THE Burchell brothers made their mark in a South West Series cycling race on the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Older brother Matt won the Doug Pettingill Memorial from Hamilton to Port Fairy on Saturday, the fourth race on the 14-stage calendar.
His younger brother Simon capped a strong day for the Koroit-based pair, snaring fastest time honours.
Matt, 28, said Simon was an up-and-coming rider who already had him covered.
“Simon rode off scratch. He is going well. He is pretty light and quick,” he said.
“He is only 18. He is a handy little rider at the moment.”
Matt won the 33rd running of the 82-kilometre memorial in a sprint finish from Hamilton’s Chris Kennett.
Hamilton’s Mark McLaren, Mount Gambier’s Scott Waters and Portland’s Brett Creasy were involved in a spill 100 metres from the finish line.
Matt, a five-minute-marker, said weather conditions were favourable.
“There was a slight head wind all the way down, a south-easterly,” he said.
“Our bunch rode well all day and stayed away from the scratch group, so we were pretty lucky. We swept up all the other outmarkers.”
Wal Paton won the two sprints.
The race attracted 52 senior riders and 22 teenage entrants.
South West Series’ next race is the Soldiers’ Memorial in Mount Gambier on Anzac Day, April 25.