ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 17th June, 2019

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

• Thank you from Fitability
• Vets Out and About
• Racing this Week
• From the Race Committee
• Race Reports

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

Ian Morton

Thank you from Fitability

Thank you to all the Vet members who supported the Fitability Fundraising Trivia Night on Friday 31st May.

The night was a huge success with 150 people attended and raised nearly $4,800.

The money raised will keep the tandem fleet going for those who can’t ride on their own.

Lish Fejer, ABC Radio Canberra presenter, kept everyone entertained through the evening. Those attended had a wonderful time with quiz and games. Many are looking forward to the next event. This may be another 365 sleeps away. Just look out for the promotion. Thanks once again for all your support.

Lindy Hou

Vets Out and About

If you thought Gunning was a long way to go for a weekend of racing just imagine the time involved in racing from Coonabarabran to Gunnedah then from Gunnedah to Tamworth. These are major races on the NSW race calendar so you get quite a few NRS riders, strong club riders and the locals. The Canberra contingent comprised the young guns and me, as the only representative of the old brigade. My cursory view of the course map for day one convinced me it was flat but from the start it was actually 50km of leg zapping undulations. 20 minutes before the start I noticed I had one of those cat head bindies in my front tyre so in a mad panic and thinking I’ve come all this way just to miss the start, I replaced the tube and borrowed a pump to arrive on the start line just as they were calling my name.

Our group of 8 had 3 junior girls keen on pushing up the early hills while us old guys kept asking them to ease up on the early enthusiasm. The group also contained Newcastle resident and Vets member Keith Harris who helped keep their eagerness under control. We caught limit at the 70km mark and had about 10km on the front with the junior girls now not doing many turns. Then, like all handicaps, this time block, a much faster group went flying past just before a series of hills. We then regrouped as the whippet-like youngsters vanished over the horizon and I enjoyed the ride in to be in the second group over the line, five mins behind block but two ahead of scratch. The warmth of the Gunnedah sun soon erased the memories of the chilly start and the tough race, as did the sausage sandwich and drink–the first free food ever experienced at a NSW race!

Day 2 was a 108km scratch race from Gunnedah to Tamworth in Div 4. This was the first time I would be doing back to back 100km races, but without idiotic 10% climbs in first few kilometres which you encounter when racing in Canberra, it was a ‘breeze’ surviving the second day. I would have enjoyed the first 60km on windless dead flat roads more had I not been dying for a pee. In a group of about 30, it was tactically safe to roll along at the back. A left turn with 40km remaining marked the spot when the real race begun, according to those who’d done it before. The gradual inclines and gentle cross winds were conducive for those with fresh legs to be more aggressive but none of the attacks or breakaways stuck. In the end a bunch of 15 were left to battle out the sprint. I was 5th wheel on the last hill and was well placed behind a strong guy who got to the front early but died in the last 100m. Normally, I’d try to go around someone in this situation but since we were going 68km/h on a narrow road and riders were going past on both sides I settled for safety and 5th place, two spots away from the prize money and minus an invitation to Tamworth’s casualty ward.

Obviously competing in these races takes quite a bit of time and money but it’s a great way to experience country NSW and meet keen cyclists from throughout the state. The next big event, on July 21, is the Ken Dinnerville handicap which has moved to Gunning this year because of problems with the road near Kiama.

From Cycling NSW Facebook:
2019 Coates Hire Gunnedah to Tamworth winner: WILL HODGES!

The Grafton to Inverell winner adds another NSW road race to his palmares, beating Tom Bolton and Kurt Eather in the race-winning breakaway.

FULL RESULTS: https://my2.raceresult.com/128228

Rob Langridge

The neutral rollout at Gunnedah. This was day two so I was not sure how fresh the legs would be.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 22nd June: Yass Graded Scratch

Where: Park just north of intersection of Orion St and Cook Hill Drive, Yass.
When: 1:30 pm.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
Yass Long Course
– ABCD – Y course
– EFG – same except turn right onto Blakney Creek S Rd

Race Director: Chris Nolan Contact: Email: nolanway@gmail.com    Ph  0403810535

Marshals: Andrew Harrold, Robert Solomon, Iver Lange, Donald de SMET, Aaron Sedgmen

From the Race Committee

LAST CALL – Event Traffic Controller course

The next ETC Training course is on Saturday 22nd June. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY – ACT Government is funding the training.

We currently only have about 40 ETCs from a club of 300 members. Members need to share the burden of helping to run races. Having enough traffic controllers available in the club is critical to our ability to run races in the ACT and it is likely we will need to have ETCs for NSW races in the future. ETCs are eligible for reimbursement of $100 for marshalling at ACT road races.

Course details are available on Blended Learning’s web site – http://www.blendedlearning.edu.au/home/courses/programs-courses/event-traffic-controller/.

Yass race on Saturday

We could use an extra helper at the race on Saturday. If you or someone you know is available to come along and help, that would be appreciated.

Upcoming Marshal Roster

Thank you to those who have already volunteered to help. Nominees, 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:

Tidbinbilla Graded Scratch – 15th June

It was a glorious Saturday afternoon at Tidbinbilla, clear bright blue winter skies, barely a breath of wind. 37 racers turned up to enjoy what may very well be the best winter conditions we see all season.

A few tweaks to the turnaround points meant that the race briefing on the actual distance had an air of mystery about it (later confirmed as 58 km by Roger Northcote who appreciated the extra 10kms compared to the start estimates).

In A grade it appeared Steve Crispin got out of Jason Chalker’s shadow at some point to take a comfortable win.

Paul Welsh took out B grade – but the story here was the return of John Bridge to racing after recovering from a shattered femur/pelvis injury, finishing safely within his limits then riding home to do laps around the block to make sure enough k’s were achieved for the day.

C grade had JPS take revenge on Adam Potts after the Gunning debacle. Brian Chugg and Michael Hansbury bought home D grade after starting with C and wisely dropping back at some point.

Ross R, Jan Koehler and Kristi Mcvay skipped away in E grade to battle out a tight finish. Rosemary Robinson hung on to E grade longer than Robert Solomon to comfortably claim F grade glory.

Bernard and Mijo battled all the way in G, with Bernard kicking away at the end.

Hats off to Graham Hendrie and Ian McVay for the set up arrangements. The Van packing / unpacking and equipment layout is next level compared to other cycling clubs – I think I filled a token role as Race Director – I certainly had it easier than fellow marshals Al Sieper, Terry Moore and Brendan Byatt. Chris Short came out to be mentored by Terry in order to get the ATC ticket – Terry is very patient…

Cheers, Heath Chester