Dear Members,

2020 was a special kind of crazy.

I was very fortunate to be nominated and voted in as ACT Veterans Cycling Club President for 2020, and almost immediately the crazy kicked (honestly, it was just coincidence!). I hope I have served you well, and that things have presented as calm and organised and with a bit of fun.

The Committee

Before I continue, I want to acknowledge the team that does an amazing job for us all.

Position	Name(s)
Vice president	Ian McVay
Club secretary	Russell Marston
Treasurer & membership	Kirsti McVay
Welfare officer & Handicapper	Rob Langridge
General committee	Ian Morton, Kim Malcolm, Russell Marston, Andy Matz & Dougal Torrance
Race secretary	Phill Coulton
Race committee	Ian McVay, Phill Coulton, Rob Langridge (Handicapper) & Russell Marston
Results & point score	Graham Hendrie
Track racing	Graeme O’Neill
The Bleat	Ian Morton

These people are basically on call for club related duties 24/7 365. Together, with all the race officials, first aider(s) and supporters, they have organised and run 52 days racing in 2020. Considering the fires, smoke, other weather events and covid-19 it is has been an amazing job and deserves far more praise than a few lines in an email, so I hope you will join me in thanking them for their dedication when you see them at a race.

So much goes on behind the scenes, whether it is developing electronic sign on/pre-pay, seeking urgent race approvals/changes, organizing first aid courses, dealing with the AVCC, compiling club documents, managing finances and memberships, the Bleat, dealing with the change of grade requests and the trophy management just to name a few functions. It is such a broad spectrum of duties and somehow works.

So much has been achieved and I know Ian McVay is busily working through the racing program for 2021, so if you have capacity to Race Direct, Marshal or otherwise help out, let him know.

A special thank you for Graham Hendrie

Graham, the almost ever present at weekend races, signing us in, driving the van, organising refreshments, making sure the correct signs are available depending on the race location, uploading all the race results to RMS and many other things.

It was an easy choice for me as President to award Graham with Club Person of 2020, especially as he is stepping down in this role next year. Thank you Graham.

Jan Koehler accepting the Club Person presentation on behalf of Graham.

By the numbers

Now these are my unofficial figures, based upon a quick trawl through the results sheets.

We had a potential of 65 race days, 13 were missed due to weather/covid-19, meaning that 52 went ahead.

This meant there were potentially 312 winners and/or 900+ podiums places.

I want to also say a thank you to the 249 members, ex-members and ACT regional cyclists for taking time to complete the survey last month. It was a fantastic response and I’m sure Erin Barry will be beavering away working through all the responses.

We are still looking for some people to offer to take on the roles that Graham Hendrie has managed for years, so please contact the committee if you feel you can give some time/energy to this great club.

With the AGM coming up on 15 February 2020, you have some time to think about supporting the club and join the committee, you’d be very welcome as there is always something to do.And don’t forget to sign up for 2021 season, you will need to have signed up before your first race in 2021 (it only takes a few minutes so do it when you get a chance!).

As we take a short break for the festive season, we wish everyone a safe and happy time and I hope that Santa is kind and drops off shiny carbon items to you all.

Warm Regards

Seymour Savell-Boss,
President,
ACT Veterans Cycling Club.

The 500 Club

Congratulations to the following club members who achieved 500+ events for the Club;

Name	Races
Bruce Jones	840
Nick Boylan	812
Graham Hendrie	798
Allan Bontjer	691
Alex Sommariva	639
Donald de SMET	635
Mike Hayes	612
Ian Morton	601
Simon Milnes	583
Robert Langridge	552
Mark K Taylor	536
Chris Nolan	509

Season Medal Presentations

WomenRosemary Robinson: 2020 Winter Season Winner

MensSteve Crispin: 2019/20 Summer Season Winner, 2020 Winter Season Winner

Ian Morton: 2019/20 Summer Season 3rd, 2020 Winter Season 3rd

Greetings from Rory Sutherland

Hello to everyone. Just a short note from Europe where I just ended my 17 year pro career. Wow, yes I am that old and all the young kids are beating me. I wanted to send this note as a thanks to all who remember me and all that have followed/supported/heckled my career along time way. I am a very proud Canberra boy and miss the cycling community there. In one way I wish I could live there, on the other side I’m in the heartland of european cycling, and in all honesty, the alcohol here is cheaper, the food better and the mountains bigger.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas and hopefully you are all keeping an eye on those smart ass whipper snappers in the bunch. That used to be me…

Rory Sutherland

RACE REPORT:

Christmas Wheel Race – 15th December

Firstly thanks to Mark Vardy for giving up his spot in the racing to help with marshalling. Secondly thanks to the helpers in the office: Kirsti, Russell and Seymour for opening up and packing up, organising the race registration, and putting on food and eats. And to our handicapper Rob for his entertaining race commentary and for setting the handicaps to provide an entertaining race and a close finish.

It’s hard to believe a year ago we were waving the red flag to call off racing and sheltering in the office from a cloud of choking smoke. The intervening year has seen us cancel as few races as possible despite bushfires, covid and freezing windy weather. This speaks greatly of the club’s resilience and the committee’s dedication to provide great cycling events across the year.

But to make it worthwhile, we need members to turn up and race. And we definitely had a good turnout for the last race of this crazy year. 2 G, 4 F, 7 E, 31 D, 23 C, 22 B and 20 A graders, spanning from our youngest to most mature riders, for a total of 109 starters.

The first heats of E, F and G grade saw G and F basically doing some team time trial training, while E grade had to work to shed two unfortunate riders. A close call with a mob of roos looking for a better viewing position on the course got the riders’ heart rates going, perhaps too early.

The second heat saw two different approaches. A grade jumped from the start and saw a group of five finish together. C grade stayed mainly together with a couple of riders trying to jump off the front with little effect. Then there was a beautiful rainbow and I sort of lost interest in the racing. Luckily, Mark was in charge of the timing. I then managed to ‘mash’ the A chasers into C grade just in time for the C grade finish. Thankfully not too much bad language resulted.

The final heat saw B grade racing hard trying to emulate A grade. Unfortunately, the break couldn’t hold together to the end with the bunch also claiming places in the wheel race. D grade were, to be frank, a mess. Even Mark Taylor, one of the most seasoned riders in the field, was forced to the front at one stage before pushing hard on the clutch and retreating back into the field. The deficiency of a lack of hard riding by D, as opposed to the dedicated small bunch riding of B, would soon be evident.

The wheel race saw an absence of G grades, which was unfortunate as a late revision of their handicap would have given them a good chance of winning. F grade were reduced to three which would find them struggling early. Full teams of five started for E to A with handicaps of 25, 50, 1:10, 1:30 and 2:00. By the second lap it was clear that E and D were splintering under the pressure while C, B and A were quickly closing on the leaders but only slowly closing on each other. The final lap found the handicapper in a frenzy as the three grades approached the bottom turns and it was unclear who would appear first into the finishing straight. A return to form by Christophe Barberet saw him hold off strong finishing by C graders Lance Purdon and Rodney Welsh, followed very closely by A grade.

