Smith's breakthrough cup glory

REUBEN Smith from the Wangaratta Cycling Club has broken through with the biggest win of his career to take out the prestigious Melbourne Cup on Wheels last Saturday. The 17-year-old didn't hit the lead until the very last bend of the Darebin International Sports Centre velodrome in the final, which was enough to claim a place in Victorian cycling history and a $750 pay cheque to boot. Smith said it was an unbelievable feeling as he won a thrilling sprint to the line. “As I passed the final rider with 20 metres to go, the sense of elation overcame me as I hit the line,” he said. “With two laps to go, my legs were burning and the lungs could barely keep up; I just knew I had to relax as best I could, and to be patient and maintain my speed. “I didn’t dare to dream even after I swooped around the front markers in the final bend.” The win has launched Rueben’s name with some of the great names of Australian Cycling, with previous winners including Sid Patterson, Danny Clark, Dean Woods and current Olympian Matthew Glaetzer in its 86 year history. The race is run as a handicap over six laps of the 250m velodrome, with backmarkers reaching speeds of up to 70kph. More than 50 riders took part in the men’s category, with riders needing to place in the top six of their heat to progress to the final. As a backmarker (105m), Smith was tasked with a challenging heat to catch a slew of front markers down the track, which he did convincingly to win his heat. The final shaped up as a great race with the form riders from the state and interstate including the likes of Victoria Institute of Sport's (VIS) Sam and Oscar Gallagher taking their spot. After the starter's gun, Smith worked up his speed in the first 250m and began to overtake the front markers at a successive rate. With three laps to go, Smith still had some chasing to go to reel in the remaining front markers, while holding the other backmarkers at bay. With one lap to go, Smith was holding on grimly to his maximum speed as he swooped around the front pack on the final bend. In the final straight, Smith had the speed on his side as he clawed his way past the leader to shoot to the line and win. Smith was effusive in thanking his family for their support since he took up cycling, his coaches past and present, and his training squad. “To think four years ago I was here as a kid learning how to ride the velodrome for the first time as part of the beginner's squad; never would I have dared to dream I could win such an important race as this,” he said. Wangaratta Cycling Club secretary Paul Somerville said it was vindication for over three years of hard training and sacrifice, with Smith and his family often having to go to Melbourne for training two to three times per week due to the unavailability of the velodrome at Wangaratta. “The win was absolutely fantastic for the club; this is one of the biggest races on the track cycling calendar and for a small club like us to win this, is beyond a David and Goliath outcome,” he said. As is so often the case at a cycling meeting, Smith had little time to celebrate before his next race where he teamed up with Lawson Franzman of the Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club in the Victorian Elite Madison Championship. Smith and Franzman were teaming up for the first time and were up against some seasoned combinations in the six team strong field. With the race going down to the final sprint of the 100 laps, the more experienced combination of Oscar Gallagher and Xavier Sirianni from VIS were able to nail their changes at critical points of the race. This combination won the Madison state title with 38 points ahead of Smith and Franzman in second place on 26 points in a highly entertaining race. Jo Somerville also competed at the Melbourne Cup on Wheels with an improved showing over the course of her four races. The highlight for Somerville was coming second in the Women's C Grade Track Crit race. Somerville also had the honour of leading the Melbourne Cup on Wheels Women Race for the first four laps, until the backmarkers unfortunately caught her with two laps to go. The Wangaratta Cycling Club encouraged any young cyclist who is interested in the speed of velodrome racing to visit training at the Wangaratta Showgrounds. The club will be holding a junior clinic each Friday evening from 5:30pm from Friday, November 17 until Christmas.

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