mmg.com.au

It was all in a day’s work for Mooroopna cyclist Trent Stevenson, who shrugged off four months of rust to win the Shepparton Cycling Club Lake Criterium yesterday.

It is the second time the club has staged an event on the 3km Victoria Park Lake circuit this year, in what is expected to become a regular monthly fixture next summer.

Stevenson had not raced since taking out the Keith Esson Memorial Classic road race at Dookie in October, but looked comfortable throughout.

A lead bunch of five riders formed midway through the allotted 45 minutes, before Stevenson and his Bendigo-based teammate Brendan Schultz broke away just prior to the bell for two laps to go.

He then led a sprint finish across the line, with Nathan Glynn leading the chasing pack home for third.

‘‘I felt good, for early in the year the form’s not too bad,’’ Stevenson said.

‘‘Brendan was in that first break and Rhys Lewis and Nathan Glynn and I got across to them and once we formed the five we thought we were pretty fine then, the strongest boys were out there.

‘‘We were working well together, but with about 15 minutes to go a few boys started missing turns and that, so that’s why we went when we did.

‘‘Brendan led the sprint out and I just came off his wheel and that was that.’’

Stevenson has lined up three other criterium races in the lead up to a training camp at Easter, before getting back into road racing at the end of April.

In complete contrast to the first Lake Criterium last month, conditions were perfect, with the rain replaced by sunshine, making for a fast race.

Hawthorn cyclist Andrew McGrath blitzed the field in the B-grade race and Shepparton sports nut Mark Ryan backed up his morning triathlon with a win in C-grade.

A total of 53 riders took part in the event, including 20 in A-grade.

Seven juniors also took to the course in the morning in an encouraging sign for the future of the event.