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While Saturday's leg of the junior championships were able to proceed, with some alterations due to the inclement weather bombarding Dubbo for periods of time, Sunday's planned schedule of events was called off completely early in the day after the wet conditions left the track unable to be used safely.
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Dubbo Cycle Club's president Matthew Gilbert said that the club had been 'fortunate' to be able to complete the first two junior championship events scheduled, but will need to re-arrange the others to be held in the future.
"We were fortunate enough on Saturday to get through the first two championships, the time trial and the scratch race, the open carnival got through their handicaps and the Kieran races, but unfortunately we weren't able to get to the main event, the Cliff Hazel memorial wheel race, or the last of the scratch races," Gilbert said.
"We're now looking and working with Cycling NSW to incorporate the other events somewhere further down the year in another part of the calendar."
Gilbert said that a gap in Saturday's rainfall had allowed them to hold as many events as possible, whereas the consistent downpour early on Sunday had not allowed them any time to arrange the criterium or other open events.
"It was clear once we got here at about 7 or 8 in the morning that we'd have to cancel, otherwise the people who'd come very far would be heading home in the dark, travelling long distances after cycling which isn't ideal," Gilbert said.
"The money that was put towards the wheel race will now be put toward another event, we're the hosts of a brand new facility that got a really positive response from all the riders, everyone was really excited by the feel of the track."
While Gilbert was disappointed that the event was impacted, he joined many others in noting that it was good that the impact had come at the expense of more rain for the drought-hit regions, as well as thankful that there were no falls or injuries as a result of the wet conditions.
"It all becomes quite slippery on track, so on the official advice, we had to pull the events."
