Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• From the Desk of the President
• Reduced Membership 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2020
• Product Recall
• Track Racing
• COVID-19 Restrictions
• AVCC 2021 Nationals – CANCELLED
• Racing this Week
• Race Report
Ian Morton
From the Desk of the President
Dear Members,
Well, 2020 Winter season was wrapped up on the weekend – in suitably winter-like conditions with the Breadalbane Mini Tour. Riders encountered strong head/cross wind, sleet, and sub-zero temperatures.
We were able to host 16 winter season races after Covid 19 restrictions eased in the ACT which still gave racers plenty of opportunities to score season points. The Winter season only lost 6 Races due to Covid 19 restrictions essentially cancelling all the races in April and May. Which, all things considered, was amazing.
Congratulations to Rosemary Robinson and Steve Crispin for taking season honours, and a massive thank you to all the riders that made it out to the races.
We as a club host the most races of all the cycling clubs in the region, and to see these still being well supported by club members is very pleasing to me, as President, and the club committee. Of course, we will always strive to have as many of you as possible come out and race, but we know especially this year things have been tougher than normal.
Now that spring is here (no honestly it is…) we can look forward to the return of the Criterium and Track seasons with crits start on the 6th of October, and of course we have the clubs premier event scheduled for 17-18 October the Gunning two-day event which this year kicks of road racing for the summer 2020-21 season.
So, again, thank you to everyone involved in making our season so strong, from the committee that organised the races, with some changes being made with seeking race approvals due to fire damaged areas making some races impossible, the volunteer marshals and race directors, Simon on first aid and the amazing Graham Hendrie that all combined to kept the events going and safe.
I look forward to seeing many of you out racing this spring and summer.
Kind regards
Seymour
ACT Vets Cycling Club President
Final Winter Season Points Table
| Women | Points |
| Rosemary Robinson | 41 |
| Shirley-Anne Taylor | 33 |
| Linda Stals | 32 |
| Men | Points |
| Steve Crispin | 100 |
| David Dickson | 72 |
| Ian Morton | 66 |
Reduced Membership 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2020
The AVCC has approved a reduction in membership fees for the period 1 October 2020 to 31 December 2020. The reduced fee is $60 and is available to both new members and non-financial members who wish to renew their membership for the last three months of the year.
The SportsTG membership portal has now been updated with the new membership fee for the remainder of 2020 (“Q4 Special Reduced Membership 2020”).
Kirsti McVay
Treasurer
Product Recall
Advance Traders (Australia) Pty Ltd – Sugek CS-M3007 7-speed Cassette fitted to Norco Storm 4 and 5 Bicycles MY2021
The Sugek CS-M3007 7-Speed Cassette installed on certain model year 2021 Norco Storm 4 and Storm 5 bicycles may cause the chain to skip unexpectedly, under extreme pedalling loads when using the 11 tooth cog.
For full details go to: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recall/advance-traders-australia-pty-ltd-sugek-cs-m3007-7-speed-cassette-fitted-to-norco-storm-4-and-5-bicycles-my2021
Track Racing
Daylight saving will soon be with us, and that means VETS TRACK RACING!!!!!
Wednesday, 7th October: Track Practice Session
The track racing season will kick off with a Practice Session starting at 6.00pm on Wednesday 7 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 14 October.
Last year we had a small, dedicated track group with a total of 31 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.
Graeme O’Neill
COVID-19 Restrictions
There are legal requirements in place for people returning to the ACT from Victoria and particular places in New South Wales to self-quarantine.
Members who have been to any of these locations in the past 14 days should be complying with ACT Government quarantine restrictions.
Members should stay home if you have been feeling unwell or showing symptoms of COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has felt unwell in the past 2 weeks.
AVCC 2021 Nationals – CANCELLED
The National Championships were scheduled to be held in South Australia during January 2021 in conjunction with the Tour Down Under.
Unfortunately, the AVCC have had to cancel the Nationals due to uncertainty arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of state border restrictions, there is no clarity regarding the ability of members to travel to South Australia in January.
RACING THIS WEEK:
Racing has concluded for the 2020 Winter Season. The next event will be the Criterium on 6th October.
RACE REPORT:
Breadalbane Mini-Tour – 26th September
Firstly I would like to congratulate all 19 riders that even turned up to Breadalbane. The weather forecast didn’t look promising and it didn’t disappoint. The conditions were far worse than terrible. 50 km westerly winds with a small amount of drizzle and light hail to set the scene. The temperature didn’t move above 4.5 and BOM said it felt like -3.
First off was the 20 km time trial and I’m sure there was some soul searching as they lined up at the start with the wind and rain in their face. The bright side to this was the ripper tail wind home. Sunscreen wasn’t required and even the magpies weren’t swooping in these conditions.
Off they went at 30sec intervals and we estimated we had about 35 to 40 mins to try and keep warm before the first rider would be coming past the finish line. Well Gerard Tiffin blew that estimate to pieces when we spotted his helmet coming at us at what seemed like about 80kph with an unbelievable result of 0.27.37 in those conditions. I spoke to a couple of other riders later and they confirmed Gerard went past them like they were standing still. Gerard was the only A grader. B grade placings went to Owain Tilley 0.33.40, David Dickson 0.36.18 & Ian Preston 0.39.00. C Grade, Darren Blackhurst 0.34.39, Carmine Spagnoletti 0.36.52 & Ed Logue 0.37.35. D Grade, Tony Beasley 0.36.44, Allan Bontjer 0.40.41 & Rob Langridge 0.43.42. E Grade Russell Marston 0.42.35, Alex Sommariva 0.42.57 & Ian Morton 0.47.36.
After about a 45 minute lunch interval to get the blood circulating and some of the chill out of the bones we commenced the 50 km road race to Gunning and back. The conditions hadn’t improved and understandably there were a couple of non-starters. Gerard decided it wasn’t worth racing himself and along with a couple of others headed home. That left 16 brave souls.
Apparently heading out into the wind there was a lot of time spent in the small chain ring even though the course was fairly flat while the return trip was a different story. One of the C grade riders was astounded at the amount of time Ian McVay spent out front on his own. Well done Ian.
Congratulations to all that participated and this years Breadalbane Mini Tour which was another one to remember. At least it didn’t snow like last year.
Thank you to the marshalls for their assistance throughout the day, Graham Hendrie, Mark Terracini, Chris Copeland, Simon Costello, Gavin Stephens.
Steve Simms,
Race Director
Detailed Results
