By ALEXANDER GRANT

IT sounds a little strange and even hard to believe, but the 110-kilometre Blayney to Bathurst was yesterday taken out by a rider who doesn’t class cycling as his main sport.

Against competitors who dedicate their lives to the sport, it was current Australasian Superbike Championship rider Troy Herfoss who claimed victory in the long course edition in a time of two hours, 32 minutes and five seconds.

The Goulburn rider held on to a small break he forged in his final few hundred metres, holding out Ben Harvey (St George) and Jacob Kauffmann (Manly) in a tight ride to the line.

Herfoss, a rider in the event almost every year since 2009, moved to the front on the turn for home in the Mount Panorama pits complex and couldn’t be headed.

A sport he took up just to maintain fitness for his motorbike racing has now brought an unexpected piece of glory for Herfoss.

“Once I started racing I got that rush like I do on the motorbike,” Herfoss said.

“One thing led to another, I soon met a good group of people from Goulburn. We really enjoyed riding together and I just love it. I’ve been coming to this race for a while now, this was my first big race. I just love it, it’s a great weekend. 

“Never thought in a million years that I would win it. I can’t believe it. It’s an unbelievable experience.

“I always think I’d like to do some national road races but it’s just such a commitment. I’ve got so much respect for these guys. They ride week in and week out ... I can prepare for a race like this because I can get motivated for that one race, but these guys are back at it the week after.”

After several failed attempts, a group of nine riders broke off the front 10km into the race but never managed to push the gap higher than a minute back to the main group.

Of that group one of the hardest workers was Kauffmann. Two riders eventually fell away on the run into the base of Rockley Mount and started to chip away at the gap.

Driving the chasing was the NSWIS team which had no riders in the breakaway and were keen to get Mudgee’s Ayden Toovey the win.

By the base of the climb a group of around 50 riders were all back together, but it didn’t take long for last year’s winner, Josh Berry, to make his move on the climb.

The field fractured into three smaller groups but Herfoss was able to keep in touch with the leading bunch.

The now smaller front group of around 30 riders stuck close together on the run out of Perthville, as Herfoss positioned himself towards the front.

He latched on to the back of Kauffmann on the run into Mount Panorama and by the home turn Herfoss had moved in front by 50m. It was a break that Harvey came agonisingly close to shutting down, but it wasn’t to be.

A final group of 29 riders finished within 45 seconds of Herfoss.

According to Herfoss, the race couldn’t have played out more perfectly for him in a way that removed his weaknesses and capitalised on his strengths.

“I seem to be the body shape that I can’t win a massive bunch sprint and I can’t climb with the best, but I seem to be able to get over with a small group,” he said.

“If I do get over with a small group I’m usually the fastest finisher and that was the case today with a select group getting over.

“The hill’s not big enough that the climbers can really open their legs up. 

“I got over with a few guys and I had a team-mate from Goulburn with me (Cameron Roberts) which doesn’t happen a lot when we only get a couple of guys in the break. 

“We’ve got a really strong club presence for such a small town. They all rode as a team for me and helped me so I really appreciated it.”