Ian McVay

Christophe Barberet 1st, Lance Purdon 2nd, Rodney Welsh 3rd

Racing Resumes

Racing will resume in 2021 with the first Crit on the 5th January and Track Racing on the 6th January. The first road race will be on the 24th January.

Till then, have a great Christmas Break.

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

•  Allan Bontjer thank you

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Desk of the Race Committee

•  2021 AGM – Held in a COVID Safe Environment

•  COVID-19 Restrictions

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Allan Bontjer thank you

Thank you to all for your kind words and concerns. Also for contributing towards the club fundraiser to assist my family through this difficult time. Because of your generosity, I will be able to rest and recover without the stress of not being able to work until next year.

I am doing OK. Fractured ribs still healing, but able to rest at home under Doctors orders not to work, drive or go out by myself.

Thanks Again,

Allan Bontjer

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Allan Bontjer fundraiser

Many thanks to those who contributed to the fundraiser. There were many categories: those who entered but didn’t race; those who raced, those who raced and donated, and those who donated. In all, over $2,500 was raised which will help Allan through a bit of a cash crunch while he can’t work. See Allan’s message above.

The sprint primes provided plenty of excitement with Pat Rooke winning by a few mm in F grade while Steve Crispin went solo in A grade. Conan Liu’s effort in B grade was quite memorable, as he was well back when he started his sprint on the back straight and pushed all the way to overhaul the leaders just before the line, but then suffered a complete lactic acid meltdown. I thought I had a chance in C grade until 80m to go when Lance Purdon went past as though I was standing still.

Prime winners;
A Steve Crispin Photo 4
B Conan Liu Photo 1
C Lance Purdon Photo 3
D Anthony Dick Photo 2 (Ian Morton photo bomb!)
E Phil Anderson
F Pat Rooke

Handicaps

This weeks handicaps;
– Brendan Lakey B to A
– Philip Anderson E to D
– Pat Rooke F to E

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Desk of the Race Committee

Pre entries

Pre entry for crits assists organisers and saves a rush in the office before race starts. It also means riders details don’t need to be decoded from a mess of scrawls. Riders also save time before race start not having to sign on.

However, pre entry will put you in your assigned grade as per RMS. If you want to race down a grade you need to talk to the handicapper beforehand. If you want to race up, you need to get the race officials to update the race sign on sheets.

Ian McVay

2021 AGM – Held in a COVID Safe Environment

The AGM for 2021 will be held on Monday 15th February 2021 at 7:00pm in the Loft Meeting Room at the Raiders Club Weston.

COVID-19 Restrictions

There are conditions for travelers from other states.

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.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 15st December: Stromlo Criterium – Christmas Wheel Race

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:

Heats E/F/G 5:50 25 m 2 laps
A/C 6:20 A 30m 2, C 25m 2
B/D 6:50 B 30m 2, D 25m 2

Final1st 5 riders of each grade from heats @7:35
– 4 laps with each grade handicapped

Race Director:  Ian McVay Contact: Email: imcvay@grapevine.com.au    Ph  0406 378 509

Marshals: Mark Vardy

Wednesday, 16th December: Track Racing

Track has concluded for 2020. Track racing will resume in the New Year on Wednesday 6th January.

Sunday, 20th December

Road has concluded for 2020. Racing will resume in the New Year on Sunday 24th January.

RACE REPORTS:

Track Racing – 9th December

Wednesday 9 December was track racing session 9 for the 2020-21 season. It was the final session before Christmas and hosted the Christmas Wheel Race, a 6-lap trophy handicap. The evening was balmy and clear with a slight headwind in the back straight. Attendance was a little below par, with 14 riders equally represented by A and B grades.

The 8-lap A grade scratch race started at a good pace with Ben Robey and Ben Davis taking the initial turns. On lap 3 Steve Jones rolled into the lead and upped the pace. The pace stayed high as John Paul De Sousa, Wayne Benham and Warwick Wilson took turns at the front. On lap 6 Craig Kentwell attacked over Warwick Wilson and Ben Robey took up the pursuit. Craig soon had a substantial gap and looked strong. Ben Robey kept up the pursuit until the final lap but could make only limited inroads into Craig’s lead. By the final lap, Ben was tiring and fell back. Steve Jones surged up to Craig and sat level with his wheel, ready to pounce as the finish approached. Steve was the ultimate victor, followed in by Craig Kentwell and Warwick Wilson in that order.

The B Grade scratch race ran at steady pace for the initial 3 laps with James Newhouse, Mark Canaider and Alison Hale taking turns at the front. On lap 4 Ken Birch took the lead and slowed the pace slightly. Graeme O’Neill then took over at the front for lap 5. By this time, the bunch was getting toey, with riders splayed up the banking ready for an attack. Ian Drayton launched the attack on lap 6 with Phil Anderson in hot pursuit. The attack shattered the bunch. Ian and Phil gained a significant lead as riders streamed around a slowing Graeme O’Neill. They held on to an advantage until the bell lap, when the bunch finally caught up. Phil Anderson reacted and put in a strong final lap for the win. Ian Drayton was overtaken by Mark Canaider and James Newhouse who took second and third placings in that order.

The evening’s final event was the Christmas handicap with 14 riders on the start line. The limit riders charged out of the blocks. Ken Birch, 5 seconds off limit, started at a suicidal pace and had taken over the lead and established an early gap within the first two laps. However, it could not last. After his early lead, Ken fell back and drifted towards the rear. Mark Canaider was also 5 seconds off limit and pushing hard in the early stages. However, Mark also overdid the early pace and fell back. By Lap 4, the A grade riders were starting to close the gap to the B grade leaders. The catch came at the end of lap 4 as the lead riders from B grade began to slow. In the final 2 laps, Ben Davis, Warwick Wilson, Ben Robey and Wayne Benham streamed around the lead B grade rider (Ian Drayton) and scrambled for the finish. Ultimately Ben Davis took the win from Warwick Wilson in second and Ben Robey in third place. It was a significant win for Ben as he is now the only club rider to win the Christmas Track Handicap trophy twice. He first won this trophy in 2013. Congratulations to Ben on a gutsy, well-earned win.

Results

Firstly, a revision to results for last week’s chaotic Italian Pursuit. It appears that one rider from Team 1 dropped out early and was not noticed. The win therefore goes to Team 2 (Martin Graham, Warwick Wilson, Ben Robey, John Paul De Sousa, James Newhouse, Phil Coulton, Alison Hale). Season points have been adjusted to reflect this.

Major place getters for Wednesday were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Steve Jones, Craig Kentwell, Warwick Wilson. (B Grade) Phil Anderson, Mark Canaider, James Newhouse. 6-lap Christmas Wheel Race Handicap: Ben Davis, Warwick Wilson, Ben Robey, Wayne Benham, Ian Drayton.

Season Point Score Update:
Phil Anderson (124), Ian Drayton (114), Steve Jones (113), John Paul De Sousa (111), Phil Coulton (105), Ken Birch (103), James Newhouse (99), Bruce Griffin (85), Alison Hale (83), Ben Robey (82).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all club members from the Track Group.

