Benchmark Homes Elite Series Round 3

Race morning came clear and crisp and full of expectation for
the guys, who were raring to go, the team kit looked really smart and they certainly stood out in the crowd!

There was a neutral ride until the main highway that gave the
lads a chance to warm up, and settle any nerves, with little wind the day was showing promise of being a fast one.  The peloton didn’t disappoint with the pace high right from the start, with an average of 44km. The guys put
in a solid show and were mixing it up with the best of them with a couple of the
team covering the breaks and maintaining a solid standing to give other
members a fighting chance in the later stages.  This solid effort in the first half of the race had an impact on the first couple of hills, when the first couple of riders dropped off the bunch; however the fresher legs of the others allowed them to stay in there and keep the team in a strong standing.

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The hills certainly had an impact on the peloton which was now
split into two sizable groups, in the chase group we had a strong showing and were still pushing hard.  The substantial hills through the mid section made for a climbers dream and started to splinter the riders further.  The
team was split up into smaller groups but kept pushing through the pain, and maintaining a good placing. Once the flatter areas arrived it showed off some of the team members strength at time trialling, the pace was on here! 
The first two to drop had regrouped and were powering away, picking up any stragglers along the way.  It was a proud moment at the finish as the whole team had made it across that brutal finish line, all with smiles on their faces.
 
As a diversified group of riders with limited experience the day
proved to be a good one, and they are starting to show some real grit and are
fired up and ready for stage 4.
 
A big thank you to our sponsors: 
             
Golden Homes             
CFO Services             
High 5             
Cycle Surgery            
Kings Electrical 
 
And to our team manager: Mary Jones, who is always there with
her unique style and tough love… couldn’t do it without you Mary.

Not to forget our support crew, Jos Rastrick, Jo Eckersley, Nadine Voice.  As partners and wives of the team your support on the day and during training is invaluable, thanks ladies

- Daniel McDonald

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