ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 15th January, 2018

Hello Vets,

In this week’s Bleat;

• Registration Renewal for 2018
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports

Please send me your contributions at: TheBleat@actvets.cc

Ian Morton

Registration Renewal for 2018

Note: For new members who registered after 1 Oct 2017, your membership is valid up until the end of 2018.

2018 membership renewals are due. To renew, go to https://memberdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&OrgID=10244 or follow the prompts via our website www.actvets.cc. Click on the Login link and enter the username and password from last year. If you have forgotten your login and password , after clicking on ‘login’ – go to the tab at the top right hand side of the screen and click on ‘Username & Password’ – then forward your email address as requested in the box that will appear. SportsTG will then forward you the information.

You need to renew your membership prior to your first race in 2018.

As a courtesy to those committee members who work hard to ensure the club complies with the terms of our insurance cover and also produce the race results, please renew your membership at least 2 days prior to racing. Membership costs are:

• A full competitive membership for 2018 is $110
• A full competitive membership for a sight impaired tandem cyclist for 2018 is $95
• Non competitive membership for 2018 is $5

Upon renewal, your 2018 licence will be emailed to you direct from SportsTG. Please print out a copy and it is suggested that you laminate it or place it in plastic for future reference during the year ahead. You will need to show this licence if you enter events run by other Veteran Cycling Clubs or the AVCC.

Please ensure that your personal particulars are always kept up to date, in particular your emergency contact details. For those members with First Aid qualifications please also update the site. It is a member’s responsibility to keep these updated via the SportsTG website.

Kirsti McVay
Membership Secretary

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 16th January: Stromlo Criterium

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
B/D 5:50 B 45m+2, D 40m+2
E/F/G 6:40 30 min + 2 laps
A/C 7:15 A 45m+2, C 40m+2

Race Director: Robert Miller Contact: Email: photo@bobmiller.com.au    Ph  0411 271 656

Track Racing

Wednesday, 17th January: Track Racing

The Program for Wednesday is as follows:
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice
6.00pm – 7.30pm: Race Program;
– 10 lap Graded Scratch
– 4 lap Handicap
– 12 Lap Win & Out or 12 Lap Miss & Out
– Italian Pursuit

Road Racing

Road Racing will resume on the 4th February.

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Basically anyone who raced in 2017 will be required to marshal at least 1 race throughout the 2018 season. Marshals are critical to the running of events through the helping of finish line duties, driving trail/lead cars, turn points and setting up/packing up. The marshal assignment schedule for the first 6 months of the year is below. It is also on the race calendar and you receive an email advising you of it several weeks in advance, so there should be no excuses to missing your allocated race. If you are unavailable for your allocated race you need to organize a swap with another rider and advise the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc).

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo – 9nd January

First I would like to thanks rosemary Robinson and Ed Joliffe to have volunteered to officiate as first aider in the absence of our regular one (The club cannot proceed with a race if we do not have a first aid officer present as we would not be covered from AVCC insurance), and Phil Coulton our secretary who come to open and close the club house and set up the registration.

Well, the weather was not promising, a storm was brewing and rain was heavy on my way to the crit.

When there, the sky did clear up and the track started to dry. We decided to proceed to start the grade E,F,G which due to the poor outlook was only five optimists and brave riders for the three grades.

E grade Howard Moffat, Frank O’Sullivan & Rosemary Robinson, F grade the lonely rider Penelope Anderson, and of course in G grade Bernie Crow. Ten minutes in the race the rain did appear slowly and within few minutes was quite heavy, a couple of riders decided to dnf and I did call the race off after 20 minutes of racing due to lightning and heavy rain.

By 18:20 the rain was still heavy and a decision had to be made whether to go ahead with A and C racing , the turn up was very low as well, the few keen riders there where happy to start but for safety the racing had to be abandoned. This was quite frustrating for everyone but in balance I think it was the right decision as there is always next week and racing two or three rider per grade is not much fun even more so under the rain or on a wet track.

Many thanks to every one there.

Cheers
Alain

Narrabundah Track Racing – 10th January

Our Chief Commissaire / Handicapper, Graeme O’Neill, is away in Adelaide at some bicycle race…so we’re running the show for 3 weeks. With regime change…well…an attempted racing fee hike on the night was immediately quashed by the good turnout of 13 riders for the first 2018 Vets track session.

