Capital Region Masters Cycling Club

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Five Peaks Challenge

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 will be held on Monday 13th February at 7:00pm at the Raiders Club Weston.

Members are invited to attend in person or can join via a zoom meeting (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88327935272?pwd=VGZaL242bDhvMSt0bUZ3bHBBMkt3Zz09).

For those that use zoom we need you to register your attendance. Use Chat in zoom to fully identify yourself. For example “Joe Blow is attending CRMCC AGM”.

NOTE: Any Apologies should be advised to the secretary.

Craig Tozer
Secretary Capital Region Masters Cycling Club
secretary@actvets.cc

ps We are always seeking members who are willing to join the Committee. You can download a nomination from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tt7NK_6jAoJRclpWUiMxWRqO1aaT_5pH

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Jarrod Taylor C to B
Ian Preston C to B
Alison Hale D to C
Brian Chugg D to C
Robert Craine F to E

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Road Races and Directors

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

Five Peaks Challenge

The Five Peaks Challenge non-competitive cyclo-sportive bike riding event is on again in Canberra on Sunday 23 April 2023. It is a personal challenge conducted by the Murrumbidgee Canberra Rotary Club with all profits going to charity.

There are two ride lengths: 120 km and 88 km and you can bypass as many of the peaks as you desire. You ride the peaks and your partner does the flat.

Full details and registration are at: https://www.rotaryrides.org.au/

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 31^st January: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 31 Jan 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
A/C 5:50PM 40mins/35mins
B/D 6:40PM 40mins/35mins
E/F/G 7:25PM 30mins

Race Director: Mark Vardy Contact: Email: mvardy10@gmail.com Ph: 0467 761 979

Marshals: Cat Riley

Thursday, 2^nd February: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
10-lap graded scratch
2-lap Paired Match Races
Italian Pursuit

Sunday, 5^th February – Uriarra Homestead

WE ARE STILL AWAITING CONFIRMATION FROM ACT GOVT ON ROAD APPROVAL.

Reminder: All riders must register on the CRMCC Web site (https://rms.actvets.cc/calendar) by 4/2/2023 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: Assemble at Uriarra Rd / Brindabella Rd, T-Junction. From North Canberra slightly faster Coppins crossing & right onto Uriarra Road. From Sth Canberra follow Cotter Road down to bridge crossing, turn right onto Brindabella Road.
When: 9:00 am.
Race Description:
Uriarra Homestead – Uphill to Short turn before the climb – downhill to top of Uriarra Crossing – back up to Homestead.
3 laps for A-D Grades. 2 Laps others.

Race Director:  tba Contact: Email: tba    Ph tba

Marshals: Ben Healy ETC, Vacant ETC, Vacant, , Vacant Van Driver.

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 24^th January

B and D grades kicked of the evening’s racing with a cautious start due to the mob of kangaroos that decided it was good time to move down the track. Following some careful laps and proactive engagement by our race marshal Kerrie, the racing was able to commence in earnest. D grade was characterised by a strong early break by Andrew Peel, Alison Hale, Nick Boylan, Rob Langridge and Brian Chugg. Despite an early chase by the pack, the four riders of the breakaway were able to hold out to the bell lap, where Nick Boylan launched a hard attack only to be beaten to the line with Alison Hale taking the win, followed by Andrew Peel in second and Brian Chugg in third. In contrast, none of the breakaway attempts in B grade held, despite the prolific efforts of Stephen Terracini who featured in several attempts, along with Darren Blackhurst, Ben Healy and Nicholas Jeffries. A split in the bunch with two laps to go put a few racers out of contention with Krusty Bryant the clear winner in the sprint, followed by Tobias McLenaghan and Michael Foulds.

E, F and G grades commenced as the inclement weather threatened, though the extent of the precipitation for the evening was a smattering of rain. Theresa McLachlan, Chris Copeland and Mick Donaldson worked together in E grade, staying together for the race. Chris Copeland eventually edged out the win, followed by Mick Donaldson in second and Theresa McLachlan in third. In F grade, Robert Craine had a strong race to take the win with Lindsay Graham second and Paul Robey third. G grade saw Gai Monahan take the win ahead of Robyn Smallwood.

Like D grade earlier in the night, C grade featured a strong early breakaway. A first lap break by Ian Preston, Mark Taylor, Wayne Benham gained a good gap on the field, before Warwick Wilson and Jarrod Taylor bridged across. The chase by the field seemed to fizzle as the break built an impressive gap, with four riders from the break eventually contesting for the top spots. Jarrod Taylor took the win, followed by Warwick Wilson, Wayne Benham and Ian Preston. A grade was a fast strung-out affair, with several breakaway attempts quickly wound back. These attempts progressed from several digs by Dominic Romano to Kris McCreath and James Thorp pushing the pace. A final five rider break with a good mix of teams seemed like it may have the mix to stay clear, only to be bought back by the bunch. The group sprint was taken by Kris McCreath, followed by Gerard Tiffen and Mathew Corby.

My thanks to Kerrie for her excellent marshalling, Simon for medic support (thankfully not required) and David/Ian for opening/closing and general guidance.

Michael Rowland

Track Racing – 26^th January

The evening started out hot and still – a late afternoon thunderstorm at the Bundadome had cleared and the track dried out quickly. Attendance was 10 riders.

