Hello Vets,
In the Bleat this week;
• From the Desk of the President
• 1st Aider Required for Sutton Drv Training Cntr 17 April
• Letter to the Editor
• Event Traffic Controller Training
• Van Volunteers
• Racing this Week
• Race Report
Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc
From the Desk of the President
Challenges
We have seen some keen racing of late, with good turn out, so thanks to everyone that has made it out to race.
More so, I want to acknowledge the work put in by the club committee members and race volunteers that have been able to put on these events; especially in light of the challenges we have experienced, particularly due to COVID, changes to NSW requirements and changes in key volunteer positions. These factors have presented challenges for the Committee and for the club, and we appreciate the understanding and patience of members as we continue to transition to new processes.
The small team of Committee members are working hard to remove these barriers, but we would be grateful to receive any assistance from members. If you are interested and able to volunteer to support the club activities, please get in touch with myself or another Committee member to discuss this further. Otherwise, we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Cranky Bicycle Worx vouchers
Looking for an incentive to race during the colder months? If you sign up for ACT Vets races over the winter season, turn up and race on the day, then you may be lucky enough to win a free service from Cranky Bicycle Worx valued at $180.
A massive thank you to Stu Carling who has donated 10 bike service vouchers to the Vets Club for his workshop, located in Downer. For full details of Cranky Bicycle Works, see Stu’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Crankys-bicycle-worx-111899310938790/
The Committee will select a winner each week by random number draw after the race and post the voucher out. Winners will be announced on Facebook and in the Bleat.
Seymour Savell-Boss
ACT Vets Cycling Club President.
1st Aider Required for Sutton Drv Training Cntr 17 April
We require a 1st Aider for Saturday at Sutton Drv Training Cntr. I can cover A&B and E, F&G races but will be racing C grade. If someone from A&B or E, F&G can cover as 1st Aider for C&D races, please get back to me. Or if someone can come and 1st Aid for the day, that would be even better.
Ian McVay
Race Committee
Letter to the Editor
I read with some interest the article by Rob Langridge published in The Bleat 28 June, on how to ride graded handicaps. I am the rider that Rob targeted in his article as not being a team player at the recent Mt Tennant Handicap race handicap on 26th June. Rob has been the Club handicapper for a very long time and does a brilliant job and I certainly do not want to get into a slanging match with him.
I strongly reject the accusations that I rode too hard on the climbs and I was not a team player.
While Rob has some good points in his article which might apply to some handicap races, I think Rob is wrong about how we should have raced the Mt Tennant course last weekend.
My experience in Handicaps is that they are very hard racing, they are usually full on from the start and only the strongest on the day survive at the front, I usually get dropped in Handicaps and I have never had or expected the bunch to wait for me.
I have raced with the Vets club since 2009 and most of that time I have raced in D-grade, I also have a record of those races on Strava.
Analyzing Saturday’s segment times and other D-grade race Mt Tennant times, Strava tells an interesting story.
On Saturday, as I suspected at the time, my time on the first lap up Mt Tennant was not hard or fast by D-grade standards, at 4m 39s it was my second slowest ever D-Grade race time up Tennant, if I was not asked to slow down, my first lap Mt Tennant time would have been around 4m 25s, the second lap up Mt Tennant, after being yelled at on the Back of Tennant I tried to ride Mt Tennant slower and wait for other riders, my time was 4m 47s, which was my slowest ever D-grade race time up Mt Tennant.
To put Saturday’s Mt Tennant times into some perspective, the previous 2 times I raced a Handicap over Tennant in D-grade, my times were 4 minutes neat and 4m 15s and I certainly was not out front on my own, in most of the D-grade races, sub 4 m 15s is not unusual and 4m 30s is slow. While again I don’t want to take away from the performance of the other D-grade riders as they were riding as hard as they could on the day, my pace up Mt Tennant during the Handicap by normal D-grade standard should not have been leg busting as Rob suggested.
Interestingly last Saturday during the Apollo the D-grade bunch easily cruised up Mt Tennant at 4m 25s pace, I am mystified as to why some of the same riders were struggling at the Handicap.
Much the same goes for the Back of Tennant segment, the first lap time up 3m 1s and by regular D-grade standard was not fast, my second lap time was more like it at 2m 35s but I was chasing an insight E-grade.
Further analysis of the segment times from other D-grade riders showed that if I had of sat back during the climbs and we stayed together, we would have lost enough time that we would have had to ride faster than C-grade on the flatter segments to make up the time, I have my doubts that was possible on the day and we would most probably would have been swamped by A-grade before the finish.
At the start of the Back of Tennant the remaining D-grade riders could see the 3 E-grade riders ahead, one rider hit the climb hard then dropped off, I then took over and gave the chase everything I had, hoping to catch them before they crested, Rob sat on my wheel, at the top we just missed catching E-grade as they went over, I was struggling by then as I gave the chase everything I had, but Rob obviously felt good, he blasted past me and I missed getting on his tail but I could see him easily catch E-grade.
Like Rob, I have always thought the aim of graded Handicap racing is to work as a team and to have a rider from your grade win. Considering most of D-grade were having an off day, I think as a team D-grade actually rode a good race, a D-grade rider was at the front of the race with only a few meters to go, a D-grade win should have happened but only Rob will know why he sat up and did not contest the sprint for the win.
Tony Beasley
Some might find this interesting
These are some of my times from my Strava files from 2 D-grade Apollo races in which I managed 2nd place, in both races I was around 1m 30s behind 1st place.
Please note while I do not remember what the conditions were like in 2015, last Saturday we had a strong head wind on the climb with some cold rain near the top.
Apollo race, 2021, 2015
Back of Tennant, 3m 9s, 2m 40s
Mt Tennant, 4m 25s, 4m 07s
Full Honeysuckle Climb, 30m 58s, 26m 33s
Finish time, 1h 11m 09s, 1h 05m 03s
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, 10th July – Dairy Rd – Graded Criterium
Reminder: All riders must pre-register on the ACT Vets website (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 9/07/2021 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: 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: 1:30 pm.
Race Description:
Grades Start Duration
A/B 1:30 50 mins 1 lap
C/D 2:30 40 mins 1 lap
E/F/G 3:20 30 mins 1 lap
Race Director: Andrew Peel Contact: Email: apeel@iinet.net.au Ph 0414 564 700
Marshals: Daniel Lekhac, Van driver – Brian Peak
RACE REPORT:
Apollo Road – 3rd July
Thanks to Jan Koehler and Mark Taylor for marshalling, Paul Robey for doing First Aid, Steve Schwenke and Terri Moore as trusty ETCs. Without these volunteers these events cannot run. Big thanks to Ian McVay, Russell Marston and Rob Langridge for committee event guidance.
See the RMS for the results and times. Due to poor conditions at the remote finish not much story telling was available about the race. All I can comment on is the A grade time was probably a record and all riders that finished especially the lower grades showed true grit.
Cheers,
Nick Boylan
