Cyrus Monk will be looking to consolidate his Cycling Victoria Road Series lead as he chases back-to-back Fred Icke road race title at Creswick on Saturday.
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The Melbourne University club rider will head a strong five-man contingent wearing Drapac Pat's Veg colours, including Ballarat-Sebastopol's Liam White.
Monk has picked up 56 points after four events in the 10-race series.
He leads clubmate Sean Lake by 14 points, but Lake is not riding on Saturday.
Monk's Drapac Pat's Veg teammate Matthew Ross (Caulfield Carnegie) is his nearest rival in the standings also going to Creswick for the 138km scratch event. Ross is third on 37.
Monk edged out White by 12 seconds in this event last year, with Nick White fourth
The Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club-run Fred Icke has attracted 220 entries across three divisions of elite men, masters men and women.
These include 48 elite A grade men and 17 A grade women.
While Monk heads the VRS points table, Neil van der Ploeg (Albury-Wodonga) is coming off a strong performance in the VRS, winning the latest event, the Tour of the South West, earlier this month.
The White brothers will again carry the host club’s hopes with Angus Lyons (VIS-John West) and Anchor Point South Coast duo Ashleigh Key and Simon Ward.
The Whites are fresh from impressive rides in the Victorian country road championships at Harcourt on Saturday.
Nick finished second behind Bendigo’s Jason Lea and Liam fourth.
Kirsty Deacon (Pitcher Partners), of Albury-Wodonga, and Coburg pair Justine Barrow and Claire Stewart shape as leading contenders in the A grade women’s event.
They are among the leaders in the VRS series.
Barrow finished second in the Baw Baw Classic.
This is the second year the Fred Icke road race has been contested as a scratch race.
As is the tradition, the classic will start and finish in Creswick and will be run over multiple laps 46km anti-clockwise circuit through Kingston, Blampied, Smeaton and Allendale.
Men's A and men’s masters A grades will cover three laps for 138km, with all other grades over two laps for 92km.
They will race in two waves.
WAVE 1
9am: women’s B and C grade
9.05am: men’s B grade masters
9.10am: elite men's C grade
9.15am: men’s C grade masters
WAVE 2
12.30pm: elite men’s A grade
12.35pm: men’s A grade masters
12.40pm: women's A grade
12.45pm: elite men’s B grade
THE Fred Icke classic is part of a Ballarat-Sebastopol Cycling Club feature triple-header this weekend.
The second round of the Cycling Victoria cyclocross junior and open age championships will be at Ballarat Showgrounds on Saturday.
SCHEDULE
3.30pm: “Kidz” non balance bikes
4.05pm: “Kidz” balance bikes
5pm: men’s C grade
5.50pm: women's open, A, B and C grades
6.45pm: men’s open and B grade
7.10pm: men's B (50 mins), Men's Open (35 mins)
8.10pm: men's A grade
The BSCC will join forces with the Villages of the Old Goldfields Association Cycle Club to host the State single speed cyclocross championships out of Hammon Park at Creswick on Sunday,