ACT Veterans Weekly Bleat, Monday 1st July, 2019

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

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

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

Ian Morton

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Week one of the reorganisation of D, E, F and G grades was not fully tested as Saturday’s race was a handicap but nonetheless D and E grades were well supported. I’ll make E1 and E2 groups for this week’s handicap, as this will better reflect the range of abilities. D grade disintegrated because of ill-discipline. Handicaps are supposed to be team efforts. You only have to look at the results to understand that when there are clusters of riders from the same grade, these are usually towards the top of the results. On the other hand, when a grade falls apart because of the actions of certain protagonists, then their results are usually found lower down the list. I hope to see a better effort from D grade this weekend so the post-race discussion around the urn is all about how well everyone cooperated.

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 6th July: Old Federal Highway Handicap – F & A Tonelli Trophy

Where: Turn left off new Federal Hwy (dual carriageway) after Bywong Rd. The intersection is signposted to Gundaroo and approx 9 km after Sutton Rd overpass. Park in gravel pit on corner of next intersection about 100 m in from highway.
When: 1:30 pm.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
Old Federal Highway – Tulip Farm
All Grades 3 Laps

Race Director: Linda Stals Contact: Email: linda.stals@anu.edu.au    Ph  0419283599

Marshals: Jason Chalker, Frank Zeller, Ally Roche, Bruce Goodfellow

From the Race Committee

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:

Lookout Hill – 29th June

In the week leading up to this event the format was changed from a secret Handicap to regular handicap and there were also changes made to the grades with the abolishment of G grade and regrading of some E and F grade riders.

All of this meant no-one was really sure how the race would play out – would the 25 minute start given to the F grade or limit riders be enough to hold off the faster grades over the short 29km course?

The weather looked good on Saturday morning and as we past lunch time the wind picked up but forecast rain did hold off. 44 riders started split across the grades;
– 2 in F with a 25 min handicap
– 12 in E with a 15 min handicap
– 9 in D with a 9 min handicap
– 7 in C with a 6 min handicap
– 11 in B with a 3 min handicap
– 2 in A2 with a 1 min handicap and
– 1 in A1 (Scratch)

There was only 1 DNF due to a puncture – with the rider turning short.

There was much talk from all the grades on the starting line on how much impact the strong tail wind on the way out to Tharwa and head wind on the way back would make, along with the usual comments on the gaps between grades not being large enough! As it turned out the 1st 15 riders (a mix of all the grades except F) finished within a minute of each other so well done to Rob on the handicapping for creating a close finish.

Steve Crispin showed his class by riding off scratch on his own and passing the entire field to take the win along with the fastest time – 42 mins 50 secs. Gerard Tiffen did well to hold onto Steve’s wheel for as long as he could finishing in 2nd place 18 seconds in arrears and Liz Lowe took out 3rd holding off another 2 E graders on the line to finish 6 seconds behind Gerard.

Thanks to the ETC’s – Seymour, Richard and Malcolm, the Marshalls – Michael, Mark and Alex, 1st aider Simon and as last but not least – Graham and Ian for all work they do in organising and making the day go smoothly.

There were no reported incidents out on the road.

Paul Scherl