Graeme O’Neill

Uriarra Crossing Time Trial – 13th December

Was it the rain peppering the windshield on the drive out, or the daunting task of an all out effort up the three sisters that ensured only a small group of the toughest racers showed up for Sunday’s Time Trial at Uriarra Crossing? The weather gods were kind in the end; the rain stopped and the road dried before the start, allowing the race to go ahead.

Fourteen keen souls took on the challenge, with Steve Crispin taking out first place with a cracking time of 6:32, followed closely by Daniel Lekhac (6:43) and Bradley Peppink (7:14) in 3rd. Emma Padovan was the only lady to tackle the climb, winning C grade with a time of 7:52, a result that would have won B grade and put her in 4th place in A grade.

Congrats to all that made their way out to the last Time Trial of the year, the next hill climb TT is at Mount Majura on January 24th.

Results:

A 6:32 Steve Crispin
A 6:43 Daniel Lekhac
A 7:14 Bradley Peppinck
A 7:53 Rainer Wilton
B 8:26 Peter Young
C 7:52 Emma Padovan
C 8:18 Daniel Ward
C 8:22 Peter Balint
C 8:33 John Paul De Sousa
C 9:08 Ian McVay
C 9:18 Andrew Matz
D 9:13 David Hennessy
D 9:31 Lance Purdon
F 12:03 Chris Copeland

Jason McAvoy
Race Referee

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

•  Allan Bontjer fundraiser

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Desk of the Race Committee

•  COVID-19 Restrictions

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Allan Bontjer fundraiser

Recently, club stalwart Allan Bontjer fell in his garden resulting in severe injuries to his chest. At one stage, the situation was grave and the prognosis was grim, but he’s made a remarkable recovery and is now at home recovering. To help him through this difficult period the club will donate all race fees from Tuesday’s race and other financial pledges to Allan.

Anyone who wants to donate extra can ask the person operating the EFT to change the amount or bring extra cash.

Riders can help by racing–yay! If you can’t make it on the night, but want to contribute, enter via RMS anyway. Your money will go into the kitty but you won’t get a DNF.

Allan will attend Tuesday’s criterium races, and he likes nothing better than to see a good sprint. A few club members have donated money for one $30 intermediate sprint prime for each grade.

Prime rules

• First place wins $30, second gets to bang on their handle bars in disgust after they’ve crossed the line.
• The primes will be held approximately halfway during each race and at a time when the two grades are at opposite ends of the course.
• The sprint lap will be announced by the green flag and yet-to-be-determined audible signal.
• The race will continue on as normal after the sprint, thereby creating the perfect moment for a counter attack.
• The prime winner must finish the race to claim the prize.There’s no prize money for winning overall.

Please come along and say hello to Allan, race or donate via the RMS if you can’t make it.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Handicaps

This weeks handicaps;
– Andrew Gatenby B to A

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Desk of the Race Committee

Pre entries

Pre entry for crits assists organisers and saves a rush in the office before race starts. It also means riders details don’t need to be decoded from a mess of scrawls. Riders also save time before race start not having to sign on.

However, pre entry will put you in your assigned grade as per RMS. If you want to race down a grade you need to talk to the handicapper beforehand. If you want to race up, you need to get the race officials to update the race sign on sheets.

Ian McVay

COVID-19 Restrictions

There are current alerts in place for people returning to the ACT from South Australia (SA) and conditions for travelers from other states.

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.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 8st December: Stromlo Criterium – Allan Bontjer fundraiser

• All entry fees from Tuesday’s crit will go towards a fundraising campaign for Allan
• $30 sprint prime will be held for each grade
• Allan will be at Stromlo on Tuesday night
• Pre-entry – even if you are not racing, you can still donate

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
E/F/G 5:50 28 min + 2 laps
A/C 6:25 A 42m+2, C 38m+2
B/D 7:15 B 42m+2, D 38m+2

Race Director:  Simon Junakovic Contact: Email: admin@simeco.com.au    Ph  00413 342 110

Marshals: Paul Morgan

Wednesday, 9th December: Track Racing

This track session will be the last for 2020. There will be drinks and nibbles at the conclusion of the wheel race – all welcome. If anyone wishes to bring a plate it will be appreciated. Track racing will resume in the new year on Wednesday 6 January.

The Program for Wednesday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 6.50pm: Christmas Wheel Race (6-lap handicap).

Sunday, 13th December: Uriarra Crossing

Note: Subject to Road Approvals.

Where: Parking in southern picnic area on western side of Uriarra Crossing Bridge.
When: 9:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
Three Sisters Climb – Start on Western side of Uriarra Crossing and climb three sisters. Finish at crest of third sister.

Race Director:  Jason McAvoy Contact: Email: jmcavoy@jkmt.com.au    Ph 0419 410 618

Marshals: Des Brown

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo Criterium – 1st December

Short version:

It rained beforehand. Some people showed up and raced. Some got dropped and some won. Thanks to the volunteers.

Long version:

With a fierce storm passing through Canberra in the afternoon, it was perhaps inevitable that there was going to be a low turnout for the first two grades scheduled to race on Tuesday night. With 10 riders in each grade and 42 minutes and 2 laps for both, I predicted ACT Vets classic textbook racing for each respective grade i.e there would be a break in A grade that would stick and a bunch finish for C grade.

And that is exactly what transpired – with A grade together for a few laps and before the stronger riders broke away with the usual carnage occurring for the rest. C grade did see Rodney Welch off the front for some time but it finished with the predicted bunch finish.

In A grade, the riders that got away were Gerard Tiffen, Rob McLachlan and Paul Scherl. At one stage the breakaway was whittled down to two with Paul getting dropped. However perseverance on Paul’s part and what appeared to be a mutual agreement between Rob and Gerard saw them ease up towards the end allowing Paul to get back on. Whether the decision to ease up was strategic or a gentleman’s decision, they stayed away from the chasing A grade with 1st place going to Rob, 2nd to Gerard and 3rd to Paul.

C grade had the usual breakaways and there was a solo rider out front for quite some time before eventually being caught by the rest of the grade. C grade largely finished together with 1st going to Lance Purdon, 2nd to Andrew Terricini and rounded off with Rodney Welch in 3rd.

With the low turnout in the first two grades I was hopeful that this would be the precedent for the night and make my job easy. Unfortunately everyone showed up for B and D grades! Racing in both these grades at first appeared predictable with the usual suspects in B grade trying their luck with a breakaway. However for once it worked and while the initial break of 3 riders saw two of them absorbed back into B grade the last remaining rider Andrew Getenby managed to stay off the front of B grade for the last 20 minutes of the race. Andrew Getenby went on to win the B grade race quite convincingly with a bunch finish for 2nd place going to Conan Liu and 3rd to Ben McDuff.

