Capital Region Masters Cycling Club

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  From the Desk of the Vice President

•  More Research Volunteers Wanted

•  Racing this Week

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

From the Desk of the Vice President

Race Calendar

Hi All, we are looking to fill all Road Race volunteer roles for the remainder of the year to ensure racing can go ahead. Please consider stepping up and emailing race.committee@actvets.cc with a race date and role – race director, ETC (ACT races only), marshal, lead/follow car driver, finish line, Van driver.

See our calendar at https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar and take your pick!

Criterium track extension project

The Criterium track extension project will start in the next two-three weeks, with the 10th of June the tentative start date, and weather permitting we expect the project to be completed by end of September 2022.

David Parker
CRMCC Vice President

ps Don’t forget there is Zwift racing on Tuesday evenings.

More Research Volunteers Wanted

We are currently recruiting for a study involving 2 blocks of 9 group training sessions (3 weeks on, 4 weeks off, 3 weeks on = 18 training sessions (approx. 45 min each) over 6 active weeks) of repeated 6 second sprints to examine the effects of a nutritional supplement (2 capsules per day). We are conducting a double-blind randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of brown seaweed extract on the immune system. At the completion of the study each participant receives $250 as well as summary reports for VO2 max, power output, and pathology.

Get in touch – Hollie Speer, Hollie.Speer@canberra.edu.au or Ceridwen Radcliffe, Ceridwen.Radcliffe@canberra.edu.au

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 4^th June – Sutton Driver Training

Reminder: All riders must register on the CRMCC Web site (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 3/6/2022 6:00 PM prior to the race. There is no registration at the event.

Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.

Where: Approx 0.5 km along Sutton Rd from intersection of Sutton Rd and Pialligo Avenue.
When: 1:30 pm.
Race Description:
C/D: 1.30pm 40 mins 1 lap
E/F/G: 2.20pm 30 mins 1 lap
A/B: 3.00pm 50 mins 1 lap
Riders to race in their road grade.

Race Director:  Pat Rooke Contact: Email: pat_rooke@yahoo.com.au    Ph  0491 628 317

Marshals: Emma Padovan, Van driver – Brian Peak

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  From the Desk of the Vice President

•  Research Volunteers Wanted

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

From the Desk of the Vice President

Race Calendar

Please see our updated Calendar with all 28 remaining races/events across the ACT and NSW listed. Please note the exact courses and distances we have approval for, particularly in NSW, need a bit of tweaking to get spot on, but the details are 90% there! You can all start planning the remainder of your racing year! Along with your volunteering of course!

Any questions or comments please let the race committee know here, or at race.committee@actvets.cc

AusCycling and AVCC

The Committee is currently approaching both AVCC and AusCycling to see what they each can offer us as a Club going forward?

Then we can begin discussions with both freely and see what options are out there.

David Parker
CRMCC Vice President

ps Don’t forget there is Zwift racing on Tuesday evenings.

Research Volunteers Wanted

Are you a cyclist who trains for over 5 hours or 150 km per week? Are you male and aged 18 to 50 years? Are you interested in endurance performance? Are you interested in how your body adapts to the heat?.

What’s involved? VO test, Haemoglobin mass testing, Two week cycling heat acclimation protocol in hot/dry and hot/humid environments. Heat response tests in hot/dry and hot/humid environments. Physiological measurements (body temperature, heart-rate, sweat loss) will be collected.

Get in touch – Mr Peter McDonald, Peter.mcdonald@canberra.edu.au, ph 04159 08082

RACING THIS WEEK:

No Scheduled Race this week.

Next Race: Sutton Driver Training – 4 June

RACE REPORT:

Old Federal Highway – 21^st May

A great day for riding in our second event in NSW for 2022. Thank you to our Marshalls Iain Johnstone lead car driver and also managing the finishing chute, Andrew Hislop for Following car and assisting in getting riders away at start line, Simon Whitehead with first aid, Owain Tilley for driver out the van and assistance from the race committee for setting the handicap (Rob Langridge), organising the race including approvals and traffic controllers (Chris Short) and overall management by David Parker with contributions from Kirsti McVay (Membership) to getting trial riders organised, Kevin Woods (Treasurer) pre-paying deposit for Traffic Controllers and Ian Morton for Bleat and reminders to get this race organised so quickly.

