ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 19th November, 2018

Hello Vets,

In this week’s Bleat;

• From the Desk of the Handicapper
• Racing this Week
• Race Reports

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

Ian Morton

From the Desk of the Handicapper

The changes this week;

Promotions
– Conan Liu B to A
– Shane Warburton C to B
– Gillian Legg D to C
– Bruce Goodfellow C to B

Adjustments
– Jonathan Chowns D to E Crit
– Rob Langridge B to C road
– Nick Boylan B to C road
– Simon Milnes D to E road
– Alex Sommariva D to E road
– Stuart Roesler B to C road
– Anthony Dick C to D road

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 20th November: Stromlo Criterium

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
E/F/G @5:50 20 min + 2 laps
A/C @6:25 A 38m+2, C 33m+2
B/D @7:05 B 38m+2, D 33m+2

Race Director:  Roger Northcote Contact: Email: roger.northcote@homeaffairs.gov.au    Ph  0467736580

Marshals: Christophe Barberet

Wednesday, 21th November: Track Racing

The Program for Wednesday is as follows;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 7.00pm: 2-lap SS time trial;
7.00pm – 7.20pm: Italian Pursuit.

Sunday, 25th November: Uriarra Homestead Time Trial

Where: Assemble at Uriarra Rd / Brindabella Rd, T-Junction. From North Canberra slightly faster Coppins crossing & right onto Uriarra Road. From Sth Canberra follow Cotter Road down to bridge crossing, turn right onto Brindabella Road.
When: 9:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
Two laps of Uriarra Homestead – top of Crossing – Short turn – Homestead. Plus Homestead – top of Uriarra Crossing – Homestead.

Race Director: Andrew Matz Contact: Email: Andrew.matz@bigpond.com    Ph  0417277248

Marshals: Edward Joliffe, Kim Malcolm, Howard Moffat, Peter Jovanovic

Race this week

This week’s Sunday race at Uriarra is a Time Trial. I know a few riders who groan at hearing these two words. But it’s not so bad. Your pain and suffering are dictated by how hard you want to push yourself, not trying to keep up with the bunch. So turn up and enjoy a nice Sunday ride.

This is a non-drafting event. The draft zone is four bike lengths starting from the front edge of your front wheel and 3 metres wide (1.5 metres either side). If you stay at least 4 bike lengths behind the competitor in front of you, you will correctly avoid the draft. Once you are closer than this, you have 15 seconds to overtake the rider in front and you must be gaining on them at all times during that 15 seconds. The correct way to overtake is to stay to the left, ride up behind the person in front, then when you are close enough, call out that you are passing, go around them (checking behind you first) and once you have passed them move back to the left of the road as soon as it is safe to do so. You must overtake on the right-hand side of the person you are passing, not on the left. Once you are overtaken, immediately drop back at least four bike lengths so you are out of the draft zone. You are drafting if you speed up and try to pass someone whose front wheel has just overtaken yours. You must drop back out of the draft zone first before you attempt to pass them.

Final call for ETC Training

The ETC training course is on this Saturday 24 November. Register now with Blended Learning via email info@blendedlearning.edu.au or phone 6230 4633 and indicate you are from our club. Also, please let the race committee know you’ve enrolled.

For details, see Blended Learning’s web site:
http://www.blendedlearning.edu.au/home/courses/programs-courses/event-traffic-controller/

There will be an opportunity to undertake ETC mentoring at the Uriarra race on Sunday 25 November.

Race cancellation next year – Uriarra Time Trial 3 March 2019

Due to a clash with Amy’s Big Canberra Bike Ride, we have had to cancel the Uriarra time trial on 3rd March 2019 Apologies to our time triallists.

Race directors for 2019

I am looking for race directors for next year’s races. Please have a look at the race calendar in RMS and let me know if you are interested in directing any particular races. You do not need to have previously directed a race but should have experience racing and marshalling with the club. Directing is not an arduous undertaking, there are detailed instructions and club members are on hand to help.

