Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• Vale Norm Simper
• Race Director Required
• Fitability social ride – 10am Saturday 26 June
• Event Traffic Controller Training
• Van Volunteers
• Racing this Week
• Race Report
Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc
Vale Norm Simper
Norm Simper, an inaugural member of the club, passed away on the 7th June 2021 aged 100. A twice world veteran champion and multiple Australian titles plus many other awards.
Norm participated in the first ACT Vets club event 21st August 1993 – Lookout Hill Handicap. There were a total of 20 riders, Norm placed 12th.
Some notable achievements:
– Age Standard Time Trial: 1994/1995 – Norm Simper 1st place
– Worthington Handicap: 1994/1997/2000 – Norm Simper in 1st place
– Ti-Tree Handicap Cooma: 1997 – Norm Simper 1st place
– Winter Road Season Point Score: 1994 Norm Simper 1st.
Norm raced with the Vets between the ages of 73 and 84, when he rode his last race in 2004 but in the 1970s and 80s he achieved some fine results when in his 50s and 60s. These included two world veterans’ road race victories in 1976 and 1982, two sixth places in the 200km Goulburn to Liverpool handicap in the 1970s, four NSW veterans’ road championships between 1974 and 1977, 5th in the 1979 vets nationals in Sydney despite two punctures. According to Tony O’Connor and alluded to in the Canberra Times, he was also a high finisher in the Melbourne to Warrnambool 290km one-day classic on a number of occasions but no detailed results are available.
See this post about his war service and pictures that were published when he turned 100 https://www.facebook.com/329366900495252/posts/norman-norm-simper-was-born-in-beaufort-victoria-on-26-october-1920-and-today-tu
In memory of someone who loved cycling.
Race Director Required
We require a Race Director for the Apollo Road race on 3rd July.
Please advise the Race Committee if you can fill this role: race.committee@actvets.cc.
Ian McVay
Race Committee
Fitability social ride – 10am Saturday 26 June
Many Vets members have seen tandem bikes racing crits or on the road. This is an opportunity to join Fitability tandem riders, and Vets members, for a social ride.
This is an inclusive, no-drop ride. Single bikes are most welcome. Fitability has a fleet of tandems if you would like to ride one.
To participate or for more info contact John Barlow on 0411 097 900 or barlow.john60@gmail.com
Fitability is an organisation providing tandem bike riding for people with a disability.
Please advise the Race Committee if you can fill this role: race.committee@actvets.cc.
John Barlow
Event Traffic Controller Training
The next ETC Training course is on 24th July.
We are still looking for more members to become qualified ETCs. Please nominate to undertake the training to race.committee@actvets.cc.
Ian McVay
Race Committee
Van Volunteers
As we transition into the new arrangements for the race van, we are looking to establish a pool of members who would be interested in taking on responsibility to prepare the van, drive it out to races and return it to Stromlo.
Members who drive the van to an event would still be able to participate in the race.
Members who are willing to be included in the roster should contact secretary@actvets.cc
Note that the van is a manual gear change.
ps Thanks to also those people who have already volunteered.
RACING THIS WEEK:
Saturday, 26th June – Tharwa Handicap
Note: Race still subject to approvals.
Reminder: All riders must pre-register on the ACT Vets website (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 25/06/2021 6:00 PM prior to the race. There is no registration on the day.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Where: Start near Cuppacumbalong Homestead entry. Parking in Tharwa village or picnic area adjacent western end of Tharwa Bridge.
When: 1:30 pm.
Race Description:
Tharwa – Apollo Rd – 2 laps.
Start, turn and finish just out near the Cuppacumbalong gate.
Race Director: Donald de SMET Contact: Email: donald.desmet48@hotmail.com Ph 0419 689 917
Marshals: Frank O’Sullivan ETC, Robert Brunato ETC, Michael Foulds, Van driver – Owain Tilley
RACE REPORT:
Team Criterium – 19th May
Just to add some interest to our restricted race venues the committee decided to include a teams based criterium event in the calendar. The race was grade based with intermittent sprint prime points and super points for the bell lap. While the weather was cold and quite windy, the racing was hot and with the wind assisting the sprinters up the finish straight the marshals were well and truely kept on their toes. The teams were preselected by the club handicapper and aimed at keeping them as even as possible.
The prime sprint points were the same for all grades, with 4/2/1 for the intermediate primes and 10/6/4 for the final.
A grade had two teams of three and stayed together through the first sprint with Christophe Barberet first across the line, Heath Wade second and Jimmy Carroll just beating Paul Scherl for third across the line. The second sprint was taken out by Paul Scherl with Heath Wade second and Christophe Barberet just beating Jimmy Carroll for third.
In the third sprint Jimmy Carroll was first across the line, Paul Scherl second and Christophe Barberet just beat Heath Wade across the line. The fourth sprint was in the order of Paul Scherl, Jimmy Carroll and Christophe Barberet. The final sprint was taken out by Heath Wade, with Christophe Barberet second and Jimmy Carroll third.
In the end it was team Carroll, Wade and Goodfellow who took out the win by only 2 points.
A Grade Team 1 – 23 points
Christophe Barberet – (4/1/1/1/6) 13
Al Rait
Paul Scherl – (4/2/4) 10
A Grade Team 2 – 25 points
Jimmy Carroll – (1/4/2/4) 11
Heath Wade – (2/2/10) 14
Bruce Goodfellow
B grade also had two teams of three. In the first sprint Daniel Crocker was first over the line followed by Lance Purdon and Peter Young. After the first sprint, Daniel and Peter broke away from the main group and developed a large gap with Peter taking out the second sprint point, Daniel Second and Lance third. The gap held by Daniel and Peter was maintained through to the end of the race and they battled it out for first and second place at each sprint point. The final sprint was given to Peter, although this was a very tight finish with almost nothing between the two at the finish line.
Adam Strickland took third placing in the third sprint, fourth sprint and also the finish sprint.
B grade Team 1 – 21 points
Peter Young – (1/4/2/4/10) 21
Chris Nolan
Michael Hanbury
B Grade Team 2 – 29 points
Lance Purdon – (2/1) 3
Daniel Crocker – (4/2/4/2/6) 20
Adam Strickland – (1/1/4) 6
C grade had three teams and were a mixture of C and D grade riders. The racing was quite different, with the first prime pretty much setting the tone for the remainder of the race. Matt Hinchliffe was first over the line followed by Bruce McMillan then Ian Preston. After this it Matt pulled away and wasn’t to be challenged for the remainder of the race. Second place rivals Bruce McMillan and Ian Preston stayed together for the remainder of the race, battling it out for second place at every prime sprint and the finish. In doing this they distanced the rest of the field by half a lap at the end. It was reported that during the race was Bruce told Ian, “…not taking a turn, that’s my team mate in the break!”. Now there’s something that’s not often heard in Vet’s racing! While the teams were of mixed ability and breaking up early on in the race, every rider battled on against the wind to finish the race. Well done everyone!
C grade Team 1 – 38 points
Matt Hinchliffe – (4/4/4/4/10) 26
Bruce McMillan – (2/1/2/1/6) 12
Des Brown
C grade Team 2
Alan Bontjer
Tony Beasley
Ian McVay
Ross Robinson
C grade Team 3 – 10 points Terry Moore
Ian Preston – (1/2/1/2/4) 10
Ian Morton
Russell Marston
Thanks to Peter Zygadlo for sharing the race management and the report for A and B grades above. Thanks also to Russell Marston for helping with the setup and pulldown and assisting in adjudicating the place getters for the A and B grade sprint primes.
Brian Peak