The weather was fine with a strong easterly blowing which introduced a cross wind to the challenge of completing 3 laps from Shingle Hill Way to top of Lake George and back. This was a handicapped race. Race briefings were completed for each group and apart from rubbish/debris on the edges, one pothole with loose gravel, some seeping springs in a couple of spots on the road and tyre fragments from burnouts just at the far turn the road conditions were good.

44 individuals started the race with only 4 DNF meaning 40 completed just over 36 Km. Well done to all competitors and congratulations to those who finished the course. A few minor hiccups with paper running out on the timing device and a couple of finishers not reporting to the finishing chute meant we may have got some of the timings and places out of order. Over all a good event which meant the handicapper got it fairly right with most of those on course returning within 3 minutes of each other. The rest of the field was strung out over the next 20 minutes. We had 2 trial riders in Yvonne Poels (F Grade) and Andrew Blair (A1).

F grade was away on time with 4 starters and Chris Copeland did a great first lap returning in about 25 minutes just after A1 had started.

E2 with 3 riders was away after 2 minutes followed 6 minutes later by E1 with 4 starters. Geoff Ellacott E2 had a great ride and managed to stay with leaders through out finishing in 8th spot.

D grade took off another 4 minutes later with 10 starters. This group broke up early, however, Anthony Beasley 6th and Marc Cisterna 7th keep up with front runners throughout.

C grade set out after another 6 minutes and this group seemed to do best on the day in keeping its numbers together for most of the race. A cracking pace was set in the first lap with much of C grade still together after the first lap and completing the lap in around 20 minutes. As the race progressed the group became smaller, however, the first 5 spots for the day came from this grade with a sprint to the line – Ian Preston 1st, Brian Peak 2nd, Clinton Porteous 3rd, Edmund Hall 4th and David Dickson 5th.

B grade set off 20 minutes after the start with 4 riders. This group worked hard together through the first 2 laps but by the 3rd Ben Healy and Ross Goggin had pulled away by the finish line in 19th & 20th place. Conan Liu missed the start for B but took off with A1 and found the pace too hot for the day and possibly the celebrations from the night before meant 1 lap was enough. Well done Conan for keeping up with A1.

A2 with 4 riders left 2 minutes after B grade and set a great pace throughout although Christophe Barberet 9th and Rainer Wilton 10th were able to stay away from A1 until the finish. David Parker was dropped early but managed to help out with A1 for about a lap before falling back in the field.

A1 were the last group on the road 24 minutes after the first group. The 4 riders worked hard together and were managing around or just over 19 minute laps. Consequently they managed to all come into the finish line close together with Andrew Blair 11th, Callum Hendshaw 12th, Bradley Peppinick 13th and Gerard Tiffen 14th. This group also did the 3 laps the fastest in around 58 minutes.

It was also great to see some familiar faces races after a bit of an absence. Ian McVay and Russell Marston made their first race in NSW for 2022. Ian was able to show some of us how to start the urn after we failed to get it going before the riders returned. Our apologies. Will write up Ian’s instructions for inclusion ie attached gas cylinder, turn on gas at cylinder, turn on dial to full on urn, use lighter or match, press button keeping pressed and pass flame into pilot hole at 45 degrees upwards until gas lights.

Also well done to Rosemary Robinson who possibly has only one ride left with the club. Rosemary has been a member for many years but is off to Pt Macquarie soon. Thanks for her contributions to our program and we wish her and family well in their new venture. Rosemary has been involved in almost 500 races with the club.

Well done all

Kim Malcolm

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  From the Race Committee

•  London Circuit Raising

•  Research Volunteers Wanted

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

From the Race Committee

Old Federal Highway

To run the Race at Old Federal Highway this weekend we require the following: Race Director + 5 volunteers – lead and trailing car drivers, van driver, start/finish helpers * 2.

Please let the Race Committee (race.committee@actvets.cc) if you can assist.

London Circuit Raising

The ACT Government is preparing for work to start on raising London Circuit later this year to form a level intersection with Commonwealth Avenue. This may result in disruptions to road users.

Download the brochure here: https://majorprojectscanberra.cmail20.com/t/d-l-fjhddll-iykitlcdt-y/

Research Volunteers Wanted

Are you a cyclist who trains for over 5 hours or 150 km per week? Are you male and aged 18 to 50 years? Are you interested in endurance performance? Are you interested in how your body adapts to the heat?.