D grade largely stayed together for most of the race and it was noted that Terry Moore was putting a significant amount of work into being on the front various times throughout the race. I admit to thinking that all that effort would amount to nothing at the end with all those guys sitting on her wheel no doubt leaving Terry in their dust as they went for the final lap and finish. However around the last five minutes of the race, her “other half” Mark Harris predicated that ‘she was going to get this’ and he was right! The ‘T MOORE’ train steamed home with her taking first place, followed by the ever ‘wiley’ Mark Taylor for second.

The last grades off for the night were E, F and G grade. G grade was a fait accompli with Bernie Crowe the only rider and as a result winning G grade. E and F grades although small in numbers were interesting to watch. For quite some time I was unsure if Adrian Breen from F grade was off the front or had been dropped as he just seemed to be “chugging” along. Turns out he chugged along to the finish and the win! E grade stayed together with Leanne Tennant narrowing taking the win from Phil Anderson.

Thanks to all the volunteers in particular Alain Albaut who volunteered and stepped up to marshal duties (and directing me) at the last moment. It was also a good reminder to me as to how much work now goes on behind the scenes for these races. Last time I directed a criterium at Stromlo for Vets it was a much more relaxed affair. You opened up the shed, pulled out a table, put out the sign on sheets and people signed themselves up and you trusted them to pay the race fee. Bigger numbers racing means more volunteers and work behind the scenes. Thanks to those ever present volunteers.

Jason Parkes

Track Racing – 2nd December

Wednesday 2 December was the eighth track racing session for the 2020-21 season. The evening was cloudy but warm. There was the usual headwind in the back straight. However, overall, conditions were good for racing. Attendance was good with 17 riders, 9 in A grade and 8 in B grades.

The 8-lap A grade scratch race started at an easy pace with Ben Robey and Ben Davis taking the initial turns. On lap 3 Kerry Knowler rolled into the lead and upped the pace. She was followed by Steve Jones who further increased the pace so that the pack began to string out. Wayne Benham pursued Steve, who then slowed, allowing the pack to consolidate. After a turn by Warwick Wilson, Dave Mullins attacked on lap 6 with John Paul De Sousa and Martin Graham in pursuit. By lap 7 the pack had again consolidated. Martin Graham attacked into the bell lap and it took a few moments for John Paul De Sousa, Steve Jones and the remaining pack to respond. Martin ripped around the lap for victory. John Paul De Sousa got close to Martin at the finish but had to settle for second place with Steve Jones trailing in for third spot.

The B Grade scratch race was quite orderly for the first 5 laps with riders swapping the lead lap by lap. Bruce Griffin took a turn as lead on lap 6 followed by Graeme O’Neill. Bruce cunningly attacked when a conventional lead changeover was expected. He gained a considerable break before a struggling Graeme O’Neill pulled over to allow the following bunch to pursue. The pace was solid for the final laps. Ian Drayton, Phil Anderson and James Newhouse were relentless in pursuit and eventually took the lead and the placings in that order. Bruce Griffin’s enterprise went unrewarded as he trailed in at 7th place.

The evening’s second event was a series of paired, 2-lap, match races. These were interesting to watch with a number of close contests. However, there was little tactical diversity, with the majority of contests ending in a long, 1 to 1.3 lap sprint. A-grade winners were Martin Graham, Ben Davis, Wayne Benham and Steve Jones. B-grade winners were Ian Drayton, James Newhouse, Phil Anderson and Alison Hale.

The track session closed with the usual, all-in, Italian pursuit. The teams were 7 riders each. The event was somewhat chaotic. The initial laps were closely contested. However, by mid race Team 2 had 4 riders and Team 1 had 3 riders. No one could work out quite how this occurred, so it made the result somewhat speculative. In the event, Team 1 were awarded the win as they completed the race first. The race was unusual, to say the least. Fortunately, the event was taken with good humour all round.

Major place getters for Wednesday were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Martin Graham, John Paul De Sousa, Steve Jones. (B Grade) Ian Drayton, Phil Anderson, James Newhouse.
2-lap Paired Match Races: (A Grade Winners) Martin Graham, Ben Davis, Wayne Benham, Steve Jones. (B Grade Winners) Ian Drayton, James Newhouse, Phil Anderson, Alison Hale.
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 1 (Dave Mullins, Ben Davis, Wayne Benham, Ian Drayton, Ken Birch, Phil Anderson, Graeme O’Neill).

Season Point Score Update:
Phil Anderson (116), Ian Drayton (108), Phil Coulton (103), Steve Jones (103), John Paul De Sousa (102), Ken Birch (99), James Newhouse (89), Bruce Griffin (85), Alison Hale (76), Ben Robey (72).

Graeme O’Neill

Dairy Flat Graded Points Race – 6th December

Warm and windy last week. Cool and VERY windy this week at Diary Flat Road and the nor-westerly made it for blustery conditions with gusts up to 45km/h and echelons for those grades with enough riders to make that happen. Marshals and racers were out early to help give the track a final clear up with lots of small and medium sized branches and sticks being blown over the road all morning. (And a big thank you to Race Director Mark Taylor and other volunteers who spent time clearing the road from debris on Saturday).

Generally the conditions were tricky, both from a meteorological point of view and the general public who occasionally strayed onto the road as walkers, runners and general cyclists. Careful bike handling made it a safe day.

The late decision was made to make it a graded points race and the combatants were extremely enthusiastic about waiting for the Director’s sprint lap siren to sound. Some used it as an opportunity to steal a march to the first turn near the wetlands and then try to stay out front for the downwind leg. For others it was more like track racing, waiting for the final bend into the cross-headwind with the line in sight before launching the sprint.

E/F/G grades set off first for 30mins +1. It was a 2 man battle in E grade with Phil making the early moves and Chris dangling a little at the turns. Phil took the first prime and max 3 points and then settled in for the last couple of laps with Chris mostly on the front. This played into the crafty race tactics of Phil perfectly to took the bell lap, max points and the race overall. F grade saw Pat in solid form and she easily worked Dennis over at the turns. Spectators enjoyed the interesting tactic of Dennis deploying the bright yellow spinnaker sail jacket at the 3/4 open position which did not aid his downwind progress and seemed to hinder the upwind momentum however there’s no doubt he enjoyed the day out and the extra watts generated – free training right there. Pat took both primes and the easy win by a large margin after they mostly stayed together during the race. #669 in Gai Monahan TTed her way to a solo victory with both primes and the win in G grade.

Next up was C/D with 4 riders in each grade and the wind had picked up with some strong gusts affecting play on the homeward leg. Mostly headwind and then a strong cross in the final 400m of the lap which put the race line in the gutter. 40 mins + 1 lap and random primes had the bunches on their toes and with larger groups than the lower grades, there was a noticeable step up in pace. Darren seemed to be making the early moves in C Grade, attacking strongly out of the turns and making the followers work hard with the line strung out. He spent a fair amount of time on the front to no avail and missed the podium. Rob enjoyed the downwind legs, not missing a pedal stroke as he waved for the camera. Andrew was looking strong but it was Lance who managed to collect the most points and had a clear gap for the sprint on the final lap to take the overall win, Andrew 2nd and Rob in 3rd. In D grade it was #282 in Russell who took the first prime in an all out bunch sprint effort and he went clear with 3 points, then Ian just edging out Peter for the remaining points. Alex was biding his time. They all stayed together fairly well throughout the race – max points and the win going to club stalwart Ian Morton, followed by Alex 2nd and then Peter for 3rd.

