JUST over two tenths of second – that is all that denied Bathurst BMX Club talent Joel Goulding victory in his final at the Hawkesbury Open last Sunday.
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He and eventual winner Reid Clough staged a good battle in the 17-24 men’s decider as it came right down to the final metres.
Clough had the better of the start, but thanks to his inside line, Goulding had moved into second by the first turn. That pair then pulled away from the chasing pack and down the final straight, the Bathurst rider tried to pass his rival on the outside.
He couldn’t quite get there, Clough clocking a 33.611 seconds with Goulding second on 33.858.
That second placing added to a pair of wins in his motos, making it a good day for the Bathurst rider.
Fellow Bathurst club member Hayley Wolfenden also opted to ride in the 17-24 men’s category, though she did not get to square off on the track with Goulding.
She ended up placing ninth, just one point off qualifying for the final, with a pair of fifth placings plus a third in her motos.
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It was the first time Wolfenden had competed against male riders at an open meeting, but she wanted to challenge herself ahead of bigger events.
“I got the result that I kinda set myself,” she said.
“A lot of the boys are significantly quicker and they make you think a lot more too. Like in my first race, I threatened to move across on a boy and it’s something you can normally get away with against most of the girls, but with the boys, they’ll take an inch.
“They will pass you with an inch of track, so when you threaten, you’ve got to follow through with it. The guys don’t hold back so if you decide to do something, then you’ve got to do it.”
Wolfenden clocked a 38.190 in that opening moto, but had lowered the mark to 37.611 by her third.
“It was my best time and I nearly had one boy land on top of me,” she said.
“He jumped and I didn’t and he was coming down, so I tapped the brake because I thought he was going to end up on top of me. But it was all good, it was my quickest time, I was starting to get over my nerves and ride better.”