Selecting race officials

I have had some questions along the line of “I’ve only done a couple of races. How did I get to the top of the list for race directing/marshalling?” The selection process lists riders in order based on the number of races done in the last 12 months, then takes into consideration whether the rider has volunteered at a club event during that time. From one riders having 43 starts, the list of riders tapers to a ‘long tail’ of those riders having only ridden 1 or 2 times. The selection process has worked its way down the list toward the end of the riders with two starts. So the comment “But I’ve only done a couple of races” is correct.

Is it ‘fair’ that you will be asked to help having only done 1 or 2 races? I guess it is up to individuals to decide. However, the club exists to support racing and without enough volunteers we cannot run regular races.

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Thank you to those who have already volunteered to help. Nominees, in in blue have been selected based on results from the previous race season and the period since they last helped at a race. Nominees are requested to advise their availability/unavailability to the race committee (race.committee@actvets.cc) as soon as possible.

Summer series crit races are held at Stromlo Forest Park on Tuesday evenings and road races are held on Sunday mornings.

* denotes ETC required for ACT races.

Ian McVay
Race Committee

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo Criterium – 13th November

A and C grade were first up. A grade had quite a few breaks throughout the race but all were reigned in fairly quickly but the last solo break lasted until the end with quite a gap from 1st to 2nd. Both grades had to contend with some wildlife on the track, ducks and kangaroos keeping things interesting for both grades but luckily no close calls were noted. Taking the win was Ben Morrison, 2nd Sean Ifland and 3rd Mark Harris. C grade were fairly tame with only a few breaks but all were reigned in fairly quickly. Not to much to report but a nice clean race had by all with Shane Warburton taking the sprint with Bruce Goodfellow taking 2nd and Allan Bontjer taking 3rd.

B and D grade were up next. B grade was an interesting race with Dougal Torrence taking the lead and made a solo break form the get go and pushed quite hard for some laps before he was caught, not to many laps later and he tried again to be brought back to the group after a few laps. Other then that the group stayed together and finished with a close sprint with Conan Liu taking the win followed by Simon Junakovic taking 2nd and Jason Parkes taking 3rd.

D grade seemed to stay quite close together and finished close together also. Gillian Lugg taking the win and doing quite a lot of work upfront during the race, 2nd was taken by Andrew Hislop and 3rd Helmut Zellar taking 3rd.

E, F and G were next, E and F stayed together as a group with the two riders in G grade separating quite quickly. With the fading light we decided to finish all the grades quite quickly and, on the sideline, got a little confusing to separate E and F as both grades became quite close towards the finish. David Gillies taking out E grade with Ian Morton taking second followed by Dale Dummett. F grade was won by Chris Copeland second was Leeanne Tennant and third Lindsay Graham. G grade had only two riders with Bruce Jones taking 1st and Bernard Crowe taking second.

All grades had good close races with nice conditions with only a slight breeze but from what Heath Chester said it was apparently a head wind the whole way around the track.

Simon Porombka

Track Racing – 14th November

After a bleak, rainy and very unpromising day, weather conditions began to improve around 4.00pm. By 5.30pm the weather had transformed to provide excellent conditions for track racing. Unfortunately, the early weather must have put many riders off, as the attendance was only 9 riders with 3 from A grade and the remainder B grade. Despite this, it was an excellent evening’s racing.

The 8-lap scratch race saw a combined field of A and B grade riders deliver an exciting and competitive event. B grade had a half lap start and made it difficult for the pursuing A grade bunch over the early laps. It took 5 laps for the A grade bunch to catch B grade. Immediately following the catch, Steve Hirsler launched an attack with Dougal Torrance accelerating out in pursuit. This really enlivened the race. Soon, Michael Langdon launched out, quickly catching and overtaking the front runners. Michael and Dougal opened a comfortable gap on the field and finished in that order. Several riders from the pursuing bunch rolled over Steve Hirsler, as he tired from the attack. Hamish Anderson, Ross Scutts and Wayne Benham charged towards the line in lock step. A final burst by Ross gave him the third placing in the race by a wheel width.

The next event was a combined A and B grade, 4-lap handicap, a very taxing event for riders. Michael Langdon kept up a steady pursuit from the scratch mark and eventually caught and passed the front runners for a well deserved win. Wayne Benham and Steve Hirsler both rode very well to hold off the remaining A grade riders for second and third place respectively.