What’s involved? VO test, Haemoglobin mass testing, Two week cycling heat acclimation protocol in hot/dry and hot/humid environments. Heat response tests in hot/dry and hot/humid environments. Physiological measurements (body temperature, heart-rate, sweat loss) will be collected.

Get in touch – Mr Peter McDonald, Peter.mcdonald@canberra.edu.au, ph 04159 08082

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 21^st May – Old Federal Highway – Handicap

Reminder: All riders must register on the CRMCC Web site (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 20/5/2022 8:00 PM prior to the race. There is no registration at the event.

Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.

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: 1:30 pm.
Race Description:
3 laps Handicap – 36km
Approx start times: F: 1330 E: 1338 D: 1344 C: 1348 B: 1352 A: 1356
Official handicap times will be available on race day.

Race Director:  Vacant

Marshals: Vacant

RACE REPORT:

Sutton Driver Training Centre Kermesse – 14^th May

A fairly good turnout made it out for the toughest circuit race on the calendar in weather that promised forecast interruptions from precipitation. The skies looked bleak on the ride out, but the track stayed magically dry all afternoon. Track conditions were superb, with a small amount of water running across the causeway and very little gravel on the circuit, both thanks to some early gardening work by our van driver Gareth Downey.

First cabs off the rank were E and F grade, with a good showing in E, but only two in F. With a hefty headwind on the top section, the grades stayed together for half the race, before an attack saw a break of three, including Alison Hale, Allan Bontjer and Geoff Allacott establish a solid gap, which continued to grow over the course of the race. A final attack on the last lap from Allacott tore the group apart, with Hale successfully chasing the leader down on the final straight and gaining a few bike lengths by the finish. Bontjer rolled across for third.

F grade featured Chris Copeland and visitor Yvonne Poels, who were distanced from the E grade group early and broke up into individuals, meaning they had the unenviable task of TTing the remainder of the race. In the end, Yvonne had the endurance to get a gap over Chris and maintain it through to the finish.

A grade had solid numbers, which included Australian MTB champ Andy Blair as a visitor. The bunch stayed together til lap 4, when Paul Scherl attacked and established a gap of about 6 bike lengths across the line, but by the time the bunch passed the start line again, they were all together again. Next to attack were Rainer Wilton and Blair, who eked out about 50m and maintained it through most of the remaining laps, leaving the duos of Paul Scherl and Ben Carmody working together with David Parker and Rowan McMurray chasing further behind. With 2 laps to go, it was clear the Scherl / Carmody duo were bringing back the front of the race. At the start of the bell lap, Scherl had dropped Carmody and was within catch distance of the front. On the final straight, fireworks from the front beckoned, but all hopes of excitement were dashed quickly once it was clear there was an agreement, and their work was only to deny Scherl top spot on the podium. In the end, Wilton took the win ahead of Blair, with Scherl a bike length behind and catching fast.

B grade ran a similar script to A, with very little action happening for the first 4 laps. On the 5th lap, a strong break of Michael Foulds, Jason Irwin and Michael Rowland rode off the front and sank the boot in over the pinch at the end of the straight, leaving the chase group struggling to find cohesion to arrest the breaks progress. A quick conversation between Conan Liu and the remainder of the peloton yielded little encouragement for Liu, who then attacked over the middle section of the course into a headwind and leaving his companions behind. By the time the riders crossed the start line again, Liu was amongst the leading quartet and they were working efficiently. The chasers regrouped and worked together, but lacked the firepower required to bring the larger group back. In the end, attacks on the final laps saw Liu, Irwin and Rowland ride away to fight out the sprint, with Conan taking the spoils. Second was Rowland with Irwin coming in close behind.

C Grade was a fairly straight forward affair, with riders choosing companionship and camaraderie over anti social racing. The group largely stayed together for the duration, with a handful of riders jettisoned over the 40 minute race. Matt Hinchcliffe suspiciously was left on the front across the line on a number of laps, and this writer questions whether this was a bunch choice to try and deaden the legs of a competitor, or Hinchcliffe himself ensuring he made it into the Bleat. Nonetheless, dramas were saved for the final laps, with a number of ambitious attacks by Toby McLenan launching at the top of the first pinch. The attacks were quickly shut down, and the inevitable sprint saw Clinton Porteous best Ed Logue, with Brian Peak making up the final podium spot.