A Scratch (8 laps)

A relaxed A Grade rode one lap turns. Then with 3 laps to go Warwick Wilson (most combative rider), attacked out of the saddle lifting the pace. Tim Jolly stuck to Warwick to cover off any positioning threats. Then Steve Jones, with 1.5 laps to go put in a significant attack – Tim Jolly was right onto his wheel, and down the back straight Steve Jones kicked again with Wayne Benham in the draft also timing his sprint well. Tim Jolly 1st and Wayne Benham 2nd were able to get around Steve Jones 3rd on the final corner.

B Scratch (8 laps)

In B Grade there were four riders with no wind during the race. B Grade kept a steady pace for one lap turns and stayed together for the race. With 1.5 laps to go the riders went high on the track, with James Newhouse attacking on the back straight and sticking to the sprinter’s lane – Ali Hale once again timed her attack well to come around James to take a very close win. Ali Hale 1st, James Newhouse 2nd, Ed Garnett 3rd.

1 Lap standing start (SS) timed.

And right on cue the wind picked up for this time trial event. The times were very close. A Grade – Tim Jolly was fastest on 27.40 and B Grade – James Newhouse fastest with a scorching 30.06.

333 meters	Seconds	Km/h
T. Jolly	27.40	43.7
S. Jones	29.28	40.9
W. Wilson	29.52	40.6
W. Benham	29.58	40.5
J. Newhouse	30.06	39.8
K. Clutson	30.36	39.4
M. Graham	30.97	38.7
B. Davis	31.02	38.6
E. Garnett	31.70	37.8
A. Hale	33.51	35.7

2 Lap Handicap

This is two laps with a start of the Bundadome fence. It’s a flat-out sprint. Ali Hale went straight to the front and powered away with Tim Jolly and Steve Jones in hot pursuit going high on the track around the limit riders. Ali Hale 1st took an emphatic win with Tim Jolly 2nd and James Newhouse 3rd.

Italian Pursuit

The teams were even for the usual CRMCC Italian Pursuit – 5 riders each. Team 2 had an uneven start with some riders overlapping. However, once again Karen Clutson was a quick and smooth lead out for Team 1. Overall, the Teams both rode a very fast Italian race. (The Commentator (attached audio) eagerly called the race finish half a lap early). In that half lap Tim Jolly pulled out a blistering ride to give Team 1 the win.

Michael Langdon’s Italian Pursuit commentary here.

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly 246, Alison Hale 213, James Newhouse 210, Craig Kentwell 180, Conan Liu 165, Steve Jones 148, Ed Garnett 121, John Paul De Sousa 117, Wayne Benham 111, Warwick Wilson 92, Mark Canaider 89, Karen Clutson 86, Graeme O’Neill 78, Ian Drayton 75, Hamish Anderson 73.

Michael Langdon

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Five Peaks Challenge

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 will be held on Monday 13th February at 7:00pm at the Raiders Club Weston.

Members are invited to attend in person or can join via a zoom meeting (link to be advised).

For those that use zoom we need you to register your attendance. Use Chat in zoom to fully identify yourself. For example “Joe Blow is attending CRMCC AGM”.

NOTE: Any Apologies should be advised to the secretary.

Craig Tozer
Secretary Capital Region Masters Cycling Club
secretary@actvets.cc

ps We are always seeking members who are willing to join the Committee. You can download a nomination from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tt7NK_6jAoJRclpWUiMxWRqO1aaT_5pH

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Crankys Bicycle Worx

Kevin Newhouse was the latest winner of the $180 Crankys Bicycle Worx Major Tune Service gift voucher. Many thanks to Stu at Crankys Bicycle Worx for this wonderful prize.

Previous winner Stephen Terracini was subsequently promoted to B grade. Will the prize have a similar effect on Kevin?

Promotions

Brian Peak C to B
Michael McGurgan C to D
Linda Stals E to D
Ashley Sked E to D

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Road Races and Directors

Road Races up to April 2 have been loaded into RMS though they are not open for registration yet.

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races. Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

Five Peaks Challenge

The Five Peaks Challenge non-competitive cyclo-sportive bike riding event is on again in Canberra on Sunday 23 April 2023. It is a personal challenge conducted by the Murrumbidgee Canberra Rotary Club with all profits going to charity.

There are two ride lengths: 120 km and 88 km and you can bypass as many of the peaks as you desire. You ride the peaks and your partner does the flat.

Full details and registration are at: https://www.rotaryrides.org.au/

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 24^th January: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 24 Jan 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
B/D 5:50 B 45m 2, D 40m 2
E/F/G 6:40 30 min 2 laps
A/C 7:15 A 45m 2, C 40m 2
Sunset @ 8:13

Race Director: Michael Rowland Contact: Email: mikrowland@hotmail.com Ph: 0466 623 692

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Thursday, 26^th January: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
8-lap graded scratch,
1-lap SS Time Trial,
2-lap Handicap,
Italian Pursuit

Sunday, 29^th January – No scheduled race

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 17^th January

The evening of racing commenced with a warm start for both E and F/G grades. E grade had a great turn out of numbers with the addition of a visitor from Tumut. The bunch rolled away with all riders staying together as Ashley Sked positioned himself on the front, setting a solid start to the race. F/G grades started off but found it challenging to stay together with fewer numbers making for less opportunities for racers to find a good sit behind others. The wind picked up slightly halfway through the race, perhaps adding to the challenge for the smaller F/G grade bunch. Ashley Sked continued his commanding ride in E grade and with one lap to go Chris Copeland attempted to break away from the rest, however was outsprinted by Linda Stals who took the win. Robert Craine rode to take the win in F grade, while Robyn Smallwood was first across the line in G.

