Superb results for young Ben J
On Sunday I was racing in my first official under 17 race, the 2011 Auckland Centre Road Race Champs.
The race was 75km around a 25km circuit with nice smooth roads unlike Northland with the last 7k detoured to finish at the top of the Bombay Hills. With 28 of the centres top junior riders, the race started off just like a Sunday ride nice and easy until people wanted to try get away with a break but the bunch kept on chasing down any move and playing cat and mouse. I was just rolling though taking my laps keeping the pace up while the big guns were sorting themselves out.
4km into our last lap, five guys I knew that are good under 17 riders had just rolled off the front of the bunch and were about 20m ahead. So I knew had to get across to them so I bridged the gap. I rode up to them and said “do you want to go, and see what we can do”. So we smashed it and put heaps of pressure on the bunch who were chasing hard behind. With about 10km to go the time check motor bike came up to us and told us we had a 50 second lead… I rolled off the front of the break and tried going by myself but didn’t want to go all out just to get away from them and they ended up catching me. One by one they started to crack with me working them over. I was just sitting on the front going hard to keep away while my breakaway mates couldn’t pull their turn on the front. They all blew off the back of my wheel as i climbed up to the finish at the top of the Bombay hills by myself to take the win 30 seconds ahead of the next rider!!!
Thanks to Barry Ruddle for giving me a lift to the race and AvantiPlus Whangarei my sponsor for all the support and making it possible for me race!
Ben Johnstone
About Ben Johnstone
Ben Johnstone is our latest and youngest "sponsored rider."
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