In arguably the most blustery conditions of the morning, A & B then lined up for 50+1. In A grade Rainer managed to dislodge B grade after 2 laps and then soloed to victory taking all primes in emphatic TT style and max double points for the win on the bell lap. Daylight didn’t even show up for second so there was plenty of time for a considered, yet modest, fist pump.

The real action happened in B grade with 11 rouleurs turning up for battle. With David’s recent road promotion to A grade, he was always going to be a protagonist. Club president Seymour also a man to mark on the punchy hot dog circuit filled with the Director’s primes …a nd Bruce ever consistent in the sprints. It was strung out early with no gentlemanly warm up laps and the “yeah, nah” boys causing almost as much havoc stringing out the bunch as the wind. The peloton splintered on about lap 4 and Dave Dickson took the first and second primes with some crafty positioning after the down wind turn and protecting the legs until absolutely required. After the split, the echelons formed with Daniel, Al, Bruce, Luke and Seymour off the front with David. Seymour was dropped with about 10 to go and then they were down to 4 with only 5 minutes to go. Late attacks from Al, Dave and Bruce helped Daniel to yo-yo off the remaining group at every turn until he was also dropped. It really felt like we hadn’t seen Luke all day and it was only his third race for the year…but as it turns out, that’s how you win! Don’t put your nose in the wind unless you absolutely have to and consistency paid off – Dave possibly paying the price for those early primes vs double points for the win. 1st to Luke, 2nd David and Bruce in 3rd.

All-in-all, a great day out.

Photos on Facebook.

Mark K Taylor – Race Referee
Race report courtesy Jeremy Gillman-Wells

Sprint Points

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

•  Heat Warning

•  Thank-you: ACTVCC Evaluation Survey

•  First Aid Course

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  COVID-19 Restrictions

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Heat Warning

Vets,The temperature for tomorrow’s Crit Race (1st Dec) is forecast to reach 35 degrees.Members are urged to take care in the hot conditions. Ensure you drink plenty of water before, during and after the race.Riders who feel unwell during the race should stop and seek assistance from the First Aid attendant.

Thank-you: ACTVCC Evaluation Survey

Thank-you to everyone who took the time to complete the ACTVCC Evaluation Survey over the last two weeks. We received 249 responses, which is fantastic.

Our external evaluator Erin is now analysing the survey findings, which will inform one-to-one phone or video interviews over December and January. Erin is interested in talking to members and former members who have a range of experiences with the Vets Club, including newer members, long-term members, members who are also involved in other local cycling clubs, as well as members across different grades or disciplines. Two online focus groups with female members will also be held.

If you are interested in talking to Erin, please contact her on erinbarry@hotmail.com to arrange a time.

First Aid Course

Dear Members,

Would you know what to do if you were first on the scene of a road accident involving a cyclist? Would you know how to help one of your friends if they had a fall during a ride?

The club has been successful in bidding for an ACT Government Grant for road safety. This allows us to offer members First Aid courses free of charge. We estimate our nearly 300 members cycle more than 180,000km on ACT Roads every year. This makes it quite likely one of us will be first on scene at an accident at some time.

A First Aid course would provide you with a nationally recognised qualification, and would equip you to help others in the event of an emergency. It would also help the club to continue to conduct racing in the ACT. The club uses, and will continue to use, an external contractor to provide first aid support to races, however there are times when this service is unavailable. In order for the club to be able to undertake our scheduled race calendar, the club will, from time to time, ask a first aid qualified member to attend a race.

The committee has experience of a course provider in the ACT that has adapted to COVID-19 restrictions by taking the theory components on-line, and adapting the practical elements in line with social distancing requirements. If there’s interest from members, the Committee will organise a group booking with this provider. Please e-mail committee@actvets.cc if you would like to take up this option.

Otherwise, members may register for the first aid course of their choice, provided that:
1) the course provides a recognised Australian first aid qualification;
2) the cost of the course is less than or equal to $200; and
3) members acknowledge and agree to being placed on a list of first aid providers that, from time to time, will be utilised to provide first aid services to club races.

Contact the committee to ensure that your intended course meets the club’s needs. Following completion of the course, contact the Treasurer at treasurer@actvets.cc to provide a copy of your qualification and organise a reimbursement.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Allan Bontjer

Last week’s announcement regarding Allan’s accident was very grave, but in the past week he’s made remarkable progress, is out of intensive care and doing quite well.

He’s even walked to the hospital cafe for a coffee.There’s still a long way to go with his rehabilitation–he’s still in pain from the main injury to his ribs and is suffering from pneumonia. More frequent updates will be available on the Vets’ Facebook page.

Handicaps

This weeks handicaps;
– Carmine Spagnoletti C to B
– David Dickson B to A2 road
– Al Raitt B to A2 road

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

COVID-19 Restrictions

There are current alerts in place for people returning to the ACT from South Australia (SA) and conditions for travelers from other states.

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.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 1st December: Stromlo Criterium

Note: We are short a marshall for tomorrow’s event. Could anyone able to assist, please contact the race director.

Reminder: You can pre-register online on the RMS: https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar or pay cash/EFTPOS on the day.

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
A/C 5:50 A 42m+2, C 38m+2
B/D 6:35 B 42m+2, D 38m+2
E/F/G 7:20 28 min + 2 laps

Race Director:  Jason Parkes Contact: Email: Jason.parkes@hotmail.com.au    Ph  0401 816 440

Marshals: vacant

Wednesday, 2nd December: Track Racing

The Program for Wednesday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 7.00pm: 2-lap match races;
7.00pm – 7.20pm: Italian pursuit.

Sunday, 6th December: Dairy Flat Road Criterium – Graded

Notes;
– Sign-on at least 15min before your race in your Crit grade.
– Tea and coffee won’t be available after racing this week.
– Don’t forget Sunday’s race is pre-entry or cash on the day.

Where: Travel toward the airport and drop down onto the northern end of the track west of the second river crossing or, head to Fyshwick then west onto Dairy Road and follow on until you find a gate that delineates the cut off section.
When: 9:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
E/F/G 9:00 30 mins 1 lap
C/D 9:40 40 mins 1 lap
A/B 10:30 50 mins 1 lap

Race Director:  Mark K Taylor Contact: Email: markandanita4u@bigpond.com    Ph 0408 884 984

Marshals: Jeremy Gillman-Wells

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo Criterium – 24th November

B+D grade off first, Quite a fast pace set from the start from B grade. Windy conditions helped with break away’s developing right form the start. Trying to keep track wasn’t easy. The end result was Riley Dale taking the win followed by Conan Liu and Heath Chester rounding out the top 3. Great race, was good to watch.

