North rode an aggressive race over the 70 kilometre event, continually asking questions of the peloton and attempting to instigate a breakaway.

However, getting away proved a near impossible task for North who was marked from the opening kilometre.

It wasn't until the ride into the Mount Panorama pits complex – inside the final two kilometres – that North was able to get away. He was joined by Lincoln Hey and Josh Brodie in the late dash to the finish line.

Hey (Central Coast Cycling Club) won in a time of one hour, 45 minutes and 13 seconds. Brodie (+3 secs) won the fight for second ahead of North.

“As a triathlete, to have cyclists scared of you is funny. I like going out hard, trying to hurt people. I like to think that if I’m hurting they’ve got be hurting just as bad,” North said.

“I was a fair way back at the start so it took me a while to get to the front. Once I got there I thought it was time to dig in and I had a bit of a gap until the first hill when they caught me.”

North’s breakaway attempts didn’t end there.

In his attempt to try and thin out the field he launched another four attacks inside the first 20 kilometres of the race.

Two other riders managed to get away from the main bunch in the race towards Newbridge’s king of the mountain climb.

North was eager to defend his KOM crown but came up just short in his attempt.

“I had to climb solo and tried to bring them back myself. Unfortunately with about 10 metres to go I had them in sight but got swarmed at the end and fell back to fifth or sixth,” North said.

“We had so many attacks late in the race … [but] luckily the race settled down going down Rydges.

“I had a plan with my coach, Richard Hobson, that I’d attack late in the tunnel and use my strength on the downhill.

“I was surprised that it worked to be honest. I managed to get away with the guy who won it and the guy who finished second. 

“Not being a sprinter, I got rolled at the line, but I was shocked that it paid off.”