Preview: David Reid Homes Grafton to Inverell

06 May 2021 | 04:54 PMBy: Xavier Cordier

David Reid Homes Grafton to Inverell Release

It is another great weekend of cycling with the 60th edition of the David Reid Homes Grafton to Inverell on Saturday. The top men’s and women’s National Road Series (NRS) teams are ready to rip into the toughest Australian cycling classic following the gruelling Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool last weekend.

Warm autumn conditions are predicted for the 228km iconic race between Grafton and Inverell which will be a welcome relief for the 400 plus riders entered in this year’s event.

The race is never one to follow a script and the winner could come from any of the strong riders across the 19 teams in the Men’s NRS race. An upset may come from one of the individual riders, with several Australian international riders taking part after being unable to travel overseas during the COVID pandemic. This includes 2010 winner, Nathan Earle (Tas), who will be looking for a second victory after spending the last 10 years riding for some of the biggest teams in the world.

Event Director, Chris Thompson says ‘History has shown that you can never predict what is going to happen in the Grafton to Inverell. The race has been won in a number of different scenarios over the years that have been dictated by the diverse race tactics and environmental conditions facing the riders over the epic 228km journey.’

When looking for the strongest teams in the NRS, it is always hard to go past Team Bridgelane. The eleven-time consecutive NRS team classification champions have numerous likely winners and are generally confident going into any race. Ben Hill finished second in last weekend’s Melbourne to Warrnambool and will be looking at going one better when he takes the start line in Grafton.

Inform TMX Make were the star team of the National Road Championships earlier in the year and have made enormous progress over the last 12 months. Their confidence and form displayed over the summer of cycling has shown that they really have a squad of riders where anyone can take the win, a fact echoed by Pat Lane, head sports director for Inform TMX MAKE.

“I’d say all seven can win,” said Lane of his Warrnambool roster. “If you’ve got seven who can win, it’s about using that to our advantage. We will not be out there riding for one rider, it will be about taking opportunities and then having the others sitting behind.”

“We’ll focus on our own strategy, the team we have are strong enough, so we’ll focus on our own race rather than worrying about other teams. If they race well, we should be able to get a really good result.”

Their squad does include Raphael Freienstein, who was runner-up in 2018 and the winner of the NRS overall points title in 2018. He will again be a rider to look out for on a course that appears to really suit his ability.

The locals in Inverell will get to cheer their own to the finish as Callum Dolby (Backroadz Racing Team) and Brent Rees (NCMG Criterion Racing) will be amongst the 140 riders contending for the overall title.

In 2021, for the first time, the event will also feature a National Road Series (NRS) event for women (Gibraltar to Inverell des Femmes) conducted as a separate division over the shorter distance of 136.6km that commences from Mulligans Hut at the top of the Gibraltar Range. The race will be the longest and toughest women’s event ever held as part of the NRS and has attracted the leading riders from around the country.

ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast have a good squad of strong riders and have scouted out the course which will be held over the notoriously tough back half of the course, filled with sharp climbs and dead roads.

“We actually went and rode it the other week with our Queensland-based riders, the men’s team did the men’s course and the women’s team did the women’s course,” said Stuart Shaw, head of performance for ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast. “It was savage, brutally hard and both the men’s and women’s teams are looking forward to taking on the Grafton. Everyone came away knowing how hard that race is.”

“I think the women’s teams haven’t had the same exposure to the Grafton and just how hard it is on the other side of the Gibraltar range.”

The teams five rider squad is led by strong sprinter Ruby Roseman-Gannon who has been a consistent performer in National races over the last year.

The other major contenders include former Australian Road Race Champion, Peta Mullens, from the Roxsolt Liv SRAM team and her team-mate, Justine Barrow, who finished second in the Melbourne to Warrnambool last weekend. Matilda Reynolds (Specialized Racing) will also be looking at completing an historic double after taking victory in Melbourne to Warrnambool last weekend.

The 60th edition of the David Reid Homes Grafton to Inverell will have highlights broadcast on SBS TV and the SBS Cycling Central’s Facebook page after the race.

Live commentary of all divisions of the race will be broadcast on Loving Life FM 103.1 Grafton (race start) and Sta FM 91.9 Inverell.

G2I