D grade weren’t quite as hasty for a break away to form. A few try’s were made but were gathered up pretty quickly. The win was taken from a good friend of mine and his first race in VETS Tim Ryan, well done Tim and I think C grade this coming week. 2nd place was Frank O’Sullivan and Peter Frew (another good friend of mine) taking out 3rd. Seems all my mates are sand baggers but I did give advise to Tim so my bad also….. Well done to all D graders as it wasn’t easy in that wind I’m sure.

Next up were E+F+G grades. Again the wind played quite a big part in the separation of grades and by the looks of some of the faces out on the track it didn’t appear easy. E grade had a couple of groups formed, the 1st place taker was John Fleming followed by Penelope Anderson and on the tandem Lindy Hou.

F grade I believe separated also but was taken out by Adrian Breed followed by Pat Rooke and Dennis Puniard.

G grade was taken by the solo rider of Bernard Crowe who from the side line just keeps his head down and pedals with no look of pain on his face as everyone else did in the other grades so well done Bernie. I do apologize for the lack of a write up but I was concentrating on all the different groups circulating in different groups on the track wasn’t easy. Well done to all!

Next up was A+C, A grade had quite a few break away’s pretty quickly and split across the entire track mid way through the race which again took quite a lot of concentration to keep track of. Again was a great race to watch and hard in that wind. First place was taken out by Rob McLachlan, If there was an A+ grade that would suit quite well, great effort, 2nd place was taken by Marc Vroomans and 3rd Mark Harris. The end was tricky as both grades and groups were starting to blend together, sorry to the riders if it wasn’t easy to follow signage but again well done to A grade.

C grade followed, in the race brief I was asked how long the race was and I stated 40 minutes + 2 laps and was quite quickly shown my mistake by what felt like the entire field of “its only 35 + 2 laps”, seemed to me they didn’t want to have those extra 5 minutes in that wind? Not sure why? Anyway, from the first lap Carmine Spagnoletti took off and the bunch never saw him again, at one stage he had over half a lap and looked to be doing it quite easy but that wind knocked him around a lot and he started to slow in the later stage of the race but not enough as he stayed away and took the win quite easily followed by Steven Jones and Adam Strickland. Another great race to watch.

Well done to all grades as the Stromlo wind wouldn’t have been easy to race in.

Thanks to my first aider Simon, Marshall Ben Zeller and my 2 extra helpers Mia and Oscar Chamberlain who hopefully learnt something as their Dad Andrew is on duty this week coming and is unable to attend so Mia and Oscar are filling in which is great so be nice to them and stay together in your groups…….. Yeah right

Was a great event and enjoyed myself.

Simon Porombka

Track Racing – 25th November

Wednesday 25 November saw the seventh track racing session for the 2020-21 season. Although Wednesday morning was overcast, the evening produced quite good conditions for racing. It was clear and hot. A stiff breeze created a stronger headwind in the back straight than ideal, but riders took this in their stride. Attendance was the good, 18 riders with equal numbers in A and B grades.

The 8-lap A grade scratch race started at a solid pace that increased as the laps ticked off. The first five laps were unadventurous with Steve Jones, Craig Kentwell, Dominic Rideaux, and Kerry Knowler taking turns at the front. On lap 6, Dominic Rideaux cranked up the pace causing the pack to string out. Martin Graham pursued Dominic and after taking over the lead, slowed the pace as the bell lap approached. This compacted the bunch and put Ben Davis and others in a good position to attack from the high banking. However, Martin Graham was the first to attack and his pace quickly carried him several metres out from the pack. Only Steve Jones was able to pursue and close the gap. Steve quickly had the upper hand and surged past Martin to take the win. Martin held on for second against a fast closing Wayne Benham.

The B Grade scratch race was quite orderly for the first 5 laps with riders swapping the lead lap by lap. James Newhouse raised the pace considerably when he rotated into the lead on lap 6 with Phil Coulton stuck to his wheel. James’s effort caused the bunch to string out with gaps appearing everywhere. James probably attacked too early as the bunch eventually overhauled him as his pace slowed marginally. Ian Drayton, Phil Anderson and Bruce Griffin surged out of the consolidated pack to take the final sprint in that order. James was relegated to fifth place in a hard race.

The evening’s second event was a 2-Lap handicap. The A grade handicap saw Steve Hirsler take off as the rabbit. However, Steve likely overdid the pace on his first lap as he faded in the second. Craig Kentwell, Wayne Benham and Kerry Knowler were well motivated and put in big efforts to take the podium places in that order.

The B grade handicap was interesting. Alison Hale rode exceptionally well from limit and no one could come near her. Graeme O’Neill was off a lesser handicap than previously, but somehow managed to stay just clear of the pursuing pack to take second place. The remaining pack was quite close at the finish with Phil Coulton taking a creditable third placing.

The third event for the evening was a graded, 10-lap Snowball. This is, essentially, a points race with escalating sprint points as the race progresses. In A Grade, Martin Graham took the first sprint. Ben Davis than make an enterprising effort, snatching the second sprint win and placing second to Martin Graham in the third sprint. Steve Jones was cagey, timing his efforts for the more valuable, later sprints. However, Martin Graham had the best overall performance garnering points in all five sprints for a race winning total of 11 points. Steve Jones was a close second with 10 points. Third placing, on 6 points, was Dave Mullins.

In the B Grade Snowball, Bruce Griffin took the first sprint. Ian Drayton surged out of the pack for the second sprint and subsequently powered around the track in the lead for the three remaining sprints. In the points wash up, Ian easily took first place with 14 points followed by Mark Canaider (8 points) and Phil Anderson (6 points).

The track session closed with the usual, all-in, Italian pursuit. The teams were large at 9 riders each. This event initially seemed quite close. However, as the race progressed, it became obvious that Team 1 was the stronger team. Both teams rode in exemplary fashion. However, Steve Jones (anchor for Team 1) commenced the final lap with an advantage that Craig Kentwell (anchor for Team 2) had little chance of overcoming. Team 1 took a comfortable win. Both teams enjoyed the challenge.

Results: Firstly, a correction for the B Grade 200m Fly from last week where Bruce Griffin’s second placing was overlooked. The correct results were Ian Drayton (14.56s), Bruce Griffin (15.07s), Ken Birch (15.16s).

Major place getters for Wednesday 25th were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Steve Jones, Martin Graham, Wayne Benham. (B Grade) Ian Drayton, Phil Anderson, Bruce Griffin.
2-lap Handicap: (A Grade) Craig Kentwell, Wayne Benham, Kerry Knowler. (B Grade) Alison Hale, Graeme O’Neill, Phil Coulton.
10-lap Snowball: (A Grade) Martin Graham (11 pts), Steve Jones (10 pts), Dave Mullins (6 pts). (B Grade) Ian Drayton (14 pts), Mark Canaider (8 pts), Phil Anderson (6 pts).
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 1 (Steve Jones, Dominique Rideaux, Kerry Knowler, Ken Birch, James Newhouse, Phil Anderson, Graeme O’Neill).