D Grade was equally friendly affair, with the bunch staying together for the full 40 minutes. A few riders fell away and rode the duration on their own or in pairs, but the core group worked on with no obvious shirkers saving themselves. Visitor Katie Gregory was unlucky in her first race, with loose cleats putting paid to her chances of tasting the champagne, but hopefully we’ll see her again soon. In the end, Andrew Hislop took the win ahead of Mark Taylor and Matthew Hardy.

Massive thanks to Chris Short and Gareth Downey for helping things run smoothly and ensuring our riders were full of post race refreshments.Thank you also to our first aider Simon Whitehead. Having sat this one out, I’m anxious to get back on the saddle in upcoming races – I’ll see you there!

Steve Crispin

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 14^th May – Sutton Driver Training – Criterium – Graded

Reminder: All riders must register on the CRMCC Web site (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 14/5/2022 4:30 AM prior to the race. There is no registration at the event.

Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.

Where: Approx 0.5 km along Sutton Rd from intersection of Sutton Rd and Pialligo Avenue.
When: 1:30 pm.
Race Description:
E/F/G: 1.30pm 30 mins 1 lap
A/B: 2.10pm 50 mins 1 lap
C/D: 3.10pm 40 mins 1 lap
Riders to race in their road grade.

Race Director:  Steve Crispin Contact: Email: steven.crispin@ed.act.edu.au    Ph  0419 429 453.

Marshals: Christopher Short, Van driver – Gareth Downey

RACE REPORT:

The Gunning 2 Day Classic – 7/8^th May

Gunning is one of our iconic races for the cycling calendar, and as many know can be unpredictable for its weather. Saturday was no exception, with the forecast of mild conditions changing to blustery and cold. Some thirty three riders started the 4 km individual Time Trial with Marc Vroomans recoding the fastest time on 5:12. With the southerly breeze increasing all riders posted great times. Points were awarded with 6 points for first, 4 points for second and 2 points for third place in the TT. There were six times riders completed the course in the same minutes/seconds time, and the timekeepers resorted to the hundredths of a second to determine placings. Christophe Barberet and Rainer Wilson in A grade, Connan Liu and Tim Brown in B grade, while Anthony Beasley and John Stokman and Andrew Hispop and Steven Simms from C all on the line. At the end of the day those minute differences did not affect the final results.

The Saturday road race of 48 km was underway as soon as possible as the temperatures were dropping rapidly. It was no surprise to hear there had been snow in the mountains. Given the rain the region has received, the road surface was in pretty good shape overall. Bonus points were on offer with a sprint prime at the top of the Cullen range and on a course that favours the climbers those extra points were valuable towards the final results. Placings at the road race finish line were awarded bonus points of 3, 2, 1 for the first three in addition to receiving points based on the number of riders in a grade and position across the line. D grade had 10 riders, therefore Mark Taylor received 10 points as first across the line plus 3 bonus points and 2 points for his TT, giving him at the end of the day of 15 points, while Bruce McMillan received 10 points for the TT and a bonus of 6 points for being first, then 8 points plus 1 bonus for 3rd in the RR and 3 additional points for the sprint prime, resulting in a commanding 28 point lead. C grade had 7 riders and was dominated by Ed Logue who had the fastest TT, first across the line and won the sprint, ending the day with 26 points. A grade with 5 saw Marc Vroomans at 22 points winning all three, in B grade Jason Irwin picked up 16 points even though not placing in the sprint, while in E grade Alan Bontjer ended the day with a healthy 20 points having also won the TT, the road race and the sprint. Chris Copeland as the only rider in F grade had maximum points. With the biting wind there was little post race discussions or social time.

Sunday fortunately was a different story, starting with sunshine and little breeze. With bonus points doubled to 6 points for first across the line per grade and sprint primes there were a lot of points on offer, and the final outcome for each grade was up for grabs. There were a few DNS’s and two DNF’s which also added to the drama of who would take out the final positions. At 10m am A, B, C and D grades set off for two laps of the course for a total of 98 km with a sprint prime on each lap. While the breeze did strengthen it was overall good racing conditions. E grade set off an hour later for one lap and managed to return without being caught. Alan Bontjer provided the closest finish for the day with a strong sprint for the line ahead of Kevin Newhouse, winning by a tyre width and Ian Morton rounding out the grade. With bonuses Allan had a clear overall tally of 31 points with Kevin on 23 and Ian on 8. Alex Sommariva had opted to drop to E grade for Sunday and was therefore not counted in the points.

