Sixteen-year-old Jacques Collombet showed great form in last Monday’s 20-kilometre cycle race from the Thornton School, Western Drain Road circuit by taking first place and fastest time of the night.

The 17 starters in the handicap race left in four groups with Donna Smit being first away, followed by Albie Hulse, Stue Turner, Kevin McComb and Denis Sax on five minutes, then, on three minutes, the strong group of Dean Sisson, Scott Christie, Corrie Smit,and Greg Melcolm, followed by Neil Jones, Zoe Christie, Antone Collombet and Jeremy Anderson, who had a two-minute start on the scratch bunch of Jacques, Lilly Collombet and Loren Hickson.

Jacques made a break from his fellow scratch riders with about 10km to go and time trialled across to the two-minute group, which had already caught the front groups.

In the mad dash for the line outside Thornton School, Jacques had the legs to win the sprint comfortably from Anderson, Jones and Zoe Christie in fourth place.

Thursday’s race was once again a handicap race over two laps of the challenging Fosters Road course.

A good size field of 17 faced the starter.

Donna Smit took full advantage of her 15-minute start on the scratch riders by taking out first place.

The very strong group of riders on three minutes led by Phil McIlroy-Bisley, who was having first race back for about a year.

Helping Phil out were Zoe Christie, Jones, Sisson, Malcolm Harison, Corrie Smit, Dave Wright, Sax and Antone Collombet.

In the sprint for second place behind Donna, the big group of eight riders opened up with about 600 metres to go, with Bisley leading out first, and, like a gentleman, he pulled over with 200m to go with Sisson going for the line at a great pace, but was overtaken by Zoe Christie, who judged her sprint to perfection and showed her class as a road rider.

Fastest time of the night went to Alex Coventry from Jacques and sister Lilly Collembet.

Thursday’s race will be a points race from Te Rahu Road, starting at 6pm.

If any cyclist out there would like to have a go at this exciting sport, you are very welcome to just turn up with a bike.