Season Point Score Update:
Phil Anderson (97), Phil Coulton (91), Steve Jones (90), Ian Drayton (88), John Paul De Sousa (87), Ken Birch (86), Bruce Griffin (77), James Newhouse (73). Ben Robey (61), Alison Hale (61).

Graeme O’Neill

Old Federal Highway Graded Scratch – 29th November

Warm and windy conditions greeted the 40 odd starters at the weekends Old Federal Highway, Tulip Farm scratch race. Four bunches set off eagerly, with no significant breaks or splits on the first lap. The combination of the wind and Washing Machine Hill proved to be decisive on the second and third laps for the combined A/B and to a certain extent for C and D. E and F were also combined over their two lap race. E grade largely stayed together with the F graders trailing. At the finish E grade had a small bunch sprint with Russell Marston taking the win, Alex Sommariva second and Penelope Anderson third. Chris Copeland came home as the sole finishing F grader.

A/B were racing well together with the odd rider trailing off due to the wind. Christophe Barberet and Al Raitt broke clear on the last lap and engaged in a sprint finish, with the remainder of the A/B combination trailing behind. Christophe was first for A grade, with Rowan McMurray second. Al Raitt, who hung in there with Christophe took first in B grade, with David Dickson second, Mark Harris third.

C grade likewise largely stayed together for the 3 laps and in the sprint finish, Andrew Matz took the win in a close sprint with David Stewart-Thomson second and Michael Hanbury third. Finally, a similar situation unfolded in D grade with a split in the bunch and a sprint finish. Lance Purdon took the win, Alain Arbaut a close second and Craig Coleman third.

Congrats also to the two new riders who experienced their first Vets road race – well done on your participation and staying out of trouble.

Thanks to the core club members who made the race happen – especially Graham Hendrie, Ian McVay and Ian Morton. Thanks also to the marshals – Rainer Wilton, Michael Payne, Bernard Crowe and Peter Jovanovic.

Marc Vroomans

Hello Vets,

In the Bleat this week;

•  Final Opportunity: ACTVCC Evaluation Survey

•  Race support needed

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  COVID-19 Restrictions

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Reports

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Final Opportunity: ACTVCC Evaluation Survey

There are two days remaining to complete this survey for current Vets members (including those not racing), former Vets members, and other cyclists in the ACT and surrounding region aged 30 and over who are interested in cycle-racing, including members of other cycling clubs.

Thank-you to those who have already completed this survey, including over a third of current Vets members. This survey will help to identify how we can better engage with our membership and the broader cycle-racing community.

Responses are anonymous and we value your feedback and thoughts. The findings will assist us to identify what works well and where we can improve, and will support the Committee to make informed decisions to respond to the needs and interests of members. We have engaged an external evaluator to help us with this work.

Access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACTVCC_2020

The survey closes on Wednesday 25 November 2020.For more information about the evaluation activities, visit the ACTVCC website: https://actvets.cc/about/have-your-say-actvcc-survey.

Race support needed

The club is extremely lucky to have Graham Hendrie looking after, and bringing out to races, our race van. Graham also manages the timing and results recording and uploading into RMS. This operates like a pro rider, very smooth looking but a lot of hard work going on.

Graham is looking to take a break from marshal duties, so we need to start looking at transitioning some of the tasks that he does to other people. This could be a member of the club, a family member or someone who has spare time and an interest in cycling. If you are interested in helping out, or know someone who would be, please get in touch with the race Committee.

Remember, it’s up to everyone in the club to help ensure we continue to have a viable ongoing race program.

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Allan Bontjer

I have some very upsetting news to report from Allan’s partner Nat. Allan fell off a wall while gardening yesterday and is currently in an induced coma. His prospects were dire last night, but he’s improved slightly and is stable as of this morning. Allan is the consummate club stalwart, having completed 706 club events and worked tirelessly behind the scenes keeping the RMS going over the years. Allan’s famous post-race cough has rung out over Stromlo for many years and let’s all hope and pray that we will hear it again or see him sitting on a wall there watching the other grades sometime in the future. It was only last Tuesday night when Allan, I, Mark Harris and others had a hilarious time watching events unfold as the easterly blew in causing the B and D bunches to split and riders to pack it in. Adding to the mayhem was my attempt at kangaroo control that nearly sent an entire mob into the path of the B grade bunch.

Please contact me directly should you wish to know more or connect with Nat.

Spice up your ride to Lake George

Ever wondered what’s on the hill on the left side of the Federal Highway when passing Lake George on the way to Sydney? Well, there’s a dirt road from Collector to Gundaroo that traverses those hills before you plunge down to Gundaroo on Marked Tree Road. The view halfway is quite spectacular.

Handicaps

This weeks handicaps;
– Paul Watson B to A
– David Rowe D to C
– Rafi Khan C to B

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Optional Pre-entry for Tuesday’s Crit

We are going to trial pre-entries for this week’s crit at Stromlo. Pre-entry will close at 3:50pm on Tuesday to allow the race start sheets to be printed off. You will be entered into your Crit grade. If you’re not sure what this is, look it up in https://rms.actvets.cc/index by searching on your race number. Pre-entered riders do not have to sign on, just turn with your grade start for the race briefing. Riders can still enter on the day in the office with cash or card.

Pinless Clips

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Conan Liu, the club will be providing all Vets racers with free pin-less clips for attaching our race numbers.

These are great accessories for us to each use, negating the need for ‘safety’ pins and the fact safety pins are not that safe when dropped and puncture a tire…

These are simple to use, however, care should be taken when taking them off because if you’re too vigorous and begin yanking it is possible to damage the jersey. It is best to take your time and lever the back off of the front.

The pin-less clips will be available at the sign on desk from tomorrow’s criterium. We will try and get some out to the Trackies on Wednesday and in the race van from Sunday’s race.

Thanks again to Conan for all he’s done on this matter for the club.

Hygiene in the Bunch

At last week’s Crit there was a complaint from a member that a fellow rider during the race expelled nose mucus mid group. This is not acceptable at anytime but with the current COVID-19 health warnings this action puts all riders in the group at a significant risk due to the close proximity of racing.

All members are advised that this activity will not be tolerated and if reported to a committee member or race official action will be taken to disqualify the member from racing for a period of time.

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.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 24th November: Stromlo Criterium

Reminder: You can pre-register online on the RMS: https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar or pay cash/EFTPOS on the day.

Where: Stromlo Forest Park
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number.
Race Description:
B/D 5:50 B 40m+2, D 35m+2
E/F/G 6:35 28 min + 2 laps
A/C 7:10 A 40m+2, C 35m+2

Race Director:  Simon Porombka Contact: Email: simonjohnp@hotmail.com    Ph  0418 232 639

Marshals: Ben Zeller

Wednesday, 25th November: Track Racing

The Program for Wednesday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice;
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race;
6.20pm – 6.40pm: 2-lap handicap;
6.40pm – 7.10pm: 10-lap snowball;
7.10pm – 7.30pm: Italian pursuit.

Sunday, 29th November: Old Federal Highway – Graded Scratch

ps. Don’t forget Sunday’s race is pre-entry or cash on the day.