B grade riders opted to proceed with a 6-lap win and out event, while A grade saved themselves for an Italian pursuit. Bruce Griffin took a torrid first sprint to win this event. Ross Scutts took the second sprint and second place. Phil Anderson overcame the remaining bunch for the final sprint win and third placing.

The track session closed with an all-in, Italian pursuit with 4 riders per team. Both teams made good starts. Team 2 soon opened a significant gap for team 1 to chase down. Team 1 had the stronger closing riders, so maximising the initial gap was the key strategy for Team 2. Over the last two laps, Wayne Benham and Hamish Anderson put in big efforts for teams 1 and 2 respectively. Their duel left Dougal Torrance with small gap on Michael Langdon as the final lap commenced. Dougal has been in good form and was able to hold out on Michael. At the finish, the margin was less than a metre. Another great pursuit and a close win to Team 2.

Major place getters were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A&B Grade): Michael Langdon, Dougal Torrance, Ross Scutts.
4-Lap Handicap: (A&B Grade): Michael Langdon, Wayne Benham, Steve Hirsler.
6-Lap Win & Out (B Grade): Bruce Griffin, Ross Scutts, Phil Anderson.
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 2 (Dougal Torrance, Wayne Benham, Ross Scutts, Steve Hirsler).

Season Point Score Update:
Dougal Torrance (51), Michael Langdon (50), Bruce Griffin (46), Ross Scutts (43), Phil Anderson (38), Wayne Benham (37), Steve Hirsler (33), Craig Kentwell (29).

Graeme O’Neill

Old Federal Highway – 18th November

The riders woke to a mild day in the Canberra area but a little cooler and windier at the start area of the OFH, an ideal day for racing. There were 34 starters with only 1 rider that DNF.

A and B grade started together but were allocated separate finish results. It was not long before the stronger riders on the day from A grade broke away from the combined A/B bunch. By the time it came to the start of the last lap it seemed quite evident, subject to no mechanicals or incidents that Peter Marshall was going to be very hard to beat. Christopher Short at the start of the last lap was heard to have said “if we finish now I would be happy to finish second”. A grade finished with Peter Marshall a clear winner, Christopher Short 2nd and Christophe Barberet 3rd.

The remnants of A grade and the B grade bunch stayed somewhat together with only 1 B grader finding it a bit tough and coming back and riding with the C grade bunch. B grade had a bunch finish with nearly all the riders finishing within 9 seconds of the winner. Aaron Sedgmen 1st, Michael Carr 2nd, and Sean Ifland 3rd.

The C grade bunch was the biggest bunch with 9 riders. A bunch report indicated that the first and fourth lap climbs were reasonably hard with the attacks in the fourth lap splitting the bunch apart. Darryl Smith and Ian Preston were very strong in the hills and remained strong to finish 1st and 3rd respectively with Damien Copeland finished strong getting 2nd.

The D grade bunch had 5 riders at the start line however it was not long before there were only 3 riders in the bunch. These 3 riders had time to have some friendly bander with one another at the start/finish line. Even with one of the riders turning a bit wide and coming down in the lose sand on the side of the road there was no let-up in the banter between themselves. The rider was not hurt. In the end, Michael Hanbury finished a clear 1st, John Ross a clear 2nd and Anthony Dick 3rd.

The E grade bunch was the second biggest bunch with 8 riders. The riders remained as a bunch until the last lap where Jan, Kirsti and Penelope were able to gap the other riders in the hills and were strong enough to stay away with Jan Koether finishing 1st, closely followed by Kirsti McVay 2nd, and Penelope Anderson 3rd. Well done ladies a great ride.

F and G had 3 riders in total with Ross and Lindsay in F grade and Bernard in G. All 3 riders had a commitment to finish the race with Ross Robinson finishing 1st and Lindsay Graham finishing 2nd in F grade and Bernard Crowe winning G grade.

Special thanks to our Marshals/support staff David Witham, Tim Brown, John Stokman, Brendan Byatt, Darren Garran, Graham Hendrie and our first aider Simon Whitehead.

Mark Taylor