The grades generally stuck together and given the southerly headwind coming back was a worthwhile tactic, with A grade opting to all wait for a flat tyre repair just after the Breadalbane second turn. B grade overtook them and led back to the finish with Paul Welsh crossing ahead of Jason Irwin, Michael Rowland in third and Conan Liu in fourth place. In any staged event consistency is key, and Jason maintained that to finish up on 26 points, Paul on 18, closely followed by Conan on 16 and Michael on 12. A grade soon followed, with Chris Short ahead of Christophe Barberet, followed by Marc Vroomans and David Parker. Marc taking out both primes gave an additional 6 points combined with a strong position from Saturday gave a total of 31 points, with Chris on 25, Christophe on 16 and David on 3.

Ed Logue in C grade gets the most combative rider award, taking out every stage and sprint throughout the two days to amass 44 points ahead of Clinton Porteous on 20. Brian Peak finished on 18 with Michael Carr on 16, Ian Preston on 12 and Owen Tilley on 10. D grade starting with 10 riders on Saturday was down to 6 on Sunday. Once again consistency paid off. Bruce McMillan after ending Saturday on 28 points proved dominant winning the road race and the first prime sprint giving a total of 43 points. Michael Hanbury added second in both Sunday primes for a total of 26 points, Mark Taylor’s downfall was his TT, and with the largest grade numbers he missed out on valuable points there to end up with a total of 23. Tony Beasley at 19 points ahead of Steve Simms on17, and Brian Chugg on 7.

Using a points based system plus bonuses instead of GC time provided a different way of assessing the race position. It was certainly a much easier to system to implement and rewarding consistency and to some extent the grades with larger numbers, with the reverse also true and some riders missing out on valuable points for the overall position.

As always, this race would not have been possible without the dedicated support from the volunteers. Rob Langridge in particular for grading and recording, Paul Robey for driving the van and time keeping, putting out the urn and afternoon teas etc , Darren Blackhurst as lead car driver both days and general assisting, Matt Hinchcliff driving on Saturday and Kim Malcom on Sunday and Andre Swenson for marshalling, and our ever cheerful Simon on First Aid, who once again was thankfully not required to fix any broken or grazed riders.

Bob Miller

The Winners

A Grade: Marc Vroomans (1st), Christopher Short (2nd), Christophe Barberet (3rd)

B Grade: Jason Irwin (1st), Paul Welsh (2nd), Conan Liu (3rd)

C Grade: Ed Logue (1st), Clinton Porteous (2nd), Brian Peak (3rd)

D Grade: Bruce McMillan (1st), Michael Hanbury (2nd), Mark K Taylor (3rd)

E Grade: Allan Bontjer (1st), Kevin Newhouse (2nd), Ian Morton (3rd)

Masters,

It’s the Gunning 2 Day event coming up this weekend.

In this week’s Bleat;

•  Gunning 2 Day

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

Gunning 2 Day

Event Overview

The Gunning 2 Day Event will comprise 3 races;

• 4 km Time Trial
• 48 km Road Race
• 48 km/96 km Road Race

General Classification

Overall classification will be based on aggregated points awarded across the 3 races based on position, finish bonuses and sprint primes;

TT:
Winner gets a score equivalent to the number of riders in the event, with last place getting one point. There will be a 6-point bonus for first, 4 for second and 2 for third. Eg. the winner in a TT with 10 riders will be awarded 16 points.

48km RR:
Winner of the 48km RR gets a score equivalent to the number of riders in the event, with last place getting one point. There will be a 3-point bonus for first, 2 for second and 1 for third. Sprint primes will be worth 3, 2 and 1 point.

96km RR:
Winner of the RR gets a score equivalent to the number of riders in the event, and so on with last place getting one point. There will be a 6-point bonus for first, 2 for second and 1 for third. Eg, the winner in a RR with 10 riders will be awarded 16 points. Sprint primes will be worth 3, 2 and 1 point.