Where: Turn left off new Federal Hwy (dual carriageway) onto Shingle Hill Way. The intersection is signposted to Gundaroo and approx 9 km past the Sutton Rd overpass. Park in gravel pit on corner of next intersection about 100 m in from highway.
When: 9:00 am.
Sign on: 15 mins before scheduled start time wearing your registered number
Race Description:
Gravel Pit – Tulip Farm.
ABCD – 3 laps.
EFG – 2 laps

Race Director:  Marc Vroomans Contact: Email: vroomans@grapevine.com.au    Ph 0436 189 202

Marshals: Rainer Wilton, Michael Payne, Bernard Crowe, Peter Jovanovic

RACE REPORTS:

Stromlo Criterium – 17th November

Nearly 120 keen riders across the grades fronted up to battle not only each other but also a strong headwind, but with the flipside being a wonderful tailwind down the back straight, at least for most of the night – more on that later. The talk on the sidelines was the possibility of the wind causing the groups to splinter but with a few exceptions, this did not eventuate.

E, F and G grades scored the early start this week. The riders mostly stayed together but a couple of first time riders in E grade inflicted some pain on the rest. Perhaps they fell for the advice that new riders have to do the work on the front. In any case, Natasha Royal crossed the line first followed by John Fleming and Brian Vernon. A small field of F graders was led across the finish line by Pat Rooke with David Witteveen in second and Adrian Breen taking third. Bernie Crow took an uncontested G grade win.

A grade, as usual, was a hotly contested affair. Not surprisingly, the pace was on from the outset with a small group of riders forming a break by the end of the first lap. The breakaway group soon reduced down to a cohesive (at least it seemed cohesive from the sidelines) group of four who powered away from the main bunch, raising the distinct possibility that they might put a lap on the rest of the field. However, the breakaway reduced to three and the gap back to the main field started to close. In the end, it came down to almost a photo finish with Gerard Tiffen just running down Mathew Corby on the line and Marc Vroomans finishing third. C grade made it a little easier on the officials trying to keep track of the two grades by mostly staying together, probably assisted by the winds abating somewhat. David Rowe took out first place, followed home by Rafi Khan and James Tonkin.

The last grades away were B and D, who started with a headwind on the finish straight which seemed to turn into a tailwind later in the race. As well as the changing weather conditions, they also had to contend with some kangaroos who wanted a closer look at the action down the southern end, and had to avoid someone’s car keys and credit card dropped on the track. There were some short-lived breaks in B grade that were quickly shut down. In the end, Paul Watson scored a convincing win and was reportedly heard saying “someone told me to go, so I did”. Paul was followed home by Ben McDuff in second and Bruce Goodfellow in third. D grade mostly stayed together until the closing laps, when the field started to splinter somewhat. Mark Taylor prevailed to take first place followed by Craig Coleman in second and Bob Perkins in third.

Thank you to all riders for staying upright, Ron Parker for his marshalling assistance, Simon Whitehead for his first aid expertise which thankfully wasn’t called into action, and lastly the race committee members who make these wonderful events possible week in and week out.

Kevin Newhouse

Track Racing – 18th November

Wednesday 18 November saw the sixth track racing session for the 2020-21 season. Weather conditions were excellent for racing. It was warm with a fresh breeze creating a headwind in the back straight. Attendance was the best so far for the season, with 22 riders, 13 in A grade and 9 in B grade.

The 8-lap A grade scratch race started at a solid pace that increased slightly as the laps ticked off. Dominic Rideau, Dave Mullins, Craig Kentwell, Steve Jones, Ben Robey and Michael Langdon took turns at the front over the first 5 laps. On lap 6, Craig Kentwell attacked, pursued by Warwick Wilson, leading the remaining bunch. Craig gained about 4m on the pursuers. However, over the next two laps, Warwick Wilson gradually closed the gap. As the bunch barrelled towards the bell lap, Michael Langdon attacked from a consolidated bunch with Martin Graham in hot pursuit. Michael stamped his authority on the race during the bell lap and cruised over the line for first place. Martin Graham kept up his pursuit to take second place. John Paul De Sousa emerged from the pursuing bunch to take third place.

The B Grade scratch race was quite orderly for the first 5 laps with riders swapping the lead lap by lap. James Newhouse raised the pace considerably when he rotated into the lead on lap 6. James’s effort caused the bunch to string out. On lap 7 James accelerated again and quickly gained a lead on Graeme O’Neill and Phil Coulton in pursuit. As the bell lap approached, Graeme began to fall back with the bunch streaming around to pursue James. A hot battle over the final lap saw Ian Drayton emerge as winner with Phil Anderson 1.5 metres back in second and Ken Birch a close third.

The evening’s second event was a 200 metre, flying start time trial. This is a popular event as it is quite technical and almost like enjoying the final sprint in a road race without suffering through 40 kilometres to get there. There is usually a bit of uncertainty about the optimum launch distance and line down the banking to start. However, most riders followed a similar line crossing the start line around 1.5 metres from the duckboard with variations on the launch distance. The A grade times were very close with the first 8 riders having times within a one second differential. Steve Jones set the best time at 13.20 seconds, closely followed by John Paul De Sousa (13.67 seconds) and Hamish Anderson (13.78 seconds).

B grade times were also quite competitive with 7 riders within a 1 second differential. Ian Drayton set the standout time at 14.55 seconds. Ken Birch (15.16 seconds) and James Newhouse (15.17 seconds) set second and third best times, respectively. The margin between them was only 1/100 th of a second.

The track session closed with the usual, all-in, Italian pursuit. The teams were large at 11 riders each, requiring a big effort from the later riders. This was a super competitive pursuit up until the final lap, with the teams swapping the lead several times and the margin staying within 1 – 2 metres. On the last lap Team 2’s anchor rider Michael Langdon started with about a half metre advantage, so an exciting finish was expected. However, by this stage Steve Jones, the anchor for Team 1, was feeling the pressure of a long relentless pursuit with all riders circulating at maximum effort. Michael had too much in reserve for Steve and gave Team 2 a comfortable win. However, the teamwork for both teams was first class.

Major place getters were as follows:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Michael Langdon, Martin Graham, John Paul De Sousa. (B Grade) Ian Drayton, Phil Anderson, Ken Birch.
200m Fly: (A Grade) Steve Jones (13.20s), John Paul De Sousa (13.67s), Hamish Anderson (13.78s). (B Grade) Ian Drayton (14.56s) Ken Birch (15.16s) James Newhouse (15.17s).
Combined Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 2 (Michael Langdon, John Paul De Sousa, Wayne Benham, Ben Davis, Dave Mullins, Ben Robey, Ken Birch, James Newhouse, Ian Drayton, Bruce Griffin, Graeme O’Neill).

Season Point Score Update:
John Paul De Sousa (87), Phil Anderson (80), Phil Coulton (79), Ken Birch (75), Ian Drayton (73), Steve Jones (71), Bruce Griffin (63), Ben Robey (61), James Newhouse (61). Dougal Torrance (58), Hamish Anderson (51).

Graeme O’Neill