Hello Vets,

In this week’s Bleat;

  • Gunning 2 Day
  • From the Desk of the Handicapper
  • Indoor Winter training for Vets
  • Interstate Events
  • Racing this Week
  • Race Reports

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

Ian Morton

Gunning 2 Day

Dear Members,

I hope you’re getting excited for Gunning on the 5th and 6th of May. Despite asking for approval in January, we’re yet to receive the ok from NSW Police. Our Secretary Phill Coulton has been managing the issue and helped Police track down the issue which should be sorted shortly.

As you may know, I am the race Director for the whole weekend. Whilst some lovely people have volunteered their time already I still need 5 people for Saturday and Sunday. It’s only a half day with lunch on Sunday in the picturesque hamlet of Gunning. Please email me at president@actvets.cc if you can assist.

Please come and helped out or alternatively come and race the challenging course. It’s an awesome weekend of racing all for the paltry price of $35.

Regards,

Dougal Torrance
President,
ACT Veterans Cycling Club

From the Desk of the Handicapper

There are no handicap promotions this week.

Indoor Winter training for Vets

The Club has secured the coaching services of the highly credentialed coach, Michael Aisbitt to run a weekly indoor training session for an hour or so on Tuesday nights at 6:30 commencing Tuesday 22 May.

Michael used to run these sessions for Vikings and many Vets riders know already how useful these sessions are to get you in peak condition for the Summer crits or track. They will also supplement training for the Winter Road season.

Michael is a 10 times Australian champion in events as varied as 750m sprint to the 100km team time trial. He is also a 3 times World Champion and a level 2 NCAS accredited road and track cycling coach.

These sessions aren’t to be missed. The club has booked a large hall at Weston which can hold many riders. Riders from A to G grade are welcome and riders in the lower grades should not be put off as the sessions accommodate all fitness levels.

More information to come in the following weeks through the Bleat and the Facebook site. Any questions contact Bruce Griffin on 0402 000619 or griffy996@gmail.com.

Interstate and Local Events

  • Giro d’Canberra
    20 May 2018
    • Want to take on the challenge? The ride features 2500 metre climbs and 130km of stunning Canberra Brindabella countryside
    • Cycling is powering ahead in Canberra
    • Giro d’ Canberra is in its third year and growing
    • Lots of interest from Sydney based riders
    • Get in on the early stages of a growing annual event
    • A chance to promote your community cycling activities
    • Fully supported ride with vehicles and food stations
    • Organised by the Rotary Club of Woden Daybreak

    Entries:www.GirodCanberra.gofundraise.com.au. For further information: Barry Welsby Mob: 0413729951 EMail: welsbw@internode.on.net.

 

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 28th April: Orroral Valley Time Trial

Where: Orroral Valley Orroral Campground. Drive south from Tharwa on the Naas/ Boboyan Road past Tenant Hill, Apollo Road and Naas, over Fitz’s Hill and turn right at bottom of hill onto Orroral Rd. Travel approx. 3 km to campground area on right.
Note: We are using the ACT Parks facilities. Please be mindful of other park users when parking, riding and using the facilities.
When: 1:30 pm.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Start at camp ground towards Boboyan Rd, u-turn before the drop down to the river. U-turn again before the car park at the end of the road and return to the start for one lap. Repeat for 2nd lap. Approximately 34km in total. Distances for lower grades may be shortened at race director’s discretion.

Race Director: Mark Harris Contact: Email: mharris1960@gmail.com    Ph  0413131733

Marshals: Bruce Jones, Frank O’Sullivan (ETC), Ian McVay (ETC) or commercial provider.

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Please check the following table of allocated officials. If you are unavailable on your allocated date, please arrange to organise a swap with another rider and advise the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc).

ETCs: Thank you to the positive response I received from ETCs to volunteer for upcoming races. We still need to try and fill spots as per the vacant *s in the marshal list below. Can we please have some more nominations to fill these? If you are yet to complete your ETC training due to the requirement to be mentored, please contact the race committee to organise for one of the club’s mentors to assess you at one of the upcoming ACT races.

Date Event Director Marshals
5th& 6th May Gunning Dougal Torrance Day 1: Bob Miller + 8 additional volunteers
Day 2:John McMaster + 8 additional volunteers
12th May Smiths Rd/Apollo TT Paul Scherl Rainer Wilton, Tony Weir*, *
19th May Dog Trap Rd Mark Taylor Daniel Grillo, Peter Klein, Alex Sommariva, Donald de Smet
2nd June Old Federal Highway Linda Stals Bernie Crowe, Adam Potts, Alwyn Chilver, Steve Crispin, Jason Parkes
16th June Pierces Creek Brian Holloway Chris Short, *, *
23rd June Honeysuckle Creek Paul Robey Michael Carr, *
30th June Lookout Hill Bill Frost Ben Healy, Susan Frost, *, *

* denotes ETC required for ACT races.

 

RACE REPORT:

Lookout Hill – 21st April

Perfect conditions greeted around 45 riders who contested a hilly course from Lookout Hill to the Tidbinbilla nature reserve and back, with A to D grades doing it twice. It was good to see a few different faces lining for the start and although a few vets were out flogging themselves at Bathurst over the weekend, I have to ask: “Where the bloody hell were the rest of yous?” Nonetheless, there were just enough riders in grades to make a race of it from A to E grades. The A grade highlights were the massive gap Robin Mules and Michael Brice put in to the rest of the bunch and Robin’s surprise when he finished the race solo only to find that Michael had stopped dead with cramp at the bottom on the final hill with only 200m remaining. The other races finished with less drama and the winners were;

B: Chris Kon First B grade road victory
C: Conan Liu Debut road victory
D: John Flannery Debut road victory and massive improvement
E: Gill Lugg Debut road victory in graded scratch
F: Chris De Cean Only had himself to beat
G: Bernie Crowe Soloed to victory

Many thanks to our traffic controllers Richard Gorrell, Tony Weir, Bob Miller, and timer Brian Chugg. Sue Powell and David Jukes underwent the last hurdle of the ordeal of becoming a traffic controller by passing the practical component of their training. This achievement no doubt ranks right up there with Sue’s Olympic gold and Order of Australia medals.

Rob Langridge