CYCLING - Johnstone uses sprint superiority to claim club title

LEE Johnstone used his superior sprinting technique to win the Marsden Wheelers club championship title, but only after fending off a feisty bid from newcomer Ben Evans in the final event of a three-race series.
Johnstone won the 10km time trial in 13m 55s, with Evans a close second, but then conceded the hill climb race that followed as Evans used his strength on the gruelling Rushbrook Rd climb to win.
But in the final 33km road race, Johnstone won out after an exhausting battle with Evans, Elliot Frizelle and Jonathan Jarman. Evans repeatedly attacked Johnstone on the inclines, but was unable to break clear. Johnstone then nailed the game with a withering burst to the finish line.
The annual club championship was one of the most exciting for a long time. In previous years there has usually been a rider who dominated all of the three separate events. However this year, with no overall favourite, there was uncertainty until Johnstone's sprint finish in the road race.
Evans had finished third in the Mizone Four Day tour two weeks previously. In contrast, Lee Johnstone has recently placed highly in single day events down country.
In the short distance, (U15 and U17 men and all the women) Mathew Zenovich proved too strong while the women's title went to Ruth Jarman and first junior woman was Eryn Lovell.
RESULTS:
Short Course: Mathew Zenovich (U15), 51m 30s, 1; Sam Frizelle (U17), 53m 05s, 2; Tim Riddell (U17), 54m 11s, 3.
Women: Ruth Jarman, 59m 14s, 1; Eryn Lovell (U19), 1h 4m 01s, 2; Kim Reyburn, 1h 6m 11s, 3.
Long Course: Lee Johnstone, 1h 15m 30s, 1; Ben Evans, 1h 15m 47s, 2; Elliot Frizelle (U19), 1h 16m 43s, 3.