Hello Vets,

I’m back from my overseas holiday in the UK. A big thanks to Jan Koehler, Kirsti McVay and Russell Marston for filling in for me while I was away.

In the Bleat this week;

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

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

Ian Morton

From the Desk of the President

Dear members….

It’s here! Magpie swooping season and daylight savings means Crit and Track Season!

Tell your friends that they can join up for the next three months for a mere $55, or participate in two trial rides without having to join up. Encourage those people who you’ve seen in bunch rides to come along and try racing a Crit in a fun, safe and supportive atmosphere. This year I’d particularly like members to encourage the women riders that they know to come along to try a race. We have some really supportive women in the club that will show new female riders the ropes.

And TRACK! What can I say about track? I tried it for the first time two years ago and it’s honestly my favourite form of racing now. The banked track can seem daunting at first and the requirement to pedal all the time is a little odd at first but the trackies are incredibly supportive and the racing is really really tactical. Each Wednesday we do 4, that’s right, 4 races, most lasting less that a few minutes. On track night the club has access to LOADS of track bikes at the Narrabundah Velodrome so members can come along and try one out. If it’s your first time, I suggest you turn up at 5:30 to get used to the feel of a fixie before you race. It’s a very safe form of racing. Don’t even consider retiring from racing before you’ve ridden track!

During summer there’s also close to 20, that right, 20 road races on offer. Your membership buys lots of racing time!

See you on the road, at Stromlo or at the Bundadome!

Dougal Torrance
President, ACT Vets Cycling Club

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Crit season begins

Those intending to ride down a grade in the early races are reminded that should they suddenly find their legs mid-race, they should respect the other riders in the lower grade and not charge off and win. Those left for dead in their current grade can also apply to be downgraded.

Australian Masters Road Nationals

Vets riding for Canberra Cycling Club (no Vikings entered) brought home some bling from the nationals held south of Adelaide over the weekend. The course was very demanding with a 400m of climbing per lap. That plus the hot weather and wind resulted in most of the races finishing in single file with large time gaps. The exception was the M4 race where our own Steve Crispin won a three-man sprint to take gold! Steve Blackburn also excelled with a silver in the M5 RR.

RR
Masters 5:
Stephen Blackburn – 2nd
Brendan Byatt – 27th
Masters 4:
Steve Crispin – 1st

TT
Steve Crispin – 9th Masters 4
Masters 5:
Brendan Byatt – 5th Masters 5
Masters 7:
Owain Tilley – 6th Owain Tilley

Crit
Steve Crispin 12th M4

Steve on the top step. On the right is Peter Milostic, a former NRS rider who even this year was 5th in the Grafton to Inverell 228km classic.

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 8th October: Stromlo Criterium – Scratch Race

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
E/F/G 20m + 2 @ 5:50
A/C 20m + 2 @ 6:15
B/D 20m + 2 @ 6:40

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

Marshals: Paul Delmenico

Wednesday, 9th October: Track Practice Session

The track racing season will kick off with a Practice Session starting at 6.00pm on Wednesday 9 October. There will be no racing. All interested riders are invited – particularly new riders and track novices. It is a great opportunity to give track a try!

Please note that Narrabundah Track is a high-banked, oval track suitable only for conventional fixed gear track bikes with a high bottom bracket. We are unable to accommodate road bikes on this track.

Note:
+ Narrabundah track is located off Goyder Street in Narrabundah;
+ We welcome riders to try a high-banked track for the first time;
+ New riders can get practical advice on gearing, bunch riding & track etiquette;
+ Interested riders can try out a track bike (bring your own pedals and shoes);
+ Experienced riders can tune up the machinery & motor;
+ All riders can express their preference for events & races;
+ The practice session will be around 1hr 30 mins starting at 6.00pm;
+ There is no formal structure to the practice. We can assist with introductory training, if requested;
+ You can do your own thing, if you prefer.

A few basics on track etiquette for the practice session:
+ Use the designated track positions for cruising, tempo or fast pacing;
(The faster you ride the higher you should be positioned on track. Overtake outside other riders);
+ Hold your line – don’t make changes of speed or position unless you are clear of other riders;
+ Be very careful if you are crossing or moving on / off the track;
(It is your responsibility not to impede other riders in this situation);
+ Start from the fence and be aware of riders approaching;
+ It is best to wear clear or light tinted goggles;
(the shaded portions of track have very low visibility with regular sunnies);
+ All riders will need to be cautious, as there will be novice riders at the practice session.

Regular track racing will start on Wednesday 16 October.

Last year was a great season with a dedicated track group and 30 riders participating over the season. However, why should they have all the fun. If you have thought about it, come and give it a try. We would like at least ten more regulars.

Sunday, 13th October: No scheduled race

From the Race Committee

New RMS

The update of RMS, which works better on mobile devices, has been implemented. Bookmarks to the old RMS no longer work. You need to follow the updated links to the Race Calendar and Results from our home page at actvets.cc.

Upcoming Race Officials Roster

With the implementation of the new Race Calendar, the publication of the upcoming Race Officials Roster in the weekly Bleat will be discontinued.

Rostered race directors AND MARSHALS are shown against each race.

Please check the calendar (http://rms.actvets.cc/calendar). If your name is followed by TBC (To Be Confirmed) you need to contact the race committee as soon as possible to either confirm your attendance or to request a swap.

Empty race directors and marshal positions are denoted as Vacant. Some marshals for races in the ACT need to be Events Traffic Controllers (ETC) and appear as Vacant ETC.

Please review the vacancies for upcoming races and email the race committee with events you would like to help out at, rather than wait and be asked to help at a race you wanted to do. Races cannot happen without members contributing to make them happen.

Ian McVay
Race Committee