Some of Dubbo Cycle Club's brightest up-and-coming riders were in action at the recent Hunter Junior Tour.
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The tour kicked off with a tough time trial and experienced riders Cooper Farr, Isabelle Russell and the quick Sid Pickering all claimed placings in the opening event while Scarlett Weeks, Bella Weeks and Harry Weeks gained valuable experience of competing in race conditions.
Stage 2 was the criterium, which is a fast and furious event.
Under 17s riders Russell produced a well-timed sprint from the bunch and had to settle for second after missing out on the win by less than half-a-wheel.
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Farr finished ninth in a bunch sprint while Pickering was just off the back of the pack in 11th.
In the under 13s girls race, Dubbo was represented by Scarlett Weeks, who earned two points for finishing second and it was another valuable learning experience.
Under 15s rider Bella Weeks and older brother Harry, under 17s, were also learning the ropes in some of their first tour events.
On day two, the road race was contested as stage three of the tour.
Farr finished seventh and Pickering was tenth while Scarlett Weeks produced a fantastic ride and finished sixth, not far off the pack of five which went across the line first.
The distance proved just a little too much for Bella Weeks in the under 15s while Russell battled it out in the sprint finish with Nicole Duncan from Central Coast and finished second in the 60km, under 17s event.
Overall general classification for the resulted in Russell finishing third, just seven seconds off second.
Harry Weeks, capping off his very first junior tour, finished 30th in one of the biggest under 17s fields seen in recent times while Bella Weeks finished a hugely impressive sixth overall.
Scarlett Weeks showed real grit and determination to finish seventh overall in the under 13s girls, while Farr and Pickering were ninth and 11th respectively in the under 13 boys.
For some real-world racing experience, the final race of the weekend was a combined age category handicap.
Russell got her moment in the sun when she finished as the fastest female there while Farr impressed when finishing second and Pickering finished a hard-fought fifth.
In selection news, Russell, Makayla Fuller and Imogen Fuller have earned places in the AusCycling Development Academies.
These academies have been formed as a component of the pre-performance rider development pathway, seeking to identify, develop, and support riders in targeted age groups to acquire the attributes required to progress through the performance pathways on and off the bike.
In local action, road mini tour featuring club TT championships will be held for seniors on Saturday at South Geurie. Riders are encouraged to enter early.
From 10am on Sunday, juniors will have a time trial at the Dubbo Regional Cycling Facility.
