Downs cyclists shine at state titles

DARLING Downs Cycling Cup members shine at State Team Time Trial Championships.

Darling Downs Cycling Club members who won gold medals at the 2019 State Team Trial Championships are (from left to right) Dean Russell, Richard Macavoy, Ashley Seawright, Wayne Sorour, Daniel Draheim, Anne Elliott, Robert Partington and Trent West.

CYCLING : Darling Downs Cycling Club Masters riders are showing no signs of slowing down.

If results from this year’s State Team Time Trial Championships are anything to go by, they at the top of their game.

Club members finished the titles at Currumbin Valley Way with eight gold medals.

Dean Russell, Daniel Draheim, Richard MacAvoy and Trent West struck gold in the Men’s Masters 1-3 (30-44 years) event.

In the Men’s Masters 6-7 (55-64 years) category, Robert Partington, Ashley Seawright and Wayne Sorour teamed with invitee Robin Cain from Wynnum Redlands Cycling Club to also take gold.

Rounding out the Downs’ club’s winning performance was Anne Elliott who rode to first place with the Moreton Bay Cycling Club team in the Women’s Masters 1-3 (30-44 years).

Partington said his team’s win over the reigning champion Brisbane club of the past four years was reward for hard training and “good fun”.

“Ashley Seawright put our team together which included Robin Cain from the Wynnum Club,” Partington said.

“Robin and Wayne Sorour are related and Cycling Queensland has changed the rules to allow composite teams.

‘We had a pretty strong team. Robin won the state criterium championship.

“We race against each other, and it’s good to ride together in a team environment.

“We did a lot of training, and it was good fun.

“The Currumbin Valley Way course is fairly flat at the start but then you begin heading upwards.

“It’s a technical course where you can get caught out on one or two corners in particular coming back downhill.

“But we all enjoyed it and we hope to do it together again soon.

“It was great to see our Downs club riders have success across the event.

“The 1-3 team is very experienced and did well.

“Anne Elliott is a very strong rider who has done the worlds and she helped make up a talented Moreton Bay team.

“We do cycling for fun, but if the rewards come our way in competition that’s good and is a bonus.

“I’m competing at Noosa this weekend as part of a team again and I’m really looking forward to it.

“Our club is open to all cyclists and they would be more than welcome to join us as members.

“You can participate at whichever level you choose and I’m pretty sure you will enjoy the club and team environment.”

Partington, Russell and Elliott were also awarded Queensland Individual Time Trial Series medals.

The individual events were held leading up to the team championships.