JOSH Corcoran’s debut over the Blayney to Bathurst’s long course might not have been the best, but when tackling the 110-kilometre ride once more on Sunday he was much more impressive.
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The Bathurst Cycling Club member, who was representing GPM Stulz, got himself into the early breakaway before going on to place 24th overall.
His time of two hours, 38 minutes and 32 seconds gave him the honour of being the first 17-18 years rider to finish. It easily bettered his 2016 effort when ranking 98th in 2:42.47.
“I did the long course last year as well, but I went pretty ordinary, I didn’t do too well,” he admitted.
“This year after about 10 kays I got in the main break of about 13 riders or something like that and we were rolling through all the way.
“Then at Rockley Mount the taps went on and I was just only just hanging on, I was unable to follow them up there.
“I was just off the back of that main breakaway group.”
Corcoran was the third Bathurst rider to cross the line in the annual event, with the two who bettered him – Will Hodges and Craig Hutton - also wearing GPM Stulz jerseys.
Like their younger team-mate, Hodges and Hutton formed part of the early 16-man breakaway group that quickly gapped the chasing peloton.
But when the leading bunch split once more – a group of five including eventual winner Dylan Sunderland pulling off the front – the Bathurst duo could not go with them.
In the end there was just under two minutes between those groups.
Hodges (2:38.14) crossed the line in 14th, a big improvement on his 65th in 2016, while Hutton (2:38.16) ranked 21st.
“For GPM that was a good ride for us, we were happy with that,” Hodges said.
“No-one wanted to work in the chase, there were four or five of us and I tried to drive it, but no-one else wanted to work.
“The break got away before the climb and a few of us were working on the front to keep it manageable, but no-one else wanted to manage anything.”
That trio were not the only Bathurst Cycling Club members to impress in the Blayney to Bathurst.
In the 70km short course, Kirsten Howard (1:50.08) was the first female finisher, while she and Nick North took the king of the mountain honours.
Bathurst also had six additional age group winners in the short course: Billy Hutton (1:49.59); Harrisen Bryant (1:50.1); Daniel Went (1:50.02); Tony Barlow (1:50.04); Jim Lavis (1:56.39) and Susan Richards (2:44.29).
