BATHURST Cycle Club’s Luke Gillmer reigned supreme in Orange Cycle Club’s Christmas Cup - the biggest event on the club’s calendar - claiming the overall title by over a minute from second-placed Geoff Short, also from Bathurst.

Gillmer started the race in group four, with a handicap of eight minutes, and finished the first lap of the Forest and Huntley roads course in 18th position overall, clocking 50 minutes and 37 seconds.

He made up plenty of ground in the second lap of the race, clocking 34.07 and going into the final lap in fourth spot.

In the race’s final lap, Gillmer broke away from the front runners, eventually finishing in an overall time - including his handicap - of 2:00.28, over a minute in front of Short (2:01.38).

Short was the best of a group of 12 riders battling it out for placings. He and a number of other Bathurst riders controlled the group for the final lap to ensure Gillmer wasn’t caught.

That group of front runners even caught the backmarkers - those who start the race first - at the 40 kilometre mark.

Orange’s Janet Martin proved the fastest of the women on the day, finishing 11th in 1:49.40 which, including her 12-minute handicap, equated to an overall time of 2:01.40, three seconds in front of fellow Orange rider Lauren Kerwick in 13th.

Mudgee’s Jordan Payne was the quickest of the men on the day, clocking 1:37.40. With his 25-minute handicap, Payne finished with an overall time of 2:02.38 for 14th overall and 12th in the male division.

Bathurst also claimed a win in the junior division, a race over 23km, with Kalinda Robinson taking the top prize in 43.22, while Jessie Dean, Orange’s best, claimed second place in 43.46. The pair also claimed first and second respectively in the girls’ division.

Lachlan Burke, from Mudgee, was the best of the boys, coming third overall in the division with a time of 44.04.

matt.findlay@fairfaxmedia.com.au