We ran the B Grade scratch race prior to A Grade…a big change as Kerry hadn’t renewed her membership yet, and had to do it online prior to warm up. What didn’t change on the night was the ever present head wind on the back straight; however no rain in sight for this track session unlike the previous evening with the Vets Crits being cancelled due to storms…

The B Grade 10 lap Scratch had 5 riders – somehow Gary Aisbitt nominated himself to B grade and was surprised by the consistent pace. The bunch circulated nicely, rather spread out and indeed first time (Bundadome) rider, Tim Mineham, on a Hillbrick 54cm loan bike – took the initiative on the bell lap, stayed high on the track, (out of the sprinters lane, i.e. the long way), and spun away for the win.

The A Grade 10 lap Scratch had 8 riders – the race pace was lifted by riders, Dougal Torrance, John-Paul DeSousa and Martin Graham as they each took a turn on the front!…So as the chasing continued and the gaps were closed, I found myself behind Steve Jones with the pace on, (usually I’m in front leading out) – I hit the sweet spot on the final turn and I got Jonesy on the line followed closely by John-Paul for 3rd.

The Flying 200 is a timed technical sprint event where a rider circulates high on the track to gather speed for a predetermined number of laps, the rider then comes down the track at high speed (50-55kmph) to intersect a start line and fly for 200 meters on the black line (bottom of track). B Grade times had a 2 second spread: Gary Aisbitt 13.73; Tim; with 14.39 and Steve Hirsler with a tidy 14.42. A Grade times were: Michael Langdon 13.00, Steve Jones a high cadence 13.65 and John-Paul DeSousa with 13.90.

The Mystery Race was set at 8 laps max; with the bell to be rung at a lap number predetermined by the Commissaire ; (usually using a deck of cards or numbered balls). B Grade started like cats on a hot tin roof, no-one willing to bet bit coins on the bell sounding on lap lap 2, therefore the bunch circulated taking turns and gathering speed. With Gary Asbitt high on the track after taking a turn on the front – Tim Mineham now warmed up, and with his track muscle memory coming back, was on the front as the bell rang on lap 6, Tim hit the gas and rolled in for 1st place, followed closely by Steve Hirsler and Ross Scutts. A Grade had a much more crystal ball gazing ride, with riders attempting to predict the mystery bell on their lap on the front. Martin Graham at any rate, has a penchant to go off the front – and after lap 5 he did exactly that – Martin got the bell on lap 8 – the chase was on; however Martin won the race with a quarter of a lap to spare with all the other riders in hot pursuit.

The Italian Pursuit is the final race of the night – with two teams lining up on each side of the track – each rider peels off after doing one lap on the front. We had 5 riders per team = 5 laps. Team 2 proceeding with the night’s change theme put one of its strongest riders, Alec Millet, on the front to start. Alec started well, and on a big gear – this gave Team 2 a gap of two bike lengths after lap one – Martin Graham at second wheel hung on and put in a solid second lap for Team 2 under pressure from Alec’s lead out; this maintained the gap for Team 2. Team 1 were close behind and closed on the initial lead of Team 2, however Tim Mineham, Kerry Knowler and then John-Paul (diesel) DeSousa at anchor thundered home for a Team 2 win. (John Paul cementing his place as “the” Italian Pursuit anchor rider).

(Possible “Belgian Win & Out” race for 17 Jan – a race that has a predetermined number of no-pull laps after which the bell is rung and the winner of the next lap is the 5th place winner and retires from the race. The bell is rung again and the winner of the next lap is the 4th place winner. This continues until the bell is rung for the final time and the winner of that lap is the 1st place winner of the race. The remaining racers will be placed by finishing order to round out the placings (6th place down)).

Major place getters were as follows:
10-Lap Scratch Race: (A Grade): Michael Langdon, Steve Jones, John-Paul DeSousa. (B Grade): Tim Mineham, Gary Aisbitt, Steve Hirsler.
Mystery Race: (A Grade) Martin Graham, Michael Langdon, Steve Jones. (B Grade) Tim Mineham, Steve Hirsler, Ross Scutts

Season Point Score Update:
Michael Langdon (203), Hamish Anderson (153), Ross Scutts (140), Tony Beasley (135), John Paul DeSousa (128), Paul Kennedy (73), Steve Hirsler (108), Phil Coulton (104).

Michael Langdon