Note: Riders MUST have completed stages 1&2 on the Saturday to be eligible to race in Stage 3 on Sunday.

Registration

Competitors who wish to be eligible for the General Classification must compete in all three events. Register for all three events in the RMS individually. Competitors may choose to compete in the Saturday Races only and results will go towards season results but will not quality for the 2 Day medals.

Water Bottles

For the 98km race on Sunday, the club will not be providing additional water bottles. Riders who require additional water for the second leg, may bring their own to be collected at the turn. The turn will be neutral to allow riders to pick up their bottles.

Porta-Loo

The Committee is still working on arranging a Porta-Loo. Details will advised later.

Presentation

Following the Stage 3 on Sunday, there will be a medal presentation and light refreshments.

Officials

One more official is required to assist on Saturday and two more officials are required on Sunday. Please let the Race Committee (race.committee@actsvets.cc) if you can assist.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Saturday, 7^th May – Stage 1 – Time Trial

When: 10:00 am.
Race Description:
Time Trial (4 km)

Saturday, 7^th May – Stage 2 – Scratch

When: 11:30 am.
Race Description:
Gunning – Breadalbane – return, All Grades (48 km)

Sunday, 8^th May – Stage 3 – Scratch

When: 10:00 am for ABCD, 11:00 am for EFG.
Race Description:
Gunning – Breadalbane – return, ABCD 2 laps (98 km), EFG 1 lap (48 km)

Reminder: All riders must register for each event on the ACT Vets website (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 6/5/2022 6:00 PM prior to the event. There are no registrations on the day.

Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.

Where: Approx 1.5 km – North East of Gunning. Park off the road at the top of the hill.

Race Director:  Bob Miller Contact: Email: bobmiller.photo@gmail.com    Ph  0411 271 656

Marshals: Andre Swenson, Matt Hinchcliffe, Darren Blackhurst, Robert Langridge, Van Driver – Paul Robey

RACE REPORT:

Smiths Rd – Naas Rd – 30^th April

Mt Tennent Terror lives up to its name…

With the scarcity of suitable road race venues the Smiths Rd course (AKA Mt Tennent Terror) is now one of few the courses with low traffic in the ACT. Gone are the days of starting at Lookout Hill, doing a turn on the Pt Hutt Crossing road then zooming through Tharwa and onto the Apollo Rd and then returning.

The forecast for the entire week was not good, but once Saturday dawned the rain was gone and a few starters took advantage of the extended registration period to lock in their road season debut. Conditions were sunny but windy when ETCs Tony Weir and Brian Peek and marshal Karen Clutson gathered to perform the arduous task of setting up the signs for the race. Many thanks for making the day a great success. Simon, our first aider, was on hand, but his skills did not extend to fixing the various cardiovascular malfunctions caused by the Mt Tennant ridge and the howling gale.

Although it was all calm when the grades rolled out from Smiths Rd to Naas Rd onto the course, it was carnage by the time most grades returned after the first lap. By the end of the second lap there were no indications that the race was a graded scratch.

Completing two laps, Alison Hale led Simon Milnes and Shirley-Anne Taylor for the E grade podium. Chris Copeland was the solo finisher for F grade.

The unstoppable Garard Tiffen took out A grade followed by new rider Michael Rosser and Al Raitt.

There was actually a sprint in B grade where Jason Irwin got the better of Chris Short, with Michael Roland not far behind.

C grade was one for the history books, as Ian Preston broke away early and soloed to victory by a substantial margin. Missing at this triumph was Mrs Presto who loyally cheers him on at every crit without fail. Second was Owain Tilley followed by Damian Copeland.

D grade finished in a sprint between Stuart Roesler and Tony Beasley. Stuart won this, ensuring he will return to C grade. Anthony Dick was third in one of his rare road appearances.

One good aspect of this race was the appearance of a number of riders who’ve yet to enjoy many road races with the club. Welcome to David Parker, Jason Irwin, Michael Rowland, Michael Davies, Krusty Bryant, Scott Bird and Ed Hall. Let’s hope they return for more tests of their sanity and willpower.

And special thanks to Cat Riley for her home-made biccies.

I’m hoping for a good turnout at Gunning this Saturday. This is the easiest course to race in the region and shouldn’t be missed.

Rob Langridge