Burkes Cycles Speed League Spring Series Wrap: Huntin’ Hunkin Unstoppable

Lisa Hunkin continued her domiance of the women’s competitions at the seventh round of the track cycling Burkes Cycles Speed League Spring Series held at the Wellington Velodrome in Hataitai on Sunday December 11. Hunkin picked up another 12 league points with a great win in the B grade 2 lap Sprinters’ Scratch and second in the 8 lap Scratch.

Hunkin, last season’s overall women’s victor is well in front of her nearest rival on points and well poised to take another Champion System winner’s jersey. With her focus on the shorter events, she has been unstoppable in the one-on-one The Lanes Sprint Ace races, and Sunday was no exception, as Hunkin smoothly beat Grace Saywell into second.

With Speed League taking a pause until the Summer Series kicks off in January 2017, riders can reflect on an excellent first half of the season. Race official and former Cycling NZ selector, Kirsty Fleming says the standard of racing has been really high.

“A real highlight for us is to see new riders coming along and improving really quickly,” says Fleming. “They also get really good support from riders who have raced for a long time which makes for a really positive environment.”

As usual, some of the most competitive action has been in the junior grades where Millie Donald has had a ding-dong battle with Alex Baguley for the overall lead in the under 11 girls. She holds a slender four point lead over Baguley who racked up a whopping 20 points during round seven, partly thanks to two wins in the D grade Hare and Hounds and Sprinters’ Scratch.

Likewise, Jackson Moyle in the under 13 boys is ahead by only 13 points over Elliot Robertson after the duo exchanged the lead a number of times since the season started at the end of October. Caleb Moyle took advantage of rival Louis Hodgkinson’s absence and jumped into the top position in the under 17 boys with a highly profitable win in the C grade Hare and Hounds.

In the Coffee Supreme open men’s grade, Nick Warren maintains a comfortable lead ahead of Matt Disney and Bruce Cook with wins in the 10 lap Scratch and 12 lap Points Race. Cook resumed his The Lanes Sprint Ace battle with Gideon Burke taking this week’s ride off by a bike length and leads the competition by just one point over Burke.

Rivet Racing lead the Zeal Commercial Interiors Teams’ Prize by two points from Lone Rangers.

Burkes Cycles Speed League 2016-17 category leaders: Open and under 19 men: Nick Warren Open and under 19 women: Lisa Hunkin Under 17 girls: Grace Saywell Under 17 boys: Caleb Moyle Under 15 girls: Amelia Taylor Under 15 boys: Josh Turnbull Under 13 girls: Zoe Perry Under 13 boys: Jackson Moyle Under 11 girls: Millie Donald