The slight breeze subsided for A and C grades, providing conditions ideal for racers who prefer to sit in and be towed around. Clearly Daniel Lekhac did not like the idea of other A grade members getting a free ride around the course and attacked aggressively in the first part of A grade’s race, with Steve Crispin welding on the front to bring Lekhac’s attacks back. Conversely, C grade was more sedate with a number of riders sharing time at the front. Eventually Daniel Lekhac retired from the race, which was followed by attacks from Steve Crispin and others, with Crispin and Rainer Wilton managing to get a good gap from the rest of the bunch. C grade continued to work well together. Steve Crispin and Rainer Wilton swapped turns, lapped the remainder of the A grade field and took first and second place respectively. Matthew Corby won the contested A grade bunch sprint, while Ross Goggin won the seated grupetto sprint. The final lap of C grade found most of the bunch in an optimal position to wind up for the sprint with Jarrod Taylor taking a convincing win which was duly noted by the club handicapper.

Next B and D grade departed, with several attacks being made in B grade, all of which failed to stick as the bunch worked well together to chase down any riders which attempted to get away. Contrary to last week’s performance, Brendan Lakey found he had the legs to attack the bunch with 5 minutes remaining on the clock. Similar to C, D grade proved to be a civilised race with Alison Hale putting an effort in with 12 minutes to go. Towards the end of the D grade race the pace picked up a little; it was noted that a member of the bunch had a major wardrobe malfunction which may have been the cause of the tempo change as other racers preferred not to have to avert their view! Tony Sheehan was first across the line in D grade. Brendan Lakey attempted to ride off the front of B grade again on the last corner of the race, however the bunch came back together for the sprint with some impressive speed, with Tom Stewart-Moore taking the win which concluded the evening of racing.

Ed Hall

Track Racing – 19^th January

Thursday’s weather was cold with the Bundadome headwind gusting on the back straight. Attendance was low with only 7 riders – this due to many Trackies being away in Adelaide for the TDU (the Algorithm Master Graeme O’Neill included); or in preparation for the Illawarra Track Carnival and too the continued annual holiday season.

A & B combined Scratch (8 laps)

The riders combined for this race – points were distributed by Grade. The bunch stayed together well in the windy conditions. Tim Jolly did his usual 2 laps on the front. He then stayed high on the track not moving to the back of the bunch. The pace was consistent – and then on lap 4 Tim Jolly lifted the pace with the other riders chasing to come back together for protection from the wind. The B graders rode well putting in the required efforts to cover the surges. With 1.5 laps to go Tim Jolly launched and gapped the other riders by about 40 metres to take the win in A grade – B grade stayed together, and Karen Clutson accelerated on the home turn to take the B grade win. A Grade: 1st Tim Jolly, 2nd Craig Kentwell, 3rd JP De Sousa. B Grade: 1st Karen Clutson, 2nd Ali Hale, 3rd James Newhouse.

200 Metre Fly

This is one of the most technical track events. In Sydney on the enclosed and windless Dunc Gray Velodrome (DGV), a Masters 200 Fly time in the 12-13 second range is excellent – 11 seconds range is of Masters World Championship calibre.

(Reference DGV: March 2015 – in the Masters 5 sprint flying 200 metre qualifying, multiple career Masters world champion Geoff Stoker blitzed the track in 10.975 seconds to set a new masters 5 world’s best time).

On the night – Tim Jolly’s 13.05 on an outdoor velodrome in a headwind is very impressive. 2nd fastest was Karen Clutson, 13.98 with a technically dazzling ride. And Warwick Wilson, had a great ride for 3rd fastest on 14.17. (Craig Kentwell 14.26; JP De Sousa 14.65; Ali Hale 14.66; James Newhouse 15.22).

Match Sprints

Based on the 200 Fly times riders were placed into match sprints.

1. Tim Jolly vs Craig Kentwell – in this contest Craig stayed high on the track behind Tim Jolly – ever ready to pounce – however Tim rode a strategic race from the front to block or counter any of Craig’s manoeuvres. (T. Jolly)

2. Ali Hale vs JP De Sousa – in this contest JP De Sousa started the race with a kind of snake charming track stand, this even prior to the race being deemed live – (he was not disqualified). JP then surprised Ali Hale by attacking early and then such was the snake charming skills of JP that he hypnotized himself on the back straight and slowed down and this let Ali Hale back into the match up – Ali took the opportunity and rode under JP to sprint for the win. (A. Hale)

3. Karen Clutson vs James Newhouse vs Warwick Wilson – in this contest Warwick Wilson showed good strategy to lead out the riders – James and Karen rode high on the track behind Warwick and seemed to have their own contest to counter each other – in the interim they forgot that Warwick was in front and was accelerating away in the sprinters lane to take the win. (W. Wilson)

Italian Pursuit

Team 2 on paper was at an initial disadvantage with only 3 riders. Due to the uneven team numbers the Team 2 anchor, Tim Jolly, would have to complete 2 laps. Team 1 on the other hand had 4 riders and could in theory leverage that for the win. This was not to be – Team 1 started so fast that its mid field and anchor missed the memo – gaps between riders everywhere! Team 2 started well and stayed together protecting its anchor rider. This gave Team 2 a solid win.

Michael Langdon’s Italian Pursuit commentary here.

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly 222, Alison Hale 191, James Newhouse 188, Craig Kentwell 180, Conan Liu 165, Steve Jones 124, John Paul De Sousa 117, Ed Garnett 107, Wayne Benham 96, Mark Canaider 89, Graeme O’Neill 78, Ian Drayton 75, Hamish Anderson 73, Warwick Wilson 71, Karen Clutson 70.

Michael Langdon

Masters,

In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Five Peaks Challenge

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 will be held on Monday 13th February at 7:00pm at the Raiders Club Weston.

Members are invited to attend in person or can join via a zoom meeting (link to be advised).

For those that use zoom we need you to register your attendance. Use Chat in zoom to fully identify yourself. For example “Joe Blow is attending CRMCC AGM”.

NOTE: Any Apologies should be advised to the secretary.

Craig Tozer
Secretary Capital Region Masters Cycling Club
secretary@actvets.cc

ps We are always seeking members who are willing to join the Committee. You can download a nomination from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tt7NK_6jAoJRclpWUiMxWRqO1aaT_5pH

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Stephen Terracini C to B

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Race Directors

We are still lacking a few Race Directors for upcoming races (including tomorrow night). Anyone able to assist, please advise the Race Committee (race.committe@actvets.cc).

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

Five Peaks Challenge

The Five Peaks Challenge non-competitive cyclo-sportive bike riding event is on again in Canberra on Sunday 23 April 2023. It is a personal challenge conducted by the Murrumbidgee Canberra Rotary Club with all profits going to charity.

There are two ride lengths: 120 km and 88 km and you can bypass as many of the peaks as you desire. You ride the peaks and your partner does the flat.

Full details and registration are at: https://www.rotaryrides.org.au/

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 17^th January: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 17 Jan 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
E/F/G 5:50 30 min + 2 laps
A/C 6:30 A 45m+2, C 40m+2
B/D 7:20 B 45m+2, D 40m+2
Sunset @ 8:20

Race Director:tba Contact: Email: tba

Marshals: Bruce McMillan

Thursday, 19^th January: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.40pm: 200m fly.
6.40pm – 7.00pm: Mystery race.
7.00pm – 7.20pm: Italian Pursuit.

Sunday, 22^th January – No scheduled race

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 10^th January

5.50pm and it’s still 30 degrees and blowing a 20 km/h ENE, which isn’t going to help, you would think. It didn’t take long before the A Grade bunch to splinter, with James Meadley, Daniel Lekhac and Stuart Griffith making the decisive break of the race. Mid way through the race they were joined by Michael Rosser and Denis Mungoven, both bridging the gap individually. The lead group of 5 worked together and were never going to be caught by the chasing bunch. It came down to a bunch of 4 for the sprint with Stuart Griffith (Cartel) pulling away for a comfortable win over Denis Mungoven (2nd) and Michael Rosser (3rd).

C Grade followed a similar pattern with two riders going off the front early. As it went Stephen Terracini and Ian Preston were never under threat from the trailing bunch with no one seemingly able or willing to attempt to close down the leaders, who at one stage had almost the entire home straight to themselves. The sprint between the two saw Stephen Terracini edge out Ian Preston for the win with Andrew Buick the best of the rest coming in 3rd.

B Grade, the largest on the track with 26 riders, provided some of the more aggressive racing of the night, instigated by Darren Blackhurst’s continual attacks off the front, only to be reeled back in again and again by the bunch. It was a night of attrition with 5 DNF’s due to the pace of the bunch and attacks. On the bell lap the pack caught Blackhurst one last time and it was a large bunch sprint to the line, with Ben Healy taking the win with Stephen Schwenke 2nd and James Patterson 3rd.

D Grade was dominated by Brian Chugg, who at one stage found himself sitting ‘inadvertently’ behind some trailing B Graders. It was a meek Brian Chugg who returned to the group after being roundly castigated for ‘almost’ drafting. In the end the bunch, who were now aware that Chugg was the rider to watch, worked hard for the final laps, only to have Chugg take out the sprint ahead of Alex Sommavaria and Tony Sheehan in 3rd.

The 7 E,F and G graders took off into the cooling evening a tad after 7.30pm. The fewer numbers didn’t diminish the effort and concentration as the 5 E Graders stayed together for almost the entire 30 minutes. It came down to a great sprint out with Linda Stals edging out Asley Sked 2nd and Mick Donaldson 3rd. Robert Craine was the lone F grader and a persistent Gai Monahan the G grader.

The Director’s Combative Award for the evening goes to Darren Blackhurst for his many attacks off the front of B Grade going solo into the wind. He was unfortunate to be rounded up in the final sprint for an 11th place in B Grade.

Only one brown snake seen tonight by a rider doing warm up laps. Fortunately, it found other things to keep it occupied other than venture onto the track during the racing.

Thanks very much to Craig Tozer for opening up and assisting with the setup. Thanks also to Kerrie for marshalling, setting up/closing down and critiquing my (in)ability to update countdown timer board, Simon for being there to assist in First Aid, which thankfully wasn’t required and to Ross Hazelwood our kangaroo wrangler for ensuring E.F and G grade had a safe race.

Brian Peak

Track Racing – 12^th January

Track racing continued for 2023 with a session on Thursday 12 January. The weather was quite hot, with a headwind gusting on/off the front straight. The wind waxed and waned during the evening. Attendance was slightly lower than expected with 12 riders, 6 in A grade and 6 in B grade.

A Grade Scratch (8 laps)

The A grade scratch race commenced with Tim Jolly leading out for almost two laps at a very relaxed pace. When Tim rolled off the lead, Conan Liu took over and cranked up the pace to the point where the bunch started to string out and suffer. Unusually, Conan stuck to this task for three laps with the bunch just hanging on, via grim determination. It seemed unlikely that such an early, sustained attack could work. This proved to be the case, with Conan eventually tiring and handing off to Wayne Benham. Wayne piloted the bunch at a solid pace, towards the bell lap. By this stage, several riders were jockeying for good attacking positions. The final attack commenced approaching the bell, with Steve Jones leading out Tim Jolly and Gavin Stephens. Tim surged past Steve as the finish approached, taking the win. Steve held on for second while Craig Kentwell took third following a potent, final lap effort to overtake Gavin Stephens.

B Grade Scratch (8 laps)

B Grade started their scratch race with an even pace – 6 riders completing one lap turns in the hot (31⁰C) and still conditions, perfect for the track scratch race. The bunch stayed together initially. However, with 3 laps to go (Ed) Garnetti on a Jim Bundy steel frame put in a blistering attack from second spot, just as the lead rider rolled off the front. He just stayed out front, setting a torrid pace. However, Ali Hale, James Newhouse and Karen Cluston took chase. They had to time their attack to ease past as Ed was weakening on the penultimate lap. On the bell lap, James went high and tried to get around the Cluston / Hale paring but couldn’t make it. Ultimately Karen Cluston (1st) held off Ali Hale (2nd) with James Newhouse 3rd.

A Grade Points Race (20-laps, 4 sprints)

The points race is a torrid event, with multiple sprint efforts. It is also quite tactical, because riders need to accumulate early sprint points, while keeping energy in reserve for a final sprint that attracts double sprint points. It was interesting to see two different tactical approaches garner top points in this event.

The first two sprints were dominated by Conan Liu who gained maximum points. Tim Jolly invested just enough in the first two sprints to take second placing in each. He continued this approach through the event, taking second place in each of the four sprints to garner a total 20 points.

By contrast, Steve Jones took it easy in the first two sprints gaining a fourth place initially and a third place in the second sprint. Steve attacked as the third sprint lap approached and riders began to tire. Steve’s attack was ruthless. He soon gained around 40 metres on the field and held out to the finish taking the final two sprints in an impressive effort. Though Steve was the moral victor, his effort garnered an identical 20 points to Tim Jolly’s effort, so both riders were declared equal winners.

Conan Liu was compensated for his early efforts by garnering 19 points, just missing the win.

B Grade Points Race (15-laps, 3 sprints)

In the B grade points race, Ed Garnett launched out early for the first sprint. After taking it by a big margin, he looked to continue with his lead. However, the sprint effort took its toll and Ed was soon run down and drifting to the back of the bunch. After the first sprint, Alison Hale, James Newhouse and Karen Clutson were contenders for the remaining sprints. Alison is the form rider in B grade and proved it by taking both the second and final sprints to garner a winning total of 18 points. Alison can never completely relax as James Newhouse and Karen Clutson usually put up a strong challenge. In this race, James accumulated 14 points for second placing, with Karen just one point adrift for third place.

A special mention should go to Ian Drayton for a gritty performance in this race. Ian is improving week by week and hung in with the bunch, never giving up, despite being well below his normal form due to training interruptions.

Italian Pursuit (6 laps)

All riders took part in the Italian pursuit – 6 laps – with conditions becoming windy. Both teams executed their pursuits with good discipline and error free. Both teams were well matched over the initial lap. However, on the first changeover, Team 2’s Karen Clutson used the tail wind to perfection to gain a crucial boost in speed. She held her speed and completed a scorching lap to put Team 2 into a handy lead. The gap did come back to Team 1 after Karen’s lap, with a strong turn by Team 1’s, James Newhouse. However, subsequent good turns by Ed Garnett and Wayne Benham restored Team 2’s lead. In practice, Team 1 needed to be building a lead in the early laps, as Team 2 had three strong riders (Gavin Stephens, Tim Jolly & Steve Jones) for their final laps. Team 1 kept on the gas for the final laps and rode well trying to get back into the contest. However, the anchors for Team 2 didn’t ease up in the slightest, giving Team 2 an emphatic win.

Michael Langdon’s Italian Pursuit commentary here.

Results Summary:
8-Lap Scratch: (A Grade) Tim Jolly, Steve Jones, Craig Kentwell, Gavin Stephens, Conan Liu. (B Grade) Karen Clutson, Alison Hale, James Newhouse.
Points Race: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly & Steve Jones (20 points), Conan Liu (19 points) Wayne Benham (7 points). (A2 Grade) Craig Kentwell (9 points). (B Grade) Alison Hale (18 points), James Newhouse (14 points), Karen Clutson (13 points).
Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 2 (Tim Jolly, Steve Jones, Gavin Stephens, Ed Garnett, Ian Drayton, Karen Clutson)

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly (197), James Newhouse (171), Alison Hale (168), Conan Liu (165), Craig Kentwell (157), Steve Jones (124), Ed Garnett (107), John Paul De Sousa (98), Wayne Benham (96), Mark Canaider (89), Graeme O’Neill (78), Ian Drayton (75), Hamish Anderson (73).

Graeme O’Neill & Michael Langdon

Masters,

Thanks to Russell Marston for sending out last week’s Bleat while I was away on holiday. In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Annual General Meeting

•  From the Desk of the Handicapper

•  From the Race Committee

•  Five Peaks Challenge

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the Capital Region Masters Cycling Club for 2023 will be held on Monday 13th February at 7:00pm at the Raiders Club Weston.

Members are invited to attend in person or can join via a zoom meeting (link to be advised).

For those that use zoom we need you to register your attendance. Use Chat in zoom to fully identify yourself. For example “Joe Blow is attending CRMCC AGM”.

NOTE: Any Apologies should be advised to the secretary.

Craig Tozer
Secretary Capital Region Masters Cycling Club
secretary@actvets.cc

ps We are always seeking members who are willing to join the Committee. You can download a nomination from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tt7NK_6jAoJRclpWUiMxWRqO1aaT_5pH

From the Desk of the Handicapper

Promotions

Steven Harrison D to C

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

From the Race Committee

Road Racing 2023

The Race Committee submitted the 2023 road racing program to Transport Canberra in December. The traffic management plan for the first event is already approved, with the full approval to conduct races expected shortly.

Almost all racing will be within the ACT as road races in NSW require Race Directors to be fully trained traffic controllers. It is also likely they are required to be an AusCycling qualified commissaire.

The Club Committee is investigating what options might be available to address these requirements to enable racing at NSW locations in 2023.

The Peter McLenan Memorial event at Gunning will be run this year engaging a Race Director with the required qualifications as well as professional traffic controllers. The remainder of events will be in the ACT with club members providing race director and traffic control duties.

The program aims to support a range of different racing interests, it favours popular ACT courses, and sees 2022 as a time to rebuild attendance at road races whilst reducing the call on club volunteers.

Feedback on the program is welcome and will be considered for the 2023 program.

Overall, there are 32 events during the year – covering 35 races, including Gunning and a new single-day Stromlo mini-tour.

• The Summer series operates at a pace of 2 events a month – usually a fortnight apart.
• The Winter series are generally 3 events per month.

A 6-race series at the Sutton Driver Training centre has been created:

• Reducing volunteer requirements and addresses the increasing challenges with shared road use on the limited courses available to the club.

Sunday road racing in winter will be trialled:

• Some members are unable to race in winter on a Saturday afternoon, usually due to clashes with supporting their children’s sporting activities.
• 6 events – 3 road races and 3 criteriums at Stromlo – are being used to gauge wider interest.
• The road races will follow the usual winter afternoon start times (1:30pm) reflecting both the need to manage race safety and the potential of winter fog, as well as being mindful of club volunteers supporting the racing in often very cold morning conditions.
• The criteriums will likely have a late morning start, but timing is yet to be finalised. Suggestions to the committee are welcome.

6 handicap races to be held on the same Uriarra short course for all events:

• This offers the opportunity for closer finishes with bunches generally being able to be kept in sight on the relatively ‘flat’ course.
• And Rob’s great handicapping will be more finely tuned!

A limited 2 race TT series in the lead-up to Marylin & Henry Beaverstock Time Trial Trophy on the same course:

• The trophy event is likely to be an extended version of the preceding events.

The program has also been constructed to avoid clashes with other large Canberra cycling events (Canberra Big Bike Ride, Fitz’s challenge) as well as regional events that are popular with club members such as the Bowral Gran Fondo.

It’s estimated that 58 traffic controllers will be required to support these events – as well as a race director for each event and van driver for most events.

Less than 40 club members hold the relevant Event Traffic Control qualifications.

The Club will look to organise another 1/2ish day training event early in the year to increase the number of volunteers able to support road racing.

The Race Program can be downloaded at: crmcc_2023_road_calendar.pdf

Registration for 2023

All members must be registered prior to racing in 2023.

Five Peaks Challenge

The Five Peaks Challenge non-competitive cyclo-sportive bike riding event is on again in Canberra on Sunday 23 April 2023. It is a personal challenge conducted by the Murrumbidgee Canberra Rotary Club with all profits going to charity.

There are two ride lengths: 120 km and 88 km and you can bypass as many of the peaks as you desire. You ride the peaks and your partner does the flat.

Full details and registration are at: https://www.rotaryrides.org.au/

Rob Langridge
Handicapper

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 10^th January: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 10 Jan 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
A/C 5:50 A 45m+2, C 40m+2
B/D 6:40 B 45m+2, D 40m+2
E/F/G 7:30 30 min + 2 laps
Sunset @ 8:22

Race Director: Brian Peak Contact: Email: brianpeak1@me.com    Ph  0424 403 696

Marshals: Kerrie Muir

Thursday, 12^th January: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm: Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.20pm: 8-lap graded scratch race.
6.20pm – 7.00pm: 20-lap points race.
7.00pm – 7.20pm: Italian Pursuit.

Sunday, 15^th January – No scheduled race

RACE REPORTS:

SFP Criterium – 3^rd January

B and D grades were off first for 42 and 38 minutes respectively, combined with the 30°C plus temperature the result was higher than usual DNF numbers. None of the DNFs on the night were due to mechanicals, riders were either victims of the heat, duration or racing intensity. The B grade field of 12 riders split roughly in half with 6 riders driving the pace in the lead group, whilst a few individuals were being spat out the back of the chasing group as the race progressed. With 20 mins to go Darren Blackhurst put in a solid attack and went off the front for a number of laps before being slowly reeled back in. With around 10 mins to go it was a lead bunch of 4 circulating in the 30+ degree sunshine. In the end it was a tight sprint for 1st and 2nd with Seymour just managing to hold on from a fast-finishing Ed Pellegrino, with Darren taking out 3rd and Dale 4th. D grade stayed together a little longer before splintering with the lead duo of Steven Harrison and Kevin Newhouse working off the front until around 5 mins to go when a gap formed, and Steven powered onto to claim 1st place uncontested. Kevin, Tim and David rolled across the line with plenty of space around them as the other 3 D grader starters had DNF’d, casualties of the heat and race duration.

E and F grades were up next and fortunately a cool change blew in shortly after they rolled away for their 28 mins + 2laps. The 6 riders, 5x E and 1x F grader, Robert Craine staying together for most of the race. After taking a few turns on the front Rob dropped off the E grade pack but continued to lap well. E grade broke up with around 5 mins to go with Chris crossing the line 1st followed by Ashley and Karen Hayes (visitor).

A cooler 24°C greeted A and C grades as they lined up for their 42 mins of fun. A grade, with only 6 riders got off to a solid start with a few attacks on the opening 2 laps. A lead trio of Steve Crispin, Stuart Griffiths and Denis Mungoven formed and worked turns until Steve decided it was to go solo off the front and practice his time trialling. At one point Stuart pulled away from Denis, but the duo reformed as they went through some lap traffic and it looked like it might be a tight sprint for 2nd place but Stuart had more left in the tank and pulled away from Denis again on the final straight. Dom, Michael and Mark continued to circulate behind the lead 3, Mark was dropped early but continued to lap consistently whilst Michael and Dom initially worked together to chase before attacking each other. In the end Michael rolled across the line ahead of Dom and Mark. C grade was the largest field with 13 starters who stayed together for a few laps before the pace started to take its toll, with a number of riders being dropped from the bunch with 2x DNF’ing. In a similar finish to B grade there were still small group of riders in a position to contest a sprint finish with 2 laps to go. As they crossed the line Brian Peak was too strong for Bruce McMillan and Michael Hanbury.

Thanks to Simon, whose 1st Aid skills were fortunately not required on the night, Kim for assistance in setting up and packing away, Tony for Sweeping the track and collecting number through the finish chute, Matt for time keeping and Rob for handling some late/changes to entries.

Paul Scherl

Track Racing – 5^th January

The first track racing session for 2023 ran on Thursday 5 January. The weather regressed to winter conditions with a strong, cold headwind gusting into the front straight. The wind moderated only slightly during the evening. Fortunately, the weather did not dampen the enthusiasm for racing. Attendance was satisfactory, with 14 riders, 7 in A grade and 7 in B grade.

A Grade Scratch (8 laps)

The A grade scratch commenced with Ben Davis leading out at a brisk pace. After Ben, Steve Jones and Tim Jolly took turns at the front, maintaining an even pace. On lap 4, Conan Liu rolled to the front and kicked the pace up a notch. After this Craig Kentwell did almost 2 laps on the front before handing off to Wayne Benham. Wayne cranked up the pace a further notch. Shortly, the whole pack was enlivened and charging into the penultimate lap. By the bell lap, the lead group contained Tim Jolly, Conan Liu and Steve Jones who paced each other around the final bend for a close finish in that order.

B Grade Scratch (8 laps)

B Grade were led out by Alison Hale at a good clip. The pack stayed bunched for 6 laps with riders taking one lap turns on the front. As lap 7 approached, Karen Clutson took a well-timed flyer from the high banking, catching the pack off guard and with a slower rider on the front. By the time a pursuit commenced, Karen had a handy lead, though it was still a long way to the finish, at full pace. A pursuing bunch led by Alison Hale and James Newhouse soon had Karen in their sights and relentlessly closed the gap. Karen held her lead into the bell lap, but Alison and James were still closing. In the final bend, Alison managed to surge around the top of Karen to take a close win (half a wheel). Karen held on for second place, holding out James Newhouse for third.

Standing Start Time Trial (1-lap)

A strong gusting headwind in the front straight made the initial acceleration for this event a challenge. However, the elapsed times suggest that the initial deficit was made up by a brilliant wind assist down the back straight.

The A grade times were very competitive with most riders going under, or marginally above 30 seconds. Tim Jolly (27.84s) was the stand-out in A1 with Steve Jones close, at 28.85s. Gavin Stephens was having a first run in the track group and set a great A2 time at 28.80s.

B grade has been getting stronger of late and this was confirmed by five of the seven riders setting times that would not be shabby for A grade. The stand-outs were ED Garnett (29.26s) and Sarah Stephens (29.66s).

Handicap (2-laps)

The handicap event was all-in with a combination of A and B grades and a total of 13 riders. The female contingent from B grade initially lit up this race by blasting past the limit rider in the first half lap. They might have gone out a bit too fast, as it was still a long slog to the line with the back markers pursuing relentlessly. B grade’s Alison Hale rode impressively for an emphatic win. The placings went to mid markers Craig Kentwell and Gavin Stephens with Craig just pip-ping Gavin at the finish.

Italian Pursuit (7 laps)

Recent Italian Pursuits have not been as close as normally expected. However, this race reverted to form as a close contest, with an interesting twist. Team 2 had the full complement of in-form, B grade females and was expected to set the initial pace. Team 1 looked slightly stronger at the back end with Tim Jolly and Steve Jones as the anchor pair.

The race was close over the first few laps with a slight advantage to Team 1 from good turns by Ed Garnett and Ben Davis. That remained the pattern until the final two laps. At this point Team 1 had a handy lead, but Steve Jones gapped Tim Jolly so that Tim’s form on the final lap would be blunted. For Team 2, Gavin Stephens was tiring. However, Conan Liu was sitting nicely in Gavin’s wheel, primed for a big final lap. At this stage, the sensible money was on Team 1.

At the final changeover, Conan Liu blasted from Gavin’s wheel and with assistance from a back straight tailwind, rocketed into the final lap. Tim Jolly was slightly sub-par after taking the wind for the penultimate lap. However, he appeared to have an unbeatable lead. The final lap unfolded in dramatic fashion with Conan taking big bites off Tim’s lead. At the final turn, Tim was riding into a strong headwind and Conan getting a huge wind assist to build on his already incredible pace. Over the last 50 metres, Conan gained around 10metres on Tim. However, he needed around 13m so that Team 2 ultimately missed the win by a small margin. It was a great contest to watch.

Results Summary:
8-Lap Scratch: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly, Conan Liu, Steve Jones. (A2 Grade) Gavin Stephens, Craig Kentwell, Ben Davis. (B Grade) Alison Hale, Karen Clutson, James Newhouse. 1-Lap Standing Start Time Trial: (A1 Grade) Tim Jolly (27.84s), Steve Jones (28.85s), Wayne Benham (29.41s). (A2 Grade) Gavin Stephens (28.80s), Craig Kentwell (30.19s), Ben Davis (30.42s). (B Grade) Ed Garnett (29.26s), Sarah Stephens (29.66s), James Newhouse (30.22s). 2-Lap Handicap: (A&B Grades) Alison Hale, Craig Kentwell, Gavin Stephens. Italian Pursuit: Winner Team 1 (Tim Jolly, Steve Jones, Craig Kentwell, James Newhouse, Ed Garnett, Graeme O’Neill, Ben Davis)

Season Point Score Update:
Tim Jolly (177), James Newhouse (156), Alison Hale (151), Conan Liu (150), Craig Kentwell (139), Steve Jones (105), John Paul De Sousa (98), Ed Garnett (94), Mark Canaider (89), Wayne Benham (83), Hamish Anderson (73), Graeme O’Neill (70), Ian Drayton (62), Bruce Griffin (56).

Graeme O’Neill

Masters,

Welcome to 2023. In this week’s Bleat;

•  2023 Registration

•  Racing this Week

•  Race Report

Ian Morton
thebleat@actvets.cc

2023 Registration

You should have received a registration notification from the Australian Veterans Cycling Council to renew your membership for 2023.

Please go to the AVCC website (Join a Club | Australian Veteran Cycling Council (australianmasterscycling.com) and follow the links.  

MEMBERS MUST ENSURE THEY ARE FULLY REGISTERED PRIOR TO COMMENCING RACING IN 2023 TO ENSURE INSURANCE COVERAGE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS TURNING 80 OR WHO ARE OVER 80 YEARS OF AGE IN 2023 (BORN BEFORE 1st JANUARY 1944)

If you were born before 1st January 1944, you need to obtain written clearance from a medical practitioner and a letter from a club official confirming your ability to compete.  The medical clearance form is available on the AVCC’s website (Forms | Australian Veteran Cycling Council (australianmasterscycling.com)).The medical clearance and the letter from a club official should be emailed to the AVCC (treasurerAVCC@gmail.com) for forwarding to the insurer. 

Approval must be obtained from the insurer before you are covered by the insurance policy and permitted to compete in AVCC sanctioned events. This may take up to 14 days especially over the Christmas-New Year holidays.

RACING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, 3rd January: Stromlo Criterium

Note: Registration required by 3 Jan 2023 3:50 pm.
Any requests for Grade changes should be sorted out with the Handicapper prior to registration.
Late entries may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please email race.committee@actvets.cc

Where: Stromlo Forest Park

Race Description:
B/D  5:50  B 42m 2, D 38m 2
E/F/G  6:35  28 min 2
A/C  7:15  A 42m 2, C 38m 2
Sunset @ 8:22

Race Director: Paul Scherl
 Contact: Email: Paul.scherl@microsoft.com     Ph  0428 653 779

Marshals: Tony Sheehan

Thursday, 5th January: Track Racing

The Program for Thursday is;
5.30pm – 6.00pm:  Warm-up and free practice.
6.00pm – 6.20pm:  8-lap graded scratch race.
6.20pm – 6.50pm:  1-lap SS time trial.
6.50pm – 7.10pm:  2-lap handicap.
7.10pm– 7.30pm:  Italian Pursuit..

Sunday, 8th January – No Scheduled Race

RACE REPORTS:

Cotter Reserve, Time Trial – 18th December

After some teething problems initially because not everyone knew that the start point for this time trial has changed from previous years, we got under way (almost) on time.  24 riders had registered, although only 19 fronted up to the start line.  A Grade was sent off first at 30 second intervals, and Daniel Lekhac caught the 2 riders in front of him to finish in the fastest time, followed by Michael Rosser and then Jason Irwin one whole second in front of Paul Scherl.

B Grade had a close tussle with Craig Lindenmayer edging out Marc Vroomans by 5 seconds.

C Grade had 2 riders, with Ian Preston getting to the finish flag ahead of Kevin Wells.

D Grade was the biggest group but they were pretty well spread out, with Anthony Dick claiming the prize ahead of Andrew Hislop and David Hennessy.

There were no E Grade starters and Chris Copeland brought home the bacon in F Grade all by himself.

It’s a pity there were not more riders — while uphill time trials may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s an interesting course and the hills are relatively tame compared to some around Canberra.

Many thanks to the helpers on the day.  I was lucky indeed that Mick Donaldson (ETC) and Michael Golding (First Aid) had both directed/marshalled on this course last year, so knew that the course was different from the one I was familiar with and different from the way it was depicted in the approved plan.  And with Christophe Barbaret at the finish line and Paul Scherl driving the van, I could not have had a better band of marshals.

Lindsay Graham