Riders raced through the Northern Territory’s dry-season sunshine on Sunday 09 August as the Darwin Cycling Club staged the Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo, an event that has grown into the Territory’s largest cycling gathering since launching in 2012.
The course sent competitors out from Darwin’s Waterfront Precinct towards Palmerston before looping through the rolling terrain of Charles Darwin National Park and returning to town for a well-earned cold beer.
In the marquee 122km Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo, Matt King of the Darwin Cycling Club sprinted across the line to take the men’s title in 03:19:22 at an average speed of 39.1 km/h. He was given no easy passage, with Mark Lackenby crossing just 2 seconds behind and clubmate Kelvin Harris a further 2 seconds back in third.
The victory continues a long association with the top step for the 37-year-old King, who won the national under-23 time trial title in January 2008 on the Ballarat circuit in Victoria, beating his nearest rival by just 1 second on that occasion too.
In the women’s race over the same distance, Kate Bourchier, also of the Darwin Cycling Club, produced the standout ride of the day, clocking 03:22:36 at 38.4 km/h — a speed that would have placed her comfortably inside the men’s top 20 — to beat Kate Robertson into second by more than 25 minutes.
Over the shorter 82km Inpex Top End Fondo, Steven Cotten of the Darwin Cycling Club claimed the men’s title in 02:24:13 at 35.7 km/h, with Gary Cassidy finishing 2 seconds back and Julian Robinson matching Cassidy’s time for third.
The women’s race was a genuine two-rider contest, with Emily Roberts holding off Shanelle Tolley by just 30 seconds after nearly two and a half hours of racing, finishing in 02:25:29.
Darwin Cycling Club riders filled the podiums across three of the four categories, underlining the strength of the host club on home roads — and perhaps giving them first dibs on that post-race beer.
Top End Gran Fondo results HERE
Photo